By the 2009 release of
Avanzando en La Vida, Chicago's
Los Creadorez del Pasito Duranguense de Alfredo Ramirez had become much more than a defected splinter group of
Grupo Montéz de Durango. Having their 2008 album
Listos, Montados y Armados nominated for a Latin Grammy and having won Univision's Premios Lo Nuestro for Best New Artist, Alfredo Ramirez and company had more than enough validation, but it was the fans' enthusiastic acceptance of the band that put them on the same level of
Montéz de Durango, making the two acts unfriendly co-captains of the Midwest-meets-Mexico genre duranguense. If they were hungry and Listos, Montados Y Armados ("Ready, Mounted and Armed") last time out, here they are comfortable, confident, and ready for
Avanzando en La Vida ("Advancing in the Life") just as the title states. The album comes off as a celebration of all the good payoffs after their rocky climb to the top, fueled by their young buck blending of banda and norteño plus plenty of those playful, silly synthesizer bits from Francisco López López. The one-two punch of "Tu Defecto" -- a hook-filled single -- and "Recuerdos Tristes" -- a ridiculously boisterous recounting of "sad memories" -- makes for a killer opener, and from here the album is as thrilling as a roller coaster ride while feeling just about as short. The main complaint has to be the album's skimpy running time, but
Avanzando en La Vida is an unrestrained joy while it lasts. ~ David Jeffries