Sometimes oversold as a highly innovative group, Tierra Cali are excellent at adding their youthful flair to the ranchera and regional Mexico music scene and bending the genre’s rules without breaking them. While no one will be shocked by their 2010 album, Maldito Amor, there still are plenty of surprises. Take the clever production touches on the great “Por Ti” which re-creates the sound of calls of love echoing through the hills. Then there are the synthesizers which imitate horn sections, string sections, nylon guitars, and pan flutes, or the playful rhythms found on songs like “Novia Bonita” which sounds somewhere between radio-worthy banda and a spy thriller theme. Add the excellent title track, which is as heartbroken as the name implies, and you’ve got another very good effort from this remarkably reliable band.