2006 saw yet another product of the fruitful collaboration between youthful vocal talent
Frankie Negron and Latin super producer Sergio George. Some may say that to call
Negron's producer/arranger a collaborator would be overstatement, but
Mejor Que Nunca is as unmistakably George's work as
Negron's.
Frankie Negron continues to deepen his artistic pool as he travels from pop phenom to time-tested salsa star. His vocal work is consistently impressive and mature, romantic and sultry. Dynamic and rich,
Negron's vocals are of a quality to rival any of his stateside contemporaries, including the likes of
Victor Manuelle or
Michael Stuart. For George's part, the production is as shining and vibrant as anything to hit the charts in the last ten years. The quality and notoriety of guests who join
Negron for the occasional duet are less than impressive, and the repertoire falls slightly short of the mark. Though the song selections are of a generally high quality, there aren't any that particularly stand out, either in the context of the record, or the pop-salsa world at large. George plays his cards pretty close to his chest stylistically, forgoing his trademark urban Latino mix for a cleaner salsa sound. When
Negron and George team up, the results are always impressive. For the listener hoping for the "next level," you may have wait until next time. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez