Los Bitchos - Let The Festivities Begin! (LP)

Los Bitchos make instrumental party music that actually feels like a party. The London quartet’s debut, Let The Festivities Begin!, arrived in early 2022 on City Slang with Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand in the producer’s chair, and the match suits them. You can hear the group’s tangled roots running through it, from surf and psychedelic rock to Peruvian chicha and cumbia, stitched together with a crisp, modern indie snap. It is the kind of record that turns a quiet room chatty within seconds.

Part of the thrill is how clearly each personality comes through without anyone crowding the mix. Serra Petale’s lead guitar carries the melodies, bright and serrated, built for twangy hooks and nimble runs. Agustina Ruiz’s synths and keytar tilt the songs toward the dance floor, all glassy leads and bubbling counter-melodies. Josefine Jonsson locks the low end with a springy, percussive bass tone, while Nic Crawshaw’s drum patterns roll like a good cumbia DJ, steady but alive with little accents. Kapranos keeps it punchy and unfussy, letting the band’s chemistry move the air rather than stuffing the arrangements. The result lands somewhere between a backyard cookout and a late set at a psych weekender.

Singles like Las Panteras and The Link Is About To Die show their range without breaking the spell. Las Panteras struts on a sly riff and a taut rhythm section, the sort of tune that could anchor a heist montage or a sun-baked festival field. The Link Is About To Die is pure propulsion, all forward motion and gleaming synth lines that feel like surf music speeding through a city at night. Pista (Fresh Start) rides a spiraling guitar figure that hints at Andean melodies, then slides into a chorus you can hum after one listen. Good To Go leans into a playful side, with chattering percussion and melodies that wink as much as they dazzle. There is no vocalist driving these songs, yet you never miss one. The hooks are that strong, and the grooves do the rest.

What sets the album apart is tone control. Plenty of instrumental records chase the vibe, fewer keep it locked this tight for a full set. Los Bitchos do it with small decisions. Guitars are bright but never harsh. The drums are dry and close, which keeps the cumbia and surf flavors dancing rather than sloshing around. Synths lift and color without swallowing the band. You get the sense that Kapranos understood the assignment, trimming any indie-rock bloat so the rhythms breathe. It is easy to imagine why these songs tore it up on the road around the album’s release, and why festival bookers snapped them up. They translate in a room.

Press noticed too. The record drew admiring write-ups from outlets like NME, The Guardian, and Pitchfork, each pointing to the group’s joy-first approach and the way it refreshes familiar styles. That line tracks with fan chatter as well. Even listeners who usually skip instrumental albums have latched onto these tracks, because they tell little stories with melody and a well-placed snare fill. It is fun music that rewards close listening, which is rarer than it sounds.

As an object, Let The Festivities Begin! vinyl does right by the music. The bass pops, the percussion has a tactile snap, and the guitars feel three-dimensional, like a friend nudging you toward the floor. If you are building a lively section on your shelf, Los Bitchos vinyl earns a spot between your surf reissues and your modern psych favorites. It is also a great gateway if you want to buy Los Bitchos records online and see what else they have cooked up, or if you are hunting for Los Bitchos albums on vinyl through your trusted shop. Even folks browsing vinyl records Australia or a small Melbourne record store will find this one an easy staff pick, because it sells itself the moment the needle drops.

Tastes move fast, but this debut sticks because it captures a feeling people actually want right now. Sunshine in the melodies, grit in the rhythms, a wink in the details. Let The Festivities Begin! plays like a soundtrack to a night that starts with good intentions and ends with friends who don’t want to go home yet. If that’s the energy you are chasing, this album has it in spades and keeps it spinning.