Ricardo Arjona

Arjona's first album on the Warner label is firing on all cylinders. The title track is a minor masterpiece -- sullen and sad, brushed with bandoneon ... perfect for reveling in melancholy. And while the first half of the album might revel just a bit too much in melancholy, by the end we've been treated to Norteno ("Ni Tu Ni Yo"), upbeat rock ("La Vida Esta De Luto"), and the remarkable, symphonic "La Bailarina Vecina." It's the work of a master songwriter whose embrace of the times hasn't obliterated the source of his talent.