Alfredo Olivas - La Rueda de la Fortuna (2017)

Alfredo Olivas has never shied away from love's darker emotions, or its delights. La Rueda de la Fortuna is norteño at its sweetest, mixing punchy corridos with airy ballads. But the evocative wordplay, alternately witty and wounded, turns these confections into confessionals. Even as the horns of “Seguramente” hit you with bolts of pure joy, Olivas sketches a truly intense portrait of romantic desperation, and the diaphanous beauty of the strings on “Me Quedé Con Ganas” can’t quite soothe away the lyrical bite.