La Pistola y el Corazón

Editors’ Notes This has to be the greatest left turn ever. After riding high on the hit “La Bamba,” Los Lobos spurned commercial success and recorded an extraordinary, all-Spanish album that digs its feet into the soil of Mexico. Nobody does son jarocho like these guys: The celestial interplay of the strings on “El Canelo” is a burst of joy, matched by David Hidalgo’s unparalleled tenor. “El Gusto” features ebullient violin and guitar interplay, while the title track can barely contain the soul-splitting emotions of love’s demise.