Un Dia Normal - Juanes > Reviews > A normal day for Juanes, a day of sunshine for me

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Good
Value for Money	Good

Advantages:	tuneful rock with a latin flavour
Disadvantages:	all the lyrics are in spanish

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Juanes delivers the most fiesty, danceable rock you've ever heard. He's a Columbian rock star who's huge all over Latin America and Europe, and deservedly so. To my English ears, his sound, which draws on lots of latin dances, is really fresh. It's just a shame that people think artists who sing in Spanish can't make it in Britain, cos this guy's the best antidote to depressive angst-ridden boys with guitars ever. He's a voice from the land of eternal summer come to rid you of the rainy-day blues.

'Un dia normal' (I don't think that needs a translation) is his second album, and a really good place to start. The first track, 'A Dios le pido' is a prayer full of the joy of life. There are a couple of beautiful ballads ('fotographia' with Nelly Furtado is a gentle song about missing someone) and some forgettable ones ('Es por ti'). Things really pick up towards the end, with the wronged lover stomp of 'Mala Gente' and the jangle of 'Desde que despierto'. You get a real sense of Juanes' range. He goes from loved-up and blissful to vengeful and bitter. Difficult to compare him to anybody. Think Shakira at in rock mode with cooler guitars and you'll be close.

Not knowing Spanish is no excuse for missing out on someone so creative and fun. Think about it, how often do you actually listen deeply to the words? On the other hand, if you need an incentive to learn Spanish, this album could be it - the languageis fairly easy, but poetic in the way Spanish singers can get away with. Anyway, if you like poppy, funky rock, give this a spin and get up on your feet. And if you love it, check out 'Mi Sangre', the followup, which is, if anything, even better.