Today

Raul Malo's velvety tenor is warm and dirty in all the right ways. As the primary songwriter and frontman for the Mavericks and as a member of all-star band Los Super Seven, Malo's soulful croon has bent round the blue notes of country and spread itself thickly yet pliantly between and on top of the polyrhythms of Latin roots music. A tremendous and far-reaching effort, Today (Malo's solo debut) showcases not only what a genre-blending writer and powerful singer he is, but makes clear just how connected Malo is in his delivery and phrasing, both in Spanish and in English. There's something behind and under every syllable the man utters, from the excitable title cut to "It Takes Two to Tango," a frisky duet with pal and vocal powerhouse in her own right Shelby Lynne. Today, a full-on exploration of roots and rhythm, rocks righteously and rolls with balanced restraint and abandon. --Paige La Grone