Por Ti

When it comes to providing new albums, one could say that the regional Mexican market often uses a different business model than English-language artists in alternative rock, adult contemporary, urban, country, or hip-hop (or for that matter, other areas of Latin music). It isn't uncommon to hear the phrase "their first album in several years" in connection with many English-language stars, who may wait two, three, four, or more years to come out with a new album — and their labels typically hype the arrival of a new album as a major, long-awaited event. But in regional Mexican music, artists often provide two or even three new albums a year; they flood the market, which is an effective business strategy because a band like Bronco has a very loyal following. Hardcore Bronco fans seem to buy their albums automatically, and many of them will no doubt acquire Por Ti (For You) simply because it is a Bronco album. Those who do will find that while this 2005 release doesn't break any new ground for el Gigante de America, it offers another likable dose of the type of romantic, pop-minded norteño light that listeners expect from them. Those who aren't major Bronco fans may argue that they aren't as challenging a group as, say, los Tigres del Norte or los Huracanes del Norte, but then, they never claimed to be — and their softer take on norteño yields enjoyable results on tracks like "Y Aqui Me Dejas," "Quitame," "El Consejo," and "Por Ti (Contra Viento y Marea)." Meanwhile, a more straight-ahead approach prevails on "El Corrido de los Perez" and the cumbia/Tex-Mex offerings "Catapun" and "El Gallo." But the pop influence is generally quite strong on Por Ti, which is a pleasant affair even though it falls short of essential.