Few artists can survey the world's harsh political realities with more party-friendly panache than Manu Chao. The opening track's title, "Merry Blues," sums up the melodically vibrant but often politically panicked contents of the Paris-born Spaniard's second solo album. Sung mostly in Spanish and English, Próxima Estación: Esperanza (Next Stop: Hope) condemns poverty and repression in lilting grooves augmented by bubbling horns and sly samples galore. The tracks start and stop abruptly, reflecting a world of irrepressible change and endless challenges.