The inclusion of four quebraditas (curiously referred to as cumbias on the track listing) helped
Ladron recover its pulse from the sleepy 1996 effort
Piden Tu Mano. Vocalist and composer Sergio Villarreal, known for his languid songs, sounds positively energetic on the first single, "Celos Por Tí." ("Jealousy For You") And no, the group didn't go banda -- it conserved its grupera-lite sound for the fast-paced tunes. The group also showed more creativity on the real cumbias, adding a touch of vallenato to "Tu Recuerdo" ("Your Memory") and harp to the standout "La Luna Me Engañó" ("The Moon Fooled Me"). The ballads don't fare as well; despite decent harmonies, "Lastima" is nothing more than a rewrite of "No Tengo Lágrimas," and "Qué Vas A Hacer" ("What Are You Going to Do") wastes a good melody on arrangements which make it sound like a leftover from the No Tengo Lágrimas sessions. ~ Douglas Shannon