Miami's Best Albums of 2011: Afrobeta's Under the Streets

​To close out the year, Crossfade is picking its favorite albums by 305 artists. Check out the full list of Miami's Best Albums of 2011.

Afrobeta
Under the Streets
(Do It Entertainment)

This album was five years in the making. In 2006, Tony Smurphio and Cuci Amador joined forces as Afrobeta to bring a little brightness to Miami's indie music scene.

It began with saccharine cut "Nighttime," which led to more assertive tracks like "Do You Party?" and "Play House" - all of which were given a 2011 reworking for Under the Streets.



On the album, "Nighttime" gets a little extra wobble and "Play House" heads straight for club anthem territory while new offerings like freestyle-inspired "Land of Lost Lovers" and acoustically sweet "Love Is Magic" complete the package.

The real magic of Under the Streets is that it all feels familiar -- evoking Debbie Deb, Depeche Mode, New Order, Miami Sound Machine -- without sounding even slightly derivative.

These 13 stellar tracks prove Afrobeta's first full-length was totally worth the wait.

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