Sin Bandera

Founded by Mexico's Leonel Garc­a and Argentina's Noel Shajris, Sin Bandera is a vocal duet that performs polished, extremely melodic pop songs celebrating the vicissitudes of love. The lyrics are in Spanish, but the group's sound is informed by the kind of glossy production values and palatable keyboard lines that define most mainstream American productions. That's not to say that Sin Bandera is totally devoid of the Latin tinge, however. The rhythmic structure of the opening "Para Alcanzarte," for instance, is enhanced by a percolating salsa line from pianist Hector Infanzon, and the sinuous, delicate ballad "A Primera Vista" includes the instrumental contribution of Joselo Rangel, lead guitarist of premier rock-en-espa±ol band Caf© Tacuba. Even though the duet's openly commercial aspirations are apparent throughout the album's 10 tracks, there's also a bohemian atmosphere that permeates the procedures, as if Sin Bandera had recorded these tunes in a solitary caf©, late at night, drunk with the power of their own poetry. Lovers of quality--and slightly melodramatic--Latin pop will think of Sin Bandera as an indispensable arrival to the genre. --Ernesto Lechner