Fobia Shows Solid Lyrical Maturity

Despite living under the shadow of Caifanes and Maldita Vecindad for the last few years, Fobia managed to remain one of Mexico’s most popular young alternative rock bands. The quintet seemed about to explode at any time but was unable to make that final step into maturity.

After its show Saturday night at the Hollywood Grand--in which it presented “Amor chiquito” (“Tiny Love”), the group’s fourth and best album to date--Fobia seems to have finally grown into a solid ensemble ready to join the leading pack of Mexican rockers.

The least “ethnic” of the alternative Mexican bands--despite subtle touches of Latin rhythms, the group mostly pays homage to British pop--Fobia is far from being a copycat product. Between lighthearted nods to disco music, catchy guitar riffs, tender ballads and hard-driving rockers, Fobia’s lyric message is a rarity among the usually hard-core, radical Mexican rock poetry.

When singer Leo yells, “What we need is a revolution / we propose a revolution without hands” or “nothing against Jesus / we don’t have to be friends or brothers / just a change of heart,” from the single “Revolucion,” Fobia stands in a league of its own as a mature, thinking band whose real attitude is simply “revolution is OK, but don’t you touch me and leave me alone.”

This concert, with the improved lyrics and the usual impressive instrumental ability, showed Fobia at its peak to date and that it’s capable of bigger things.