SHAZAM

Los Tigres del Norte are as reliable as ever on Detalles y Emociones, a typically solid, thematically relevant, and all-around excellent album that ranks among their best. "El Muro" is the standout song here. The song, which appears in two versions, one a little longer than the other, addresses the proposed U.S.-Mexico wall from a Mexican-American perspective and, like "Jaula de Oro" before it, invokes a child's point of view as a framing device. "El Muro" isn't the only highlight. There are numerous others, including "Detalles," "Corazon Herido," and "Emociones." "America Central," also a highlight, is another song that is lyrically notable. That Los Tigres can record such consistently high-quality albums like Detalles y Emociones on an annual basis, all the while touring an ever-expanding circuit, which takes them from their Californian home base to all corners of the Americas and even to Europe and Asia, is a testament to the tireless work ethic of the bandmembers: Eduardo Hernández, Jorge Hernández, Hernán Hernández, Oscar Lara, and Luis Hernández. These guys are really on a roll. Truthfully, at this point in time there might not be a more reliably satisfying act in all of regional Mexican music, if not popular Latin music altogether, than Los Tigres del Norte. ~ Jason Birchmeier, Rovi