Argentina’s Cerati Still in the Shadow of Soda Stereo

With an electronica-tinged album titled “Bocanada” that was released last year to wide critical acclaim, Argentine singer Gustavo Cerati emerged unscathed from the ashes of Soda Stereo, the seminal rock en espan~ol band he founded in the ‘80s and broke up a decade and a half later.

Because Cerati’s new material is vastly superior to his work with the band, it was a shock that the best moment of his performance Tuesday at JC Fandango in Anaheim came in the form of a Soda Stereo song.

The electrifying “Hombre Al Agua,” improved by a new arrangement that enriched the tune’s textures with shimmering electronic effects, was the only song in Cerati’s lengthy set that brimmed with vitality.

The sophisticated pop bonbons of “Bocanada,” on the other hand, sounded surprisingly lifeless. The performance exemplified the perils of bringing to the stage an album based on samples, loops and sequencers.

There were a couple of pleasant exceptions. Cerati had no problem re-creating the gorgeous chorus of the soulful “Beautiful,” while the album’s title track, a crunchy, mystical rocker cemented on a sample by the Dutch band Focus, was noteworthy for its brooding intensity.

The singer’s new band paled in comparison to the dangerous electricity of Soda Stereo in its heyday. It will take some more time before Cerati can finally put the ghost of his former bandto rest.