SENTIDO DE LUCHA (AKA PABLO EL ENTERRADOR - 2)

This is weird, I am reviewing my second album today and both have vastly different track orders from that listed here, which throws me off more than you can imagine. It could even influence the ultimate rating, but I will try to review "Sentido de Lucha" (the alternate title) as a collection of haphazardly thrown together tunes, ie-from a record company exec's perspective.

It's like no time had passed between the first Pablo album and its successor in terms of the style and even the instrumentation, as well as the mix of ballads and rockers. Jose Maria Blanc's vocals are as strong as ever, as are the dual keys and the marriage of Argentinian poetry and folklore to symphonic rock. That in itself puts "Sentido de Lucha" on an upper rung.

The main difference is that the ballads don't tug at the heart strings quite so much. On their debut, several tracks also bridged the rocking/ballad gap and became glimmering suites of keyboard dominated and guitar enhanced progressive rock. Nothing of the sort here. They can still write a catchy hook but it's more in the manner of Abacab era Genesis rather than assembling something new out of the best of breed, and, with the exception of the haunting and expressive "Emigrante", most tracks are good but not great. For instance, "Nariguetas" simply soars during Blanc's wordless excursions but precious little elsewhere. "Sentido de Lucha" doesn't really work until the majestic instrumental break.

Given the time lapse between the two Pablo releases, this is actually a pretty impressive follow up, but it does mark a subtle yet perceptible devolution. The ingredients are there but the end result lacks that certain flair that comes with experimentation and risk taking. Still, if you loved their 1983 album, enjoying "Sentido" should not be a struggle.