|
|
MUSICBOX: A Latin loser
Spanish music has always attracted music lovers because of its signature tempos and sizzling rhythms. Ricky Martin and Enrique Iglesias are artists who crossed over from the world of Latin pop to mainstream success and struck gold at the end of their journey. Both artists were able to incorporate unique elements of their own culture and music into standard western pop tunes and the result was undoubtedly pleasing to the ears.
Could I Have This Kiss Forever, Iglesias’s duet with Whitney Houston remains one of the most palatable collaborations to date. With Vivir, Escape and Quizás, Iglesias found a comfortable niche in the music industry with a synthesis of Hispanic, European and American music. The Grammy and Billboard award winner embarked on a movie career recently with his feature film debut in Robert Rodriguez’s Once Upon A Time In Mexico.
Now, Iglesias drops 7, his third English album. He tends to stick to his signature style rather than attempting something new and novel. But even if he lets his dance groove loose, he has been unable to produce the magic that made Bailamos a smash hit where the Rhythm Divine took over. Many diehard Iglesias fans may be disillusioned with the new record, but some of the songs exhibit a penchant to grow on you after repeated listens. The music is at times briefly haunting, the guitar riffs spunky and choruses funky, but such moments are difficult to fish out if you don’t listen carefully.
The track Addicted remains the top scorer on the album, with its edgy overtones and smashing waves of sound. But the tune is forgettable at best. That doesn’t say much for the rest of the record. The album also includes the Spanish version of Addicted — Adicto. Other tracks that barely stand out are Be Yourself, Not In Love and Break Me Shake Me.
It seems that the artist has begun to sink into the ultimate pitfall of the game: predictability. Despite his Latin connections, Enrique Iglesias fails to measure up to the success of his previous albums. Maybe he should seriously pursue music instead of steamy flings with Anna Kournikova and Jennifer Love Hewitt. All in all, 7 shows that a kind of inertia has crept into his music and this album, despite the raunchy videos that will definitely follow, as such doesn’t really earn even a seven point grade on my scale!
Poprhapsody
.jpg)
In this age of rock stars and gangsters, classical and opera-oriented music hardly features in the musical landscape. In such a scenario, artists like Josh Groban appear to be the saviours of these types of music. A gifted singer, 22-year-old Groban has wooed the critics with his dazzling vocals. With a golden voice, he is all set to become a bankable commodity with his second album Closer.His singing defines dreamy liaisons in an exotic context. Closer is like a tapestry made up of different coloured threads: some songs have been sung in Italian, while others have been rendered in English, Spanish and French. His singing transcends the barrier of language. The amazing thing about Josh Groban is the way he displays the ability to evolve, while maintaining a consistency in his style.
There are a number of strong tracks on the disc, which is unusual for a genre like this, since the majority of artists (a case in point, Celine Dione) are only able to produce a few potential hits, with the rest of the album usually plagued with run-of-the-mill filler. Groban hardly employs any studio effects, which results in melodies without any extravagance and unassuming vocal class. In My Confession, he croons “I am captured by your beauty, your unassuming grace. And I feel my heart is turning, falling into place.” These mushy lyrics are sure to sway any callous heart.
Remember When It Rained and Broken Vow are two pensive ballads in which Groban stirs up the cyclone of painful memories from the past. The music of these songs will soothe the moods and minds. He plays the piano on the former track with commendable flair and holds long vocal notes a la Mariah Carey. You Raise Me Up is the elevating piece de resistance of the album. A soft and soulful number that shows that Groban is able to control his strong voice with remarkable authority. Other decent tracks on the disc include Oceano, Never Let Go and Hymne a l’Amour.
A gem of a collection for slow music lovers, Josh Groban decidedly shines on his sophomore venture and with it, he inches a lot closer to full-fledged stardom!—T.S
|
|
|
