A group of musicians from four different countries (and three continents) who met in London at house parties or through mutual friends, the all-female Los Bitchos were motivated by the prospect of combining their various international music influences -- most prominently surf rock, Argentinian cumbia, Peruvian chicha, and Anatolian rock -- in a genre-defying instrumental rock setting. Riding a wave of exposure from a festival appearance in 2019 that was captured on video, the band soon recorded their debut album, Let the Festivities Begin!, with Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos. As indicated by the record title as well as song names like "I Enjoy It," "Tripping at a Party," and "Good to Go!," they take a playful, feel-good approach to their creations, which consistently feature circular, danceable grooves. Indicative of many of the tracks on the album, opener "The Link Is About to Die" starts with drum kit, shaker, and hand drums, quickly settling into a South American-derived rhythm before adding repeated guitar hooks, lively basslines, sparkling synth interjections, and a generous dose of reverb. If formulaic in approach, cosmopolitan rhythms and trippy hooks vary, and any track or combination of tracks on the album is well-suited for front-of-house play or for a soundtrack to get the party started. Entries such as "I Enjoy It" and "Lindsay Goes to Mykonos" even add murmured voices or unintelligible singing to the mix, as if the revelry is already underway. A handful of diversions include "Las Panteras," which ups the tempo midway through, and the final two tracks, "Try the Circle!" and "Lindsay Goes to Mykonos," which save the more musically ambitious performances, including seething surf guitar and exploratory solos, for the end so as not to upstage their set mates. The party-hearty album fittingly closes on a unison "Yeah!" ~ Marcy Donelson
