Between their four previous albums and 2015’s “Black Lipstick,” steadily climbing in popularity, Chicano Batman takes on pop music on a grandiose scale with their fifth full-length album, Notebook Fantasy. Beginning on April 19, they will embark on a lengthy world tour across Europe, Mexico, and North America, with headlining dates in San Diego and LA at The Kia Forum on June 29. Singer-songwriter Lido Pimienta and alt-rock band The Red Pears are set to open.

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Having already taken flight on their flashy feel-good funk single “Fly,” the LA-raised trio, composed of Bardo Martinez (vocalist/lyricist), Eduardo Arenas (bassist), and Carlos Arévalo (guitarist), are going all in on their latest offering. All 12 tracks show off otherworldly sensibilities, enrapturing with exciting energy riveting enough to get stadium crowds moving.

“Making this album allowed us to stop reaching toward anything besides being completely ourselves,” said Arenas. “We believe we have something unique to speak to the world, so we focused on getting that across with confidence and conviction instead of worrying about any outside noise. We want to be so untouchable that no one can take our shine away, and hopefully that’ll help other people to shine too.”

Prominently featuring a string section, the likes of which are unheard of for a Chicano Batman release, “Parallels” is a perfect example of the band’s enduring retro sound still ever prevalent. The winking nod to their 2017 album Freedom Is Free feels right at home amid the bridging between the band’s soulful beginnings and a newfound love for eclectic pop ballads. Martinez’s vocals fittingly twist in more ways than one to keep up with the choir outro, angelically backing a passionate guitar solo.

“Lei Lá” reigns as the album’s most unexpected track, dotted by a psychedelic percussion pattern played in tandem with oscillating chillwave synths. A welcomed switch-up for the band, the song takes everything they’re known for and shakes it in a cocktail during the trippy breakdown at the halfway mark. For an album that’s also home to the buzzing lovestruck daze of “Era Primavera,” the range of styles oddly comes together without conflict.

Coupled with what looks to be a busy 2024 that consists of an appearance on the upcoming Talking Heads cover album and numerous live shows, the new direction is undoubtedly Chicano Batman’s biggest swing yet. Although the band runs the risk of alienating fans expecting another album filled with swoon-worthy soul songs, the change of pace proves to be successful, not limiting them to one style.

“We wanted to peel back all the fuzziness and compression, and create something big and punchy and clear that would still hold up if you stripped it down to just a vocal and one instrument,” said Arévalo.

Words: David Sosa

Notebook Fantasy by Chicano Batman is out on streaming services. For more on their album and tickets to their world tour, including their LA date at The Kia Forum on June 29, follow them on Instagram and TikTok.

Chicano Batman US Tour:

4/19 – Las Vegas, NV – Brooklyn Bowl*
4/20 – Phoenix, AZ – Van Buren*
4/21 – Albuquerque, NM – The El Rey Theater*
4/22 – El Paso, TX – Lowbrow Palace*
4/24 – Oklahoma City, OK – Tower Theatre*
4/25 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall*
4/26 – Austin, TX – Austin Psych Fest @ The Far Out Lounge
4/27 – Dallas, TX – The Factory*
4/28 – New Orleans, LA – House of Blues*
5/1 – Bentonville, AR – The Momentary*
5/2 – St. Louis, MO – Delmar Hall*
5/3 – Nashville, TN – Brooklyn Bowl*
5/4 – Atlanta, GA – Shaky Knees Festival
5/7 – Richmond, VA – The National*
5/8 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club*
5/9 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Steel*
5/10 – Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club*
5/11 – North Adams, MA – Hunter Center Mass Moca*
5/12 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer*
5/15 – Columbus, OH – The Bluestone*
5/16 – Indianapolis, IN – The Vogue*
5/17 – Chicago, IL – Salt Shed*
5/18 – Minneapolis, MN – Uptown Theater*
6/20 – Seattle, WA – Moore Theatre*
6/21 – Portland, OR – Roseland Theater*
6/22 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory*
6/24 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot*
6/25 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre*
6/26 – Taos, NM – Taos Mesa Brewing Mothership*
6/28 – San Diego, CA – Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre*
6/29 – Los Angeles, CA – The Kia Forum*^
6/30 – San Francisco, CA – TBA

Openers:
* Lido Pimienta
^ The Red Pears