If you were asked to imagine what an album cut in 1972 by the leaders of a Puerto Rican street gang from the South Bronx would sound like, you probably wouldn't expect anything like the sole album from , even though those are indeed the facts behind this record's remarkable history. , the lead singer with , was also the founder of the Bronx gang of the same name (the extensive liner notes recount his remarkable story, and how led an effort to stamp out violence among New York's youth), and he founded the band with his brothers on rhythm guitar and on bass. But while the Latin rhythms and tough electric guitars on these songs certainly fit the place and time, the songs are full of pop hooks and melodies that speak of the Melendez Brothers' great love for ; on the opening track, "Girl from the Mountain," lead guitarist unleashes a solo that upends the Fab Four as gloriously as anything pulled from his guitar on . 's early work is a fairly clear reference point on this album, given 's understated but genuinely impressive guitar heroics and the pulsing rhythms of trap drummer and percussionists , , and , but there's a deeper hard rock undertow in these songs (especially when cranks up the distortion), and an effervescent pop energy that lifts up this music and takes it someplace marvelously unexpected, especially as the multiple influences dart around one another. And "I Saw a Tear" is as good and heart-tugging as Latin soul gets. was recorded in a single session and often sounds like it; 's guitar leads frequently get lost in the mix, and this music sounds like it was caught on the fly without much polish. Despite this, the performances are tight, heartfelt, and reveal these musicians had solid chops to go with their great ideas, and the energy suggests they must have been a blast on-stage. is less than 31 minutes long, and what's here suggests it's just short of tragic that this act wasn't better documented; it may sound more like a demo tape than a proper album, but it's a demo from a band that clearly had some magic in them, and this qualifies as one of the most pleasant surprises a reissue label has uncovered in some time. ~ Mark Deming