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Mecano-one of the most intelligent and popular Spanish music groups, outselling even Julio Iglesias in its native country-has returned from a four-year recording hiatus with an album that finds the pop-rock band experimenting with a variety of musical textures.
But the new strains-from a touch of flamenco to salsa-seem more fashion-conscious than heartfelt.
In this roundup of key recent Spanish-language albums, a more impressive collection comes from Maldita Vecindad, a Mexico City rock group that combines a world beat sensibility with Mexican folk tradition. * * * * MALDITA VECINDAD "El Circo" BMG International
"A stop sign, a green light, a stop sign," a line from one of the album's songs, summarizes nicely part of the musical direction of Maldita Vecindad y Los Hijos del Quinto Patio.
The music of the group-whose name translates roughly as Cursed or Damned Neighborhood-seems to flow in rhythm with the motorists of any large city in the world, giving a feeling of the dreams and fears of the people behind the wheel.
"El Circo" captures both the tension of city driving and occasionally the freedom of the open road....