Victor Garcia Loco Por Ti CD

There's nothing quite as catchy as the swoony teenage accordion pop leadoff single, "Loco por Ti," but a good half-dozen songs come pretty close. What's also impressive is the tastefulness of the playing and the arrangements that give the disc a rootsy, earthy core underneath the pop sheen of the mix. Garcia's technique and commitment never waver. His voice is still a little lacking in character, and for the uninitiated, he is not the most interesting thing about this disc. Still, the best tracks make a perfect soundtrack for a couple of chicas on a road trip along la Frontera. The alternate versions towards the end don't add anything to the originals, but there's still a fair amount of fun music here. ~ J. Chandler

Arrangers: Fernando de Santiago; Memo Gil; Pancho Ruiz; Paco Rosas; Mario Santos; Beto Dominguez.

Personnel: Alan Marco, Jose Arellano (bajo sexto); Alex Arellano (accordion); Marco Gamboa, Enrique Martinez, Guillermo Gil (didjeridu); Oscar Sotelo, Jr. (trumpet); Memo Gil, Pancho Ruiz, Mario Santos (programming).

Recording information: Farias Productions, Van Nuys, CA; Hugo's Digital, Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico; La Bodega, Mexico D.F; Leboot Studios, Los Angeles, CA.