Ciudad de las Ideas (City of Ideas)

After years of performing and releasing albums overseas, acclaimed modern flamenco guitarist Vicente Amigo achieves stateside recognition with his release Ciudad de las Ideas. While he is accomplished on the fretboard, Amigo takes a decidedly low-key approach on tracks like "Tres Notas Para Decir te Quiero" (with its soothing falsetto singing) and the solo guitar piece "Bolero de Vicente." Through his style, Amigo is able to flesh out his songs with controlled doses of requisite guitar pyrotechnics. (The syrupy strings and mellow guitar of the title track, however, evoke easy listening.) Not everything here is laid back. Two of the songs--the dramatic "Cordoba" (solea) and the initially languid "La Tarde as Caramelo" (alegrias)--build to dramatic crescendos, while "Tata," the album's most energetic cut, features lively brass and bass and a catchy one-word chorus. There's a smoldering romanticism displayed on Ciudad de las Ideas, and the talented Amigo proves he is in command of mood and tone throughout. --Bryan Reesman