Cuando Te Enamoras - Los Angeles de...

If a Latin style or rhythm starts out being played in a raw or rugged fashion, there is a very good possibility that someone, somewhere will polish it up and use it for Latin pop purposes. Precisely that has happened with salsa, merengue, and bachata; there is certainly a world of difference between tribal Afro-Cuban chanting and slick salsa romantica. And while cumbia and norteño/Tex-Mex -- two of the rhythmic tools in Los Angeles de Charly's pop arsenal -- started out as earthy, rough-and-tumble working-class music, they have both been presented as Latin pop by numerous grupero and Tejano artists. Los Angeles de Charly does this type of thing enjoyably well, and those who have appreciated their previous albums should have no problem getting into Cuando Te Enamoras (When You Fall in Love). The basic recipe that has worked well for Charly Becies' group in the past -- romantic Latin pop combined with Mexican-style cumbia (as opposed to South American cumbia) and/or norteño -- continues to serve Becies and his colleagues well on smooth, gently rhythmic tracks like "Como Te Recuerdo" (How I Remember You), "Fantasma" (Ghost), and "Lloraré" (I Will Cry). Like other Los Angeles de Charly discs, Cuando Te Enamoras isn't terribly challenging -- at least not in the way that the recordings of Los Tucanes de Tijuana and the late Chalino Sanchez are challenging -- but then, that isn't what Becies is going for. Los Angeles de Charly's albums are meant to be romantically comforting, which is an accurate way to describe this likable (if at times formulaic) addition to their catalog. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide