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Aterciopelados, ‘Rio’ (Nacional)

Having dabbled in punk, ska, hip-hop, and electronica during the last decade-plus, the style-shifting Aterciopelados (“the Velvety Ones”) try polished-yet-punchy rock on their addictive seventh album. Singing en español, clear-voiced Andrea Echeverri ponders subjects like immigration (“Bandera”) and pregnancy (“28”), projecting unflappable confidence. Meanwhile, the band adds a slew of spiffy touches, including rowdy flute on “Día Paranormal” (shades of Jethro Tull), the eerie synth-plus-twangy guitar cocktail of “Vals,” and the loping Johnny Cash beat on “No Llores,” a toe-tapping study in cultural cross-pollination.

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