FERNANDEZ ALEJANDRO MAS ROMANTICO QUE NUNCA - SUS GRANDES

FERNANDEZ ALEJANDRO DE NOCHE - CLASICOS A MI MANERA

Pushing the musical envelope with each successive album, the young Alejandro Fernandez went for broke on this fusion of pop balladry and trad rancheras. In a smart move, he picked veteran studio wiz Emilio Estefan Jr. to come up with a winning recipe--great material and excellent musicianship to back up a topflight singer. Gloria Estefan teams up with Fernandez in the duet "En el Jardin," a touching tune about finding true love. But it's on the inspirational song "Yo Naci para Amarte" that Fernandez's velvety baritone fuses passion with power as he sings of coming to terms with destiny. On the same level is "No Se Olvidar," in which he conveys the fear of solitude that coexists with the drive of personal conviction. Both songs radiate with a potent mix of emotion, from angry yells to desperate pleadings. --Ramiro Burr

FERNANDEZ ALEJANDRO DOS MUNDOS EVOLUCION (F)

In less than a decade, Alejandro Fernández has emerged as one of Mexico's leading young performers by effortlessly balancing the solid ranchera sounds of his father Vicente Fernández with the slick balladry of contemporaries like Enrique Iglesias. On Entre Tus Brazos, however, Fernández sticks a bit too close to the formula of his past successes. His deep, expressive voice glides nicely around the sensual rhythms of "Háblame" and "Quiéreme," but there's a sense of slick detachment that courses throughout most of the tracks, all of which were produced by Emilio Estefan, Jr. Every song is awash in sound-alike string arrangements and tortured-love lyrics. The tempo picks up here and there, but this glossy collection is likely to induce more sleep than swoons. --Joey Guerra