10

It's a great back story: five musicians from Colombia and Argentina living illegally in Barcelona meet playing music on the streets and form a group that goes on to achieve widespread acclaim. Ten years later and that group, Che Sudaka, have released their fifth album, 10, channelling the positive energy of their hero Manu Chao into ten upbeat and uplifting songs about their lives and struggles as immigrants. Lyrics in Spanish, French and English reflect the band's multicultural spirit, as does the fusion of South American styles with elements of reggae and ska. It's certainly no subtle affair: each song employs a big singalong chorus, with the dominant lead vocal sitting high in the mix and ubiquitous harmony vocals adding texture (though little else). Simple song structures and Catalan rumba beats make it great dancefloor fodder though – there's even a carnival vibe to ‘C'est Plus Beau’, thanks to blaring brass and Colombian cumbia rhythms. Melodies ooze from every crevice (even the basslines and solos are tuneful) and while they're not wildly original, they will rattle around your head for days afterwards. ‘Que Viva la Gente’ tips its hat to the indignados of the 2011 Spanish protests, but the theme of social justice is less prevalent than on the group's previous albums. Instead, 10 engages with challenges facing the individual and with the woolly realms of love and spirituality – at times veering closely to emotional cliché. It's nevertheless a fun listen, if ultimately an undemanding record.