Kany Garcia

Kany Garcia's story is so dramatic -- a brush with death, a phoenix-like emergence from near-tragedy -- that her 2007 debut had its work cut out for it: how to live up to the hype? But hype doesn't seem to seem to be hollow for this Puerto Rican singer-songwriter, who rolled up her sleeves and delivered a throaty, heartfelt clutch of perfectly workable siren songs. Halfway through the album you might feel bludgeoned by all the sincerity, but it's always leavened by Garcia's knowing voice and occasional flaunting of societal norms -- who (or what) is that "Amigo En El Bano," anyhow?