La Llorona

Lhasa de Sela cast a spell upon the world music scene with her atmospheric debut, which uses Mexican folk to probe the human condition. How much can a heart take before it shatters? Lhasa investigates with her remarkable voice, a woozy contralto that seems to carry a lifetime of experience in its depths. “De Cara a la Pared” may find the singer crying, face to the wall, but she’s no shrinking violet—on “Por Eso Me Quedo,” the lyrics are resigned but the delivery is furious.