-- USA Today

3 1/2 Stars
Los Lobos started out playing weddings in East Los Angeles, a career phase that culminated with a hit cover of "La Bamba." In the decade since, they've been making music for the post-nuptial stragglers and burrowing into the subconscious. Teamed once again with sonic chemists Mitchell Froom and Tchad Blake, the quintet continues to expand the acid-tweaked atmosphere of its 1992 masterpiece, "Kiko." Conventionally structured songs were at the core of "Kiko"'s experiments, but those tunes are becoming increasingly hard to find as the Lobos spin off projects and solo releases multiply (Latin Playboys, David Hidalgo's Houndog, Cesar Rosas' Soul Disguise). Now the lyrics are more allusive and open-ended ("How come the days do what they do?" Hidalgo mutters on the title song), and the dance floor has never seemed a more subversive place; the Colombian shuffle of "Cumbia Raza," the New Orleans stagger of "Oh Yeah," the queasy swamp rock of "Viking." Rock's most metaphysical party band strikes again.

-- Greg Kot, Rolling Stone 8/19/99

"...This Time is a prime example of how Los Lobos has masterfully crossbred the deep roots of rock, Tex-Mex and R&B. Much of 'This Time' is just solidly grooving rock music that shows off the skills of its master craftsmen. From the mellow R&B statement of the title track to Cesar Rosas' silky 'Cumbia Raza,' 'This Time' is yet another one of Los Lobos' multi-faceted, bi-lingual triumphs."

-- Steve Ciabattoni / CMJ New Music Report / July '99

* * * 1/2 (out of 4)
Except for the addition in 1982 of saxophonist Steve Berlin, Los Lobos' lineup has remained a constant for more than 25 years. But its sound has undergone a sea change. On early albums such as "How Will the Wolf Survive?" and "By the Light of the Moon," the East L.A. band was an earnest, socially conscious roots-rock band with most of its influences -- swamp blues, classic rock, Mexican norteņo and folk music -- in the right place.

Then, Los Lobos hooked up with the production team of Mitchell Froom and Tchad Blake on 1992's "Kiko" and became venturesome studio tinkerers, mixing up fugitive sounds and ethnic styles like inspired chemists. Since "Kiko," the quintet has remained committed to its darker, more abstract impulses.

On "This Time," the group places a greater emphasis on grooves and lets its melodies recede into the background a bit. The drums are high up in the mix, and David Hidalgo's and Cesar Rosas' guitars are slaves to the rhythm, pushing the grooves along with circular riffs and rhythmic counterpunches.

On "Oh Yeah," an Afro Cuban beat slithers around Rosas' menacingly soulful vocal, while "Runaway With You" is a spooked shuffle. "La Playa's" indeterminate avant-Latina mutation sounds like something tropicalia pioneer Tom Ze might conjure up.

The most groove-driven album of the band's career, "This Time" -- full of spare, intimate sketches about lost chances and newfound hope -- finds Los Lobos heading into its second quarter-century as creatively restless as ever.

-- Los Angeles Times

It'd be easy to waste a review listing the musical styles that inhabit this 25-year-old band's 10th album, so let's just call it avant-Chicano roots funk. The important thing is that Los Lobos do fusion like nobody else, twisting a tangle of influences into tightly wound explorations of sound and rhythm that are genuinely electric, not just eclectic. ..."This Time" is worth the time its rich mixture requires. A-

-- Entertainment Weekly - July '99

"Traditional styles, blues, rock and R&B are fed through a bizarre filter that creates a sound that bears the indelible and individual mark of Los Lobos. If you like Los Lobos, you will love THIS TIME. If you are unfamiliar with Los Lobos, check it out for your own good."

-- Album Network - July '99

At a time when so many rock bands have driven into dead ends, and when Ricky Martin's processed pop passes for Latin music, Los Lobos come along to remind us of the vitality of the American rock and blues experience and of the infinite possibilities that result when gifted, inspired musicians suffuse those genres with Mexican and Caribbean folklore. As expansive as "Kiko" (1992) and "Colossal Head" (1996), "This Time" marks the 25-year-old band's label debut and the culmination of the trilogy that represents one of the greatest - albeit under appreciated - musical achievements of the '90s. Highlights include the title track, which as an easygoing, soulful vibe reminiscent of the Neville Brothers, the irresistible Spanish-language cuts "Cumbia Raza" and "Corazon"; the novelistic and dream-like "Oh Yeah"; and the jagged, industrial-edged "High Places" and "Viking." On the heels of outstanding side projects by group members Louie Perez, Cesar Rosas, and David Hidalgo, "This Time" suggests that Los Lobos have a seemingly infinite store of creative energy. A work of absolute brilliance."

-- Billboard Spotlight - July 17, 1999

Los Lobos may now be on a Disney owned label, but their roots rock sensibility remains intact. Once again the band works hand in hand with the production team of Mitchell Froom and Tchad Blake, experts at helping the band intensify their swampy, sweaty groove. The title track, a down tempo tale of working class woe, sets the stage for an album full of loss and regret. Even the more energetic tracks like "Run Away With You," with its spooky slide guitar, sound like cries of desperation from the edge of eternity. As usual, the Lobos Latin tinge provides some of the sets best and brightest moments. The distorted sax on "Corazon" makes it sound like the haunted memory of an evening from the 1950s spent dancing the cha cha cha, while "Cumbia Raza" gives sharp, Colombian edge to a style that's usually more laid back in its Mexican form.

-- E! On-line - July '99

Hispanic rock legend Los Lobos is one of the few bands in Los Angeles that actually has roots. Twenty-five years ago it was playing traditional Mexican music in punk venues, later adding its take on R&B, rock and blues. THIS TIME (Hollywood Records) combines avant-garde textures with the intimacy of traditional R&B. The production team of Mitchell Froom and Tchad Blake, who have worked with the band throughout this decade, helped create a sonic landscape that is futuristic yet human in spirit. On THIS TIME, Los Lobos creates soul music for the new millennium.

-- Playboy Magazine - Sept. '99 Issue