Hasta El Fin (Pistas)

Hearts throbbing and eyes moist, Monchy & Alexandra offer up their fifth record, Hasta el Fin, to the loyal and ever growing pop-bachata-loving population. Ten years previously, the rural Dominican style was barely even being recorded. In 2004, Monchy & Alexandra's most recent record went not only directly to the top of Latin music charts, but onto Billboard's Top 200, showing not only progress for this group and its emotive, romantic harmonies, but for the genre as a whole. Monchy & Alexandra can lay claim to some of the genre's most expressive, tightest harmonies. Their performances are consistently spotless. Though the layers and layers of polish that have been heaped on and buffed to a high gloss may complicate making such judgments, the vocal pair comes across as very smooth and professional. The writing can often feel trite and thin, but no more nor less than anything else as unapologetically candy-pop sweet as this pair. Scoring a few hit singles, Hasta el Fin was welcomed with open arms, staying on the charts for two years after its original release. These tunes will probably continue to get airplay long after their freshness wears off. [This edition of the album contains instrumental mixes only.] ~ Evan C. Gutierrez, Rovi