Y La Bamba has been many things, but at the heart of it is singer-songwriter Luz Elena Mendoza's inquisitive sense of self. Their fifth record, Mujeres, carries on the Portland-based band's affinity for spiritual contemplation, but goes a step further in telling a story with a full emotional spectrum. Coming off 2016's Ojos Del Sol, Mujeres exhibits the scope of Mendoza's artistic voice like never before. "Soy como soy," Mendoza says, and that declaration is the bold - even political - statement that positions Mujeres to be y La Bamba's most unbridled offering yet.