Island Life

1	Dr. Aneub Abrey's Island Blues Cures, Pt. 1 (Intro) / Ajay Naidu 1:19
2	El Burrito 3:56
3	Sugar Daddy / John Leguizamo 4:13
4	La Vida la Life 4:59
5	Belly Dancer / Gogol Bordello 4:29
6	La Candela (Prendela) - A Tribute to Juan Formel y los Van Van / Orishas 5:41
7	Corazon Bandolero / Diego el Cigala 4:34
8	Bilingual Girl 5:11
9	Fever 6:27
10	Bla Bla Bla 6:11
11	No No No 4:23
12	Dr. Aneub Abrey's Island Blues Clues, Pt. 2 (Accent Elimination) / Ajay Naidu 0:50
13	Cityzen Citysay 5:04
14	Te Estoy Amando Locamente / Rossy DePalma 5:06
15	El Burrito (Saboreando) / Ile Aiye 2:48
16	Dr. Aneub Abrey's Island Blues Cures, Pt. 3 (Fairwell0 4:36
17	[Untitled Track] 4:06

Barnes & Noble

The second at-bat for New York's Afro-Latin funk orchestra pulls off an admirable feat: It actually makes President Alien look conservative. Yerba Buena's debut was a sprawling, kinetic assemblage of hip-hop, merengue, cumbia, rumba, and Afro-beat, with a few Middle Eastern touches. Well, Andres Levin and his crew have made up for that lack of ambition by adding vibrant swaths of Iberian color (and more) to Island Life. Invoking the sound of '70s Spanish Gypsy pop -- think proto-Gipsy Kings -- tracks such as "El Burrito" and "Te Estoy Amando Locamente" pulsate with flamenco fire. The Gyspy legend Peret even appears on a "Burrito" remix, invoking his hit "Saboreando." For those enamored of less-outré Latin music, there's a healthy dose of merengue, "Belly Dancer," featuring the Dominican rappers Fulanito; a samba-powered "Cityzen Citysoy"; and perhaps the disc's most party-startin' track, a boogaloo helmed by "Subway Joe" Bataan himself -- "Bilingual Girl," stuffed with sexual innuendo and Spanish Harlem soul-swagger. The bilingual rapping and singing that's Yerba Buena's trademark is even better integrated, making sure that everyone will understand the bit of George Bush–bashing on "Bla Bla Bla." With their hyper-inclusive second set, Yerba Buena prove that no matter how far they wander, they always have a home in the polyglot island of New York City. Mark Schwartz

All Music Guide

Yerba Buena let their Deee-Lite out and come to terms with their inner Kid Creole & the Coconuts on their spicy, sparkling, and entirely weekend sophomore release, Island Life. The album is one Saturday short of their stunning debut, but there are more quirky and smart touches and the highlights are extra spicy. The collective blend together a wealth of Latin styles like they did on their debut, but this time hip-hop is favored over house when it comes to outside influences. That M1 from Dead Prez has to adapt his style to the band rather than vice-versa is an interesting and different way to handle the usual hip-hop guest appearance, and minus the reggaeton remix of "Sugar Daddy" snuck on the end of the CD, the album favors organic over electronic. "Sugar Daddy" works best in the club, but the rest of the salsa-meets-son-meets-whatever-they-feel-like album works just fine in the car, on the headphones, and anywhere else the party needs starting. Segues, skits, and sound effects are part of the picture, as are an assortment of guest artists that are obviously enjoying themselves. Few acts could handle John Leguizamo, Les Nubians, and Celia Cruz on the same album, yet Yerba Buena handle them all on a single track. According to Yerba themselves, Island Life is a concept album that's "a soundtrack for urbanistic island living." That just about nails it; just add "fun," "exciting," "sexy," "whimsical," and "worth every penny." David Jeffries