Rivera

Rivera

After 10 albums of slick salsa rhythms on the Sony Discos imprint, Puerto Rican heartthrob Jerry Rivera switches labels (to BMG U.S. Latin) and sounds on this eponymous effort. The album is a polished affair that finds the young singer wrapping his substantial vocals around a bevy of dreamy ballads and mid-tempo swooners. It's quite a shock considering Rivera's salsa-drenched history, but he handles most of the material well, thanks to the guidance of writer-producer Bebu Silvetti. The album's first single, "Quiero," is sure to make an impact, especially since it is featured in both ballads and salsa versions. (That trick has worked in the past for hit singles from Gisselle, Jaci Velasquez, and MDO.) The rest of the album is awash in dewy-eyed love songs, including "Tu," "Muero," and "Que Queda de Nuestro Amor," which seem poised to catapult Rivera into romantic balladeer status   la Luis Miguel. Some of the sounds are repetitive, but Rivera spices things up with "Vuelve," a Rudy Perez-produced track that rides a lilting pop beat, and "Caramelito," which features the now-requisite Santana-esque guitar riff. <I>--Joey Guerra</I>