Lenin Ramírez is clearly indebted to the dazzling guitar heroes of sierreño. That classic Mexican folk sound is the source of the flashily melodic fret work of that gives Bendecido so much of its feel-good appeal. But if you listen past the six-string fireworks that light up rollicking corridos like "Rolling One" and "Soy Mencho", you'll discover a streetwise lyricism that grapples with the gripping lives of both epic outlaws and everyday folk, along with a sprinkling of unabashedly sentimental ballads from a storyteller better known for his sharp-edged wit.