For Carín León, música mexicana is more than just the chosen genre that brought him fame and fortune. That should be obvious to anyone familiar with the Sonoran singer’s growing catalogue of work, the genuine love for these sounds and the traditions that guide them evident on his studio recordings as well as some rousing live albums. Meant as a heartfelt return to genre roots following 2024’s hour-long Boca Chueca, Vol. 1, this album brought him back to his hometown of Hermosillo to record. With some curatorial guidance from hitmaking figure Edgar Barrera, Palabra De To’s primarily favours Mexican songwriters to pay overt homage while perpetuating his country’s musical legacy. Despite the Last Supper theme conjured by the cover art, these 16 tracks are largely devoid of collaborations, with the welcome exception of Luis Mexia on the self-aware “Ocupo Una Limpia”. As such, León’s performances take on a certain intimacy, unhurried by obligations and unencumbered by distractions. On opener “Enséñame”, his reliably robust voice shakes under the sheer weight of sentiments as it beauteously approaches falsetto. Though he regains his strength on the powerful “Lado Frágil”, vulnerable moments nonetheless abound. Throughout the album, he shows off different aspects of his range: a rakish romantic on “Modo Zombie”, a heartbroken hero on “El Amor De Mi Herida”, a dour drinker on “El Curioso”. The longing suffused through closer “Eres Y Serás” grows in size during its instrumental break, the harmonica saying more than even he could sing.