“Damage and Remainder”
Michael Carlos Band, $9.99

Michael Carlos is not one to rush. Many of the songs on his sophomore album, “Damage and Remainder,” were conceived years ago.

Carlos strives to accomplish a few things on this new record: make a connection to his Latin roots, address some recent personal tragedies, and establish a more hard rocking sound than what can be heard on his 2004 album, “Yesterday’s Icons.”

His influences are apparent in some of his songs — Carlos channels Los Lobos and Tom Waits, among others (he even throws in a riff from The Knack’s “My Sharona” near the end of opening track “Out of Control”), through a variety of musical styles. He experiments with many different sounds on the album (especially where percussion is concerned), leaving it fresh and surprising at every turn.

Carlos’ lyrics leave the songs feeling a bit esoteric; though songwriting affords him catharsis for his personal conflicts, the specific meaning is lost on the listener. The words remain broad and impersonal. In “Winning Streak,” a song about a successful person being humbled by a catastrophic experience, Carlos sings, “Payback showed up to collect/ slide uphill and watch the wreck/ feel the ground beneath you getting colder/ your little winning streak is over,” along with a superspy theme sound.

Portions of the album were recorded at Eric Frank’s studio in Wenatchee, while the rest was contributed by Ethan Sellers et al at a studio in Chicago. Sellers provides a lot of the string, horn and percussion orchestration that boosts the caliber on several of Carlos’ compositions.

One of the most successful tracks on the record is “Jenny’s Cumbia,” which holds its own without Sellers’ touch. In a tribute to the memory of Carlos’ late companion Jennifer Reese, he taps into his Latin blood with a danceable, Spanish-language tune. The most engaging and inventive track on the record — which incorporates the talents of players on both sides of the Rockies — is “More Than One Way Down.” With a swampy bayou beat and dark vocals, the tune seems tailored for radio play.

Former band member Darik Peet has a small role on the record, providing electric guitar for “Out of Control,” “She Doesn’t Like Me Much” and “Wear It Well” — songs that Carlos has had in the works since Peet was a major player in the band, and have been featured at several of the live performances since Carlos recovered from his late-2006 car accident. Peet still makes appearances at some Michael Carlos Band concerts, ripping up the stage with the lead singer. Other band members joining him on stage and on the album are (everyone’s favorite) percussionist Vern Smith, bassist Eric Frank, and drummer Darren Reynolds.

Carlos’ next live show with his band is at this weekend’s free Acoustic Music Festival in Leavenworth. The band plays the first set of the day on the Waterfront Park stage at 12:30 p.m. Saturday. Following shows include: 7 p.m. Aug. 22 at Centennial Park in Wenatchee, free; and 8 p.m. Aug. 29 at the Vogue Liquid Lounge in Chelan, free.