Chayanne's weak spot has always been his voice, but producers continually saddle the photogenic Puerto Rican's albums with droopy ballads that unwisely highlight his high, often whiny pitch. Fortunately, the spin doctors behind Simplemente have expanded Chayanne's repertoire beyond the Hallmark-ballad genre. Writer-producer Estefano (Paulina Rubio, Azucar Moreno) does well by his muse on "Las Horas Pasan," a high-energy blend of rock and ska rhythms, and "Mariana Mambo," a catchy ditty that's also a shameless rip-off of Lou Bega's "Mambo No. 5" (itself a shameless rip-off of Perez Prado)--right down to the smooth intro and female name-calling. "Hasta Que el Alma Resista" is a mid-tempo pop gem anchored by soaring choruses and guitar-based instrumentation; and "Cuando un Amor Se Va," is a dreamy ballad featuring Panamanian singer-songwriter Ruben Blades. The album does include a sampling of middling ballads and fairly generic club thumpers, but it hints at potential that was not apparent on the teen dream's previous albums. --Joey Guerra