Los Lobos, Good Morning Aztlán

When most bands come out with a record this strong 25 years into their career, it’s a surprising comeback. For Los Lobos, it’s just the new album. The experimentalism heard on recent Lobos discs and side projects like the Latin Playboys is toned down here in favor of thick slabs of crunchy Latin rock, rife with plenty of good old-fashioned wailing guitar solos. (An unexpected move, given new producer John Leckie’s work with Radiohead and the Fall.) The approach might be safer, but it also makes for a more cohesive sound and pays dividends in two scorching rockers, the title track and “Done Gone Blue.” Lyrically, songwriters David Hidalgo and Cesar Rosas keep the focus close to home, less concerned with big political issues than with what’s going on down the street. There’s a strong streak of worry for the future, but it boils down to a simple, profound concern for whether folks in the neighborhood can make ends meet and find peace. There are enough weak moments to keep Good Morning Aztlán well clear of challenging the primacy of their best album, 1992’s Kiko , but it leaves no question that these wolves will survive for some time.