Entertainment Weekly (p.166) - "[T]here's no denying the sheer energy of this idealist crew." - Grade: B
Mojo (Publisher) (p.90) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[W]ith Middle Eastern musical influences provocatively but energisingly added to their already potent brew of Latin rock and Angeleno hip hop, the band are back on course."
Ozomatli: Raul Pacheco (vocals, guitar, tres, jarana); Asdrubal Sierra (vocals, acoustic guitar, trumpet, piano); Justin "El Nino" Poree (rap vocals, percussion); Ulises Bella (requinto, melodica, saxophone, keyboards, background vocals); Sheffer Bruton (trombone); Wil-Dog Abers (bass instrument, background vocals); Mario Calire (drums); Jiro Yamaguchi (tabla, percussion, background vocals); DJ Spinobi (turntables).
With STREET SIGNS, Ozomatli has made the kind of album that Robert Plant, Peter Gabriel, and Santana are all known for, by combining an expansive worldview, both politically and musically, with catchy and engaging songs. On this record, the Los Angeles group (one-time collaborators of the aforementioned Santana) presents an aesthetic that fuses 21st-century salsa with urban sounds and social commentary, particularly on "Dejame En Paz" and "(Who Discovered) America?" Ozomatli expands on its global grooves with the cumin-laced, Middle-Eastern flavor of "Believe" and the dance-hall rhythms of "Who's to Blame." Rounding out STREET SIGNS is the pop-perfect "Love and Hope," which, in an ideal world, would rival Santana's hit "Smooth" for popularity.