Santana’s Newly-Released ‘IV’ Album May Be His Best Yet: A Review

With the shriek of a guitar, Santana is back. Sure, Carlos Santana has never really left the spotlight throughout his prolific, 40+ year career. But, Santana, the band that made the guitarist famous with songs like “Black Magic Woman” and “Oye Como Va.” They’re back.

It had been 43 years since Santana graced the stage with luminaries like Gregg Rolie (keyboards, lead vocals), Neal Schon (guitar, vocals), Michael Carabello (percussion) and Michael Shrieve (drums), but there’s little evidence of that on Santana IV. The album is brimming with energy from the very first notes of opening track “Yambu,” never relenting throughout the entire release.

Speaking about the release to NPR Music, Santana said, “It was magical. We didn’t have to try to force the vibe – it was immense. From there, we then needed to come up with a balance of songs and jams that people would immediately identify as Santana.” With that in mind, it’s easy to identify the classic Santana grooves. The guitarist powers through the album with his signature Latin-influenced guitar tone, blending in elements of blues, jazz, and straight rock and roll.

Tracks like “Anywhere You Want To Go” showcase the full Santana sound, with early-70’s-style vocals and percussion fills to bring the track to new heights. There’s some soulful organ lines working their charm, weaving through guitar solos to excite, engage, and captivate. It’s powerful stuff, to the fullest extent of the word.

The band takes their time developing each song, giving the album a longer-than-average runtime. No one dares to complain, as brooding songs like “Fillmore East” and “Sueños” capture the soulful side of the Spanish music. Those slower interludes are only complementary to the album’s overall celebratory nature. With anthems like “Love Makes The World Go Round,” “Freedom In Your Mind,” “Come As You Are” and more, the overarching message of Santana IV lies in self-acceptance and the brotherhood of humankind.

It’s truly hard to believe that Santana III was written forty-five years ago. The music on Santana IV just sounds so fresh; so full of life. While there’s no denying that the classics are indeed classics, the pure energy and wisdom exuded from IV makes it a sure contender for the guitarist’s best albums yet. Though judging a subjective art form like music is nearly-impossible, it is sufficient to say that Santana has exceeded expectations with his newest release.

Do yourself a favor and listen to the album, streaming throughout the week via NPR Music, below: