La Vida…Es Un Ratico / La Vida...Es Un Ratico

The Colombian singer/songwriter and guitarist Juanes has the best of both worlds: he’s a serious artist whose work has received critical acclaim, and he’s a commercially successful rock star. La Vida… Es un Ratico (“Life… is a Brief Moment”) features emotive singing, catchy songs, and a mix of musical flavors. The opener, “No Creo en El Jamas,” is high-energy power pop, “Clase de Amor” sports a Latin groove colored by E-bowed guitar, and the next track, “Me Enamora,” has a nice reggae/cumbia chug. Taken together, these three songs demonstrate Juanes’ gift for balancing different styles in a way that sounds natural; his music is clearly rooted in Latin America but it reaches out to — and draws from — other places. Gustavo Santaolalla, who is best known in the U.S. for his film scores and his work with the extraordinary Mexican group, Cafe Tacuba, co-produced the album with Juanes. The production shines, especially on Ratico‘s moving title track, which possesses the grandeur of late-period Beatles.