Black Heart Procession was ahead of its time when it blended upbeat island rhythms with baroque gloom on its 2002 album, Amore del Tropico. Today, disaster strikes many in palm-tree paradises, whether in reality (behold the wrath of Hurricane Ivan), reality television (Survivor's bug bites and bite-the-bug challenges) or regular TV (Lost, which strands plane-crash victims in the South Pacific). Amore del Tropico was a smart move for this dark, dark duo, whose creative rut was evident in its three previous album titles (One, Two and Three.) Great records all, but the doom-ridden dirges were becoming a bit oppressive, despite their morose melodic charms. Amore el Tropico plays like scenes from a doctor-mandated vacation. There's revelry all around, but this sorrowful soul still can't let go. The companion DVD, released this year, provides a murder-mystery plot, but imaginative fans might want to stick with their own soundtrack-inspired scenes.
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