Entre El Amor Y Yo

Superb vocalist Vicente Fernandez delivers more undiluted ranchera thunder on this, his umpteenth CD. It's hard to keep count with so many hits, compilations, and reissues. Fernandez has been unmatched as a ranchera singer because he can evoke sadness with his breathy sighs and sobs, and yet project unbridled macho passion when he wails at the top of his lungs. On the title track and "Te Arranque el Corazon," he takes the tough guy posture, unloading his operatic baritone with measured intensity. On the delicate bolero rancheras "No lo Puedo Creer" and "Sangre de Indio," he switches his stance to that of a reflective philosopher looking back on his life to find meaning. Fernandez also shines in a moving duet with his son Alejandro, "Golondrina sin Nido." --Ramiro Burr