In the unlikely event that you've been wondering what became of 80s soul star Paul Young, wonder no more - the blue-eyed boy has grown up, dressed down and become the singer in what he terms "a Tex-Mex British pub band". The result is Los Pacaminos, an unpretentious collection of Hispanic-flavoured blues which makes up for in energy what it sorely lacks in subtlety. Plagued throughout his career with serious vocal problems, Young is in reasonably good voice here, even if these bar-room stompers are a long way from the polish of his 'Wherever I lay My Hat' days. Mildly enjoyable though the album is, however, you can't help feeling that the Los Pacaminos experience would make an awful lot more sense live - preferably with a roomful of Senoritas and a bottle of tequila to hand. So while Young may well have earned the right to be called a survivor, on this evidence he's in less than great shape.
