Mended

By Benjamin Nugent

Anthony is one of those rare singers whose heavy smoking has enhanced his gifts. His voice, for all its range and power, has an unmistakable roughness that keeps it from sounding cold and technical. The lyrics on this album are rife with ho-hum avowals of loyalty in the Elvis vein: on I've Got You, Anthony gushes, "Baby, it's the way you love me/ That makes me so damn sure that you're the one." When Latin pop is this slick, Newport Light-stained imperfection is a welcome relief. --By Benjamin Nugent