Emmanuel Presenta

There's certainly no rule written down that over-produced Latin pop has to sound stale, and the great triumph of Emmanuel's Presenta... is that it not only balances live playing and post-production finesse, but really revels in the abilities of its production unit. True, there is a tight band undergirding every track here, but it's simply one layer in the grand confection delivered by producer Emanuele Ruffinengo, the Nelson Riddle of modernist Latin pop. For Emmanuel Presenta..., he's the author of a big, muscled sound that keeps up with Emmanuel's varying performance personalities, updating his style without sounding excessively contrived. The lead track, "Falsaria," is all the proof one needs, flirting with digital handclaps and synthesizer stabs — even Emmanuel's voice is slightly digitized — while never losing the devastating swing of a classic Emmanuel song. Justifying the title (and made near necessary by the high amount of covers), our star here slips into different characters with just a tip of his fedora hat, playing the badass for "El Bodeguero," the smooth lothario on his luscious remake of "Suavecito," and a tormented lover on the Cuban classic "Quizas, Quizas, Quizas." It's a rare record that upends stylistic convention by playing up the standard, but Presenta... accomplishes its mission by sheer virtue of the talents of producer and performer combining in perfect harmony.