Espinoza Paz

This 2008 release marked Paz's third solo album and his first to release north of the border. A compendium of new songs and earlier hits, it has picked up a slew of awards, cementing Paz's status as norteno's premier young songwriter and proving that his prolific songwriting talent doesn't work only in the service of other artists. He's his own best interpreter, with an unadorned, emotional style that seems to cut through the bluster of the genre, returning it to its roots as the music of Mexico's dusty hinterlands.