Colombian musician Juanes has recently released his 5th studio album titled P.A.R.C.E.: an album that features an average ensemble of tracks. P.A.R.C.E by the way, is short for the word “parcero” which means “friend” or “buddy”. And according to Juanes, this latest album is about love, peace, and freedom. What a friendly chap.
It’s hard not to like Juanes. His music is happy. He’s a good guy. You can’t really say anything bad about him. Even CNN likes him, stating in a press release “Hero to working-class Latin America and its global diaspora, Juanes is very much the Bruce Springsteen of the Latin world. He was hailed by TIME as one of 2005′s most influential people for his social activism and campaign against land mines.”In fact, he’s the youngest musician selected to the list, joining Celia Cruz and Gilberto Gil as the only Latin Music artists, among other artists such as The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Bob Marley, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, and Madonna.
Juanes “Lo Nuestro”
Although I generally enjoy Juanes’ music, his latest effort isn’t outstanding. It’s just enough to be alright, but strikes me a bit as background music. That being said, there are a few standouts. My favourite track is “Lo Nuestro”. If you understand what he’s saying, you can really hear him singing his heart out. It’s slightly unnerving. Not going to lie, if I really sit and focus while I listen to it, I get a little emotional. Another good track is “Yerbatero” which might be overplayed for many because of it’s World Cup presence, but despite this, it still remains the catchiest track on the album. “El Amor Lo Cura Todo” is also a beautiful ballad that seems to be a favourite amongst Juanes’ fans.
The only song I am unsure about is “Segovia”. I find it slightly off-putting: it’s about a massacre yet it’s relatively upbeat. The message is nice (it basically tells about the massacre and the song is for the families of the deceased telling them that the memory of their loved ones will live on despite those who tried to forget them) but it just feels too…happy?
Juanes “Yerbatero”
Anyways, if you’re a Juanes fan, two different editions of P.A.R.C.E were released: the standard edition with 10 tracks, and the deluxe with 12 tracks, 2 videos, and 2 behind the scenes and a documentary of P.A.R.C.E.
Rating: 5/10
Label: Universal Latino
Favourites: Yerbatero, Lo Nuestro
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