Sound Check: Idol in the Making Gustavo Galindo Prepares his Big Debut

Though we have a long-standing love affair with Colombian rockero Juanes, lately our hearts have been beating for another guitar-clutching singer/songwriter. His name is Gustavo Galindo and last week he turned the South by Southwest music conference in Austin, Texas into a veritable smooch-fest with his romantic ballads. Billboard.com immediately dubbed him an “idol-to-watch” after his performance on Wednesday night.

Born in Mexico City and raised in Los Angeles, the 27-year-old is currently working on his full-length debut, Entre la Ciudad y el Mar (Universal Latino/Surco) with super-star producer Gustavo Santaolalla (Juanes, Café Tacuba, Debi Nova). The new album will build upon his 2007 five-track EP La Ciudad, in which Galindo created a sound that combines Latin rhythms and American rock sensibility with an intelligent lyrical style.

We hear Julieta Venegas and her accordion make a guest appearance, but we’re still waiting for confirmation on that, and for the first single to drop. In the meantime, here’s a teaser of the song “Amor de Alta Mar.” It should give you an idea of why we’re swooning.