Llegando a Ti

In Spanish, the name los Herederos de Nuevo León means "the Heirs of Nuevo León" — and when you consider who the parents of some of the group's members are, it isn't hard to understand why they called themselves heirs. Lead singer/bajo sexto player Lalo Mora, Jr. is the son of the well known norteño singer Lalo Mora, Sr. and accordion player Javier Rios, Jr. is the son of the Javier Rios who is known for his contributions to the norteño group los Invasores de Nuevo León. Of course, having famous parents doesn't automatically make one's music worthwhile. But Javier Rios, Jr. and Lalo Mora, Jr. are examples of musicians whose parents obviously taught them well, and los Herederos de Nuevo León are among the promising norteño bands that emerged in the 2000s. On Llegando a Ti, los Herederos favor a very traditional approach to norteño that really emphasizes the bajo sexto (a traditional acoustic Mexican guitar) along with the accordion (norteño's main instrument). This 2008 release doesn't have as thick or as amplified a sound as one might expect from, say, los Tigres del Norte or los Tucanes de Tijuana, and that turns out to be a plus because having fewer instruments and less amplification makes Lalo Mora, Jr.'s lead vocals sound a lot more intimate. Mora is an expressive singer with fine phrasing and articulation, and he is a major asset to the group on ranchera-based performances such as "No Creas," "Estrella de la Orasión," "Tres Vueltas" and "Bonitos Modos." Meanwhile, "El Texano y el Machete" demonstrates that Mora has no problem handling a corrido. Llegando a Ti isn't ground breaking, but for those looking for a very straight-ahead, ranchera-drenched norteño album, this solid effort definitely does the trick.