Let’s get right to it — the first song on this album features the line "All this crazy border madness/That makes a country create laws/without looking at the faces of the children." Earnest, we’re saying. If that’s your jam, allow us to recommend Leti Garza’s latest, "Borderland."
Musically, "Borderland"’s Spanish-language tracks hit hardest. Salsa rhythms, smooth pianos and lovely multipart vocal harmonies make these tracks sweet to the head and heart. The pure folk numbers aren’t as musically accomplished, but they’re more than Poli Sci homework, showing occasional poetic flourishes worthy of the Guthries, Joni and the other influences those tracks wear on their sleeves.
Lyrically, "Borderland" is laser-focused on the plight of asylum seekers at the Mexican border. Their struggles are central to the album, with Garza mostly stepping aside as lyricist to let the suffering of the people speak for itself. Some of the songs may be a bit dry and didactic – the opening track in particular is a challenge – but as a whole Garza’s latest is part of a vital dialogue about freedom and moral responsibility. Not every song needs to be danceable. "Borderland" has a message, and it’s absolutely worth hearing.
A vital final note — 100 percent of the proceeds, every last cent Leti Garza makes off this album, goes to Global Response Management, a charity dedicated to delivering emergency support to underserved people in crisis locations. That’s an extraordinary gesture that we at The Deli are proud to support. Right on, Leti.
– Matt Salter