The Last [Digipak] (CD - 2009)

Personnel: Noa Neve, Giselle Moya (vocals); Eric 'Bori' Rivera (guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, background vocals); Wilmore "Bimbo" Franco, Lenny Santos (guitar); Gerry Grimaud Jr. (acoustic guitar, background vocals); William Jose Brito (saxophone); Joaquin Diaz (piano, synthesizer); Romeo (keyboards, sound effects, background vocals); Joshua Mateo (keyboards, sound effects); Max Santos (bass instrument); Guillermo Frias (congas); Leonardo Reyes, Raul Biel (bongos); Albert Batista, Enrique Guira, Radhames Rey (guiro); Frank Junior Inoa (tambora); Henry Jeter (background vocals).

Audio Mixer: Gerry Grimaud Jr.

Arrangers: Eric 'Bori' Rivera; Romeo; Lenny Santos.

Latin pop boy band Aventura has achieved no small amount of success with their unique blend of traditional Dominican bachata and sleek, Top 40-oriented R&B. THE LAST, Aventura's fifth studio release, further explores the band's swoon-worthy style, and is one of their most accomplished and impressive efforts.

As usual, the quartet plays to their strengths, which include lilting tropical ballads, with the occasional foray into hip-hop-flavored slow jams, such as "Spanish Fly," featuring cameos from Ludacris and Wyclef Jean. Additional cameos from Akon, Wisin y Yandel, and jazz legend Arturo Sandoval heighten the star appeal of THE LAST, but it's Aventura's smooth, sultry bachata-pop that steals the show.

Aventura didn't become the kings of bachata by deserting their large and devoted fan base to cater to the mainstream, and it's no different on The Last -- despite the fact that the album includes features for a parade of crossover suspects: Wyclef Jean and Ludacris on one track, plus Akon and Wisin y Yandel on another. No, the lead track on The Last -- the number one Latin hit "Por un Segundo" -- is straight bachata, rhythmic and sweet, and there happen to be plenty of tender ballads to follow it. Not only that, but the crossover features are held to the last half of the album, where Wyclef Jean produces his own surprisingly sugary "Spanish Fly," and Akon and Wisin y Yandel appear on the Auto-Tuned reggaeton track "All Up 2 You." As usual, the band is anchored by Santos brothers Lenny and Max, along with longtime collaborator Eric "Bori" Rivera. Consolidating the quartet's power, The Last became Aventura's biggest album hit yet, reaching number five on the charts. ~ John Bush minimize