*** 1/2 JUAN GABRIEL “Abrazame Muy Fuerte” BMG Latin

There’s a moment in “A Mi Me Gusta Sonar,” the opening track in the prolific Mexican singer-songwriter’s latest pop album, that has vintage Juan Gabriel written all over it. At one point, the cornball chorus (“I like to dream”) descends into an aural maelstrom of overpowering female harmonies, bursts of Latin percussion and triumphant horn riffs. It is a grand moment, for sure, but one that comes with a sweet aftertaste of nostalgia.

Songs such as “A Mi Me Gusta Sonar” make it easy for even the most sophisticated listeners to forgive Gabriel’s schmaltzy tendencies and fully embrace his Midas touch where catchy melodies are concerned. Fortunately, this collection finds him at a creative peak. At least half of the songs here belong right alongside classic Gabriel fare such as “Siempre en mi Mente.”

Besides boasting the theme song of a popular soap opera (the title track) and a smoldering duet with emerging Spanish starlet Tamara, “Abrazame” includes some intriguing ideas, such as the sparse “Catalina.” Unlike most of Gabriel’s mini-musical dramas, this quiet ballad has no climax to speak of, just a continuous, minimalist melody serving as the backdrop for a love story that touches on Gabriel’s favorite subjects: undying devotion, the transition from childhood to womanhood and the beauty of the Mexican countryside.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.