Fito Paez plays to his strengths

At his best, Fito Paez is one of the most talented singer-songwriters Latin rock has seen, a bluesy piano man who can effortlessly switch from sunny Beatles-esque harmonies to shadowy tango moods. Think of Paez as the Elton John of rock en espanol, but with a Latino’s gift for expressing the contradictions of life in a Third World country through lyrics of incisive poetry.

The Argentine singer’s arresting showmanship dominated his performance Wednesday at the Knitting Factory. Leaving aside the pop accouterments of previous L.A. gigs, Paez was backed by a near virtuoso trio of rock-solid guitar, bass and drums, a move that added an extra level of urgency to melancholy hits such as “Giros� and “11 y 6.�

Paez’s only weakness is a tendency toward the pedantic, what with his onanistic keyboard solos and a notorious anti-fan attitude that does nothing but alienate him from his adoring crowd. Fortunately, he kept his words to a minimum. Whereas the songs from his new album, “Naturaleza Sangre,� sounded adequate, his classic fare from the ‘80s and early ‘90s has aged particularly well and deserves to be discovered by a wider audience.

“Ciudad de Pobres Corazones,� an anthem of anger and revulsion written in reaction to the 1986 murders of his grandmother and aunt, sounded raw and apocalyptic. And when it came to celebrating the unpredictable nature of love, the Paul McCartney sound-alike “A Rodar Mi Vida� had the capacity audience chanting along with its bubbly chorus.