Today

1	Today 4:16
2	I See You 3:49
3	Every Little Thing About You 4:51
4	Ya Tu Veras You Will See 3:57
5	Are We Almost There? 3:43
6	No Me Preguntes Tanto Don't Ask Me Too Much 3:58
7	Takes Two to Tango / Shelby Lynne 3:35
8	De Tí Me Olvidaré I Will Forget You 4:15
9	Ocho Versos Eight Verses 3:24
10	I Said I Love You 3:44
11	Let's Not Say Goodbye Anymore 4:30
12	Since When 3:26

Barnes & Noble

The Mavericks' experiments in tropical rhythms flower beautifully on singer Raul Malo's solo debut, Today. Malo digs deep into his Cuban-American heritage for inspiration, coupling the past and the present to create an album that is accessible, daring, and always full of life. Malo sings four songs in Spanish, but it's not necessary to know the language to understand the go-for-it energy fueling the texts. Even most of the English-language songs are steeped in Latinalia: big, brassy horn and reed passages; pulsating percussion; wild, flailing guitars; and rambunctious piano glissandos. Desi Arnaz made great records with this formula in the late '40s and early '50s, and Malo, who has the huge advantage of that big, booming, soulful, Orbison-like voice, is a worthy candidate to develop a commercially successfully fusion of Latin and pop that does justice to both styles without watering down either -- although purists will inevitably disagree. "Today," "I See You," "Every Little Thing," and "Ya Tu Veras," the first four songs, set the pace, the first and fourth being strictly high-octane, hard-charging, sacroiliac-endangering dance-floor challenges, the second and third being, respectively, dreamy and desperate romantic interludes. This is songwriting of the highest caliber, every element in its proper place to allow Malo free rein to extend himself emotionally. A duet with Shelby Lynne on the vibrant, jazzy "It Takes Two to Tango" is one of the sexiest duets laid down in years, Lynne's smoky sensuality being the perfect foil for Malo's comedic macho posturing. Fans of Malo's full-voiced balladry are not left adrift here: "Let's Say Goodbye," a piano-vocal track supported by lush strings, will get the tears flowing with its wrenching plea for a second chance at love. Today's got it all, and then some. Raul Malo is a juggernaut. David McGee

All Music Guide

From the start, it was obvious that the Mavericks were comprised of a more interesting variety of flavors than most C&W hitmakers, and by the time they released Trampoline in 1998, the band had evolved from an eclectic country-accented outfit into an adventurous adult pop group willing to dip their toes into practically anything. So it shouldn't surprise anyone that Raul Malo's first solo album doesn't have a single country bone in its body, but not everyone might have expected Malo to walk so boldly in a single direction. Malo began exploring his Cuban musical heritage with a few Latin-flavored numbers on the Mavericks' Music for All Occasions and Trampoline, and on Today he steeps himself in Latin rhythms, from the fiery dance groove of the title track and the sensuous tension of "Every Little Thing" to the jazzy sway of "Ya Tu Veras" (four of the album's 12 cuts are sung in Spanish, and Malo's estimably rich voice communicates beautifully in either tongue). Today bears more than a few hallmarks of Malo's earlier work along the way; the sly humor that marked the Mavericks' best work is evident in a playful duet with Shelby Lynne on "It Takes Two to Tango," his Roy Orbison-esque way with a ballad doesn't escape him on "Let's Not Say Goodbye," and Malo's fondness for lounge jazz takes the place of his Latin sounds on the closing track, "Since When." In terms of style and approach, Today isn't what most people might expect from Raul Malo, but one listen makes it clear the man has a great voice, sure instincts, and talent to spare -- and anyone who has ever listened to his music ought to be well-aware of that. Mark Deming