Raul Malo
Sinners & Saints (Fantasy)Few things drive women into hubba-hubba mode as quickly as news of a Raul Malo album. The Miami native of Cuban heritage and longtime Nashville dweller carries a near-legendary singing voice that poured wild dark honey over the Mavericks’ country rock throughout the 1990s and in recent years has erased genre lines. Sinners & Saints finds Malo in fine company with a distinctive Texas twang courtesy of Augie Meyers, Shawn Sahm, the Trishas, and Michael Guerra. The jefe’s always-solid grasp of Americana is strengthened here on the title track with flamenco flair and cut with a gorgeous South Texas edge (“San Antonio Baby,” “Superstar”). Yet, Malo’s calling card is the voice, so yearning on the reverb-laden “Sombras,” so alluring on Los Lobos’ “Saint Behind the Glass,” so exquisitely confessional on Rodney Crowell’s “‘Til I Gain Control Again.” Only Malo can put four shades of color on the word “always.” Here’s hoping he continues sinning. (Raul Malo lassos Antone’s Wednesday, Sept. 29.)
This article appears in September 24 • 2010.