The burden of genius is expectation, and Los Lobos has carried it impressively since 1992, when "Kiko" proved forever what these boys from East LA can do. Most recently, on "The Road to Aztlan" (2002) and "The Ride" (2004), the band has continued to explore the threads of its ethnic and musical heritage in fresh and virtuosic ways. But this 13-track effort revisits too many old tricks to warrant a place on the band's top shelf. "Chuco's Cumbia," one of the album's three Spanish-language songs, draws a straight line to "Maria Christina," a cumbia from "Aztlan." And the swirling, atmospheric guitar effects on "The Valley" seem straight out of "Wicked Rain," from "Kiko." As a collection, "The Town" is predominantly downbeat, both in spirit and in rhythm; "Hold On" exemplifies both conditions. (Sample repeated lyric: "Killin' myself just to keep alive/ Killin' myself to survive.") No tune puts out the propulsive spark that has always been central to the band's sound, and it is missed.

Los Lobos plays at Avalon on Saturday.