Before Cuco came out to perform his upcoming album, Ridin’, from start to finish at El Rey Theatre on April 16, the intermission music teased at the new phase the singer-songwriter was entering. Chicano classics like “We Belong Together,” “Sabor a Mí,” and “Sleep Walk” – a song he covered early in his career – put the sold-out audience in a trance while contextualizing the background Cuco was bringing to Ridin.
When he did take the stage and performed lead single “ICNBYH” for the first time to a phone-free crowd, he was open about how much the moment meant to him – and how much it terrified him.
“I’m nervous,” he admitted. “But we sound good, don’t we?”
Cuco is the latest artist to move away from the bedroom pop scene he became synonymous with thanks to his wannabewithu project and towards an oldies-inspired take on soul music with the Thomas Brenneck-produced Ridin’, out May 9. It’s a recent trend marked by others who made it big around the same time, such as Clairo and Beabadoobee, who have notably taken inspiration from decades past as their careers evolve.
In many ways, Cuco’s newly acquired ’50s and ‘60s-esque sound aligns more with openers Thee Sinseers and The Altons, playing as one, LA soul supergroup. Both groups have become fixtures in the soul revival movement within the past few years, in large part due to their crossover among fans of the genre.
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Their set, about the same length as Cuco’s, moved between The Altons’ latest album, Heartache in Room 14, and 2024’s Sinseerly Yours from Thee Sinseers. During the latter’s performance of “What’s His Name,” Joey Quiñones’ vocal prowess was enough to put him in the running for most passionate vocalists out there, capturing the same passion and pain heard from doo wop singers back in the day.
However, it was the clear camaraderie between the two groups that set the tone right inside the packed theater. For the majority of their set, band members on both sides got the crowd to applaud for a sax solo or a moment of synchronicity. It was also the first indication that the connective tissue between Thee Sinseers, The Altons, and Cuco ran deep, with Quiñones pointing out their mutual friend in Eleazar, who also performed alongside Cuco.
About 9:30, the red curtains parted and revealed Cuco’s band, with his rose-adorned microphone stand waiting in the middle. When he did come out, he wasted no time kicking things off. The first two songs were enough to tell that he and his band were locked in, having seemingly weeded out any kinks that may have come with the new soul sound.
After performing single “Phases,” Cuco introduced the rest of the set as “uncharted territory,” much to some vocal audience members surprised they would not hear “Lover Is a Day,” “Lo Que Siento,” or any of his older material. But the phone-free environment allowed the crowd to be in the moment with Cuco and prevent spoiling the album for anyone who was not at the show.
“Don’t Be So Rude,” which follows “Phases” in the tracklist, was the first to show more of the album’s inspirations than the previously heard on singles like “My 45.” In one of the album’s more swoon-worthy tracks, he veers into psychedelia, fitting for the period he’s pulling from that keeps an umbilical cord connected to his bedroom pop beginnings.
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Of the 11 songs on Ridin’, “Coming Up the Driveway” found Cuco reaching new heights, figuratively and literally, when it came to his vocals. With the help of his band, who all sounded as though they could be recording the album right then and there, he sang his heart out like it was the last time he would be given the chance. It was rightfully the most applause during his set, matched only by when Jean Carter came out for “My 45.”
As he signed fans’ Para Mi records, he dedicated the album’s closer, “My Old Friend,” to his friends, family, and fans who have been there since the start. The change of pace from songs about slow seductions and heartbreaks signaled how far he’s come since rising to prominence as a teenager. It also signaled the end of a show he admitted was short, promising more shows would be announced soon.
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Although there’s no telling whether the release of Ridin’ will mark a turning point for Cuco that sees him leaving behind his past work, it would undoubtedly be welcomed considering the results. His last album, Fantasy Gateway, by no means a weak effort, did find Cuco at a crossroads regarding the sound he was best known for. What followed was “Pendant,” a noticeably mature release that set off a string of singles and features leading to Ridin’.
The creative pivot he’s about to pull off on Ridin’ proved to be a necessary one. But more importantly, it allowed Cuco to stretch out of his comfort zone with a newly rekindled flame reminiscent of his breakout in 2017.
Words & Photos: David Sosa
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