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The Uruguayan singer/song writer is something of an anomaly-he has a place in Latin pop but is also experimental enough and fine enough as a lyricist to attract another audience mildly interested in pop. He was famously barred from singing at the 2004 Academy Awards after his song "Al Otro Lado Del Rio" was nominated for Best Original Song for the film The Motorcycle Diaries. He was not considered to be an A-List Latino in the Academy's eyes and their preference was to allow Enrique Iglesias to perform his song instead. Horrified, Drexler refused and eventually conceded, allowing Antonio Banderas to perform the song live. And then he won an Oscar. This year, the Academy decided to squash good music totally by nominating three bland Dreamgirls songs out of five available slots, thus ensuring a "win". But back to Jorge Drexler. At heart, his songs are driven by acoustic guitars, but by working with Radiohead he adds some electronic touches that put him more in the Gustavo Cerati meets Caetano Veloso vein. And it works beautifully, from the tango infused "Quien Quiera Que Seas" or the playful play on words of "Transoceánica". "Soledad" is easily one of the strongest songs on the record. A duet with Maria Rita, the spare string arrangement and sad delicacy of both voices create a moving ode to solitude. He even ventures to sing in English in the "High and Dry" — indeed it would be interesting to see what he could further create by working more in English. The record barely clocks in at 45 minutes and it's one for heavy rotation. "Disneylandia", a song Drexler covers by the Brazilian Titas, sums up the theme of solitude in a world dominated by multinational corporations. A world observed by Drexler and his guitar.
 
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