After debuting in the top spot on the Latin Albums chart with 2013's
Tu Amigo Nada Más, Julion Alvarez y Su Norteño Banda set a high bar for
El Aferrado. Though the band may not repeat that feat (very few artists do), Alvarez and company are well on the way to another hit recording. Evidence for this lies in the pre-release single, "El Amor de Su Vida," a cancion from the grand tradition. The deeply romantic "Batalla de Rutina" and the slightly more uptempo but no less passionate "Pongámonos de Acuerdo" are even stronger tunes. Either could have been -- or should be -- released as singles. In addition to the ballads, there are some scorching dance tunes, most notably "El Tomasín," as well as a wonderfully steamy cumbia in "Eso Si Me Dolio."