Perfecta

Honoring banda’s legacy while actively working against the forces of complacency, this long-standing if somewhat fluid group out of Sinaloa continually pushes the genre forward while keeping things interesting. Ever since 2010’s rule-bending ¡Ando Bien Pedo! proved a hit in Mexico as well as in the US, the often beer-soaked corridos and romantic ballads of Banda Los Recoditos have kept the regional sound both current and intriguing—something that continues on the potently pithy Perfecta. Backed as usual by sumptuous brass, their deeply relatable themes make for instantly memorable songs, whether via the amorous declarations of the title track or the rueful barroom musings of “El Cigarrito.”