Grade: A-
With so many so called “plastic” singers out there, it is somewhat difficult to find someone with true talent. Fortunately, people with talent are still present in the music industry. An example of this are Jesse and Joy, a pair of siblings whose Spanish-debut album “Esta es Mi Vida” (“This is My Life”) offers an interesting combination of fun, thoughtful music and amazing vocal power.
Jesse, the male member of the duo, and Joy, the duet’s female, made their first public appearance in front of more than 100,000 people in Mexico City’s Zocalo in December 2005. There, they sang “Espacio Sideral,” (“Sidereal Space”) the song that later became their hit single. After this performance, luck came to them, and Jesse and Joy signed a contract with Warner Music Mexico and were given the opportunity to open a series of concerts offered by James Blunt in Mexico.
The duo’s first album titled “Esta es Mi Vida,” which received a warm reception in Mexico and earned a gold disc for more than 50,000 copies sold, includes 12 tracks of which Jesse and Joy wrote 10 and co-wrote two with Sin Bandera’s Noel and Leonel.
After the initial success in Mexico, Jesse and Joy have now focused their attention on the United States and Central America, so their first album went on sale on March 27 in stores across the nation.
The album sounds different. It is very unlike what we are used to hearing from other young singers. Jesse and Joy’s music is a fresh mixture of pop, folklore, and a little bit of country. They are, as they have stated in several interviews, “the other face of pop.”
A perfect example of this is “Espacio Sideral,” the duo’s first single that was in the top positions of the Mexican airplay charts for more than six months. The song’s jumpy, energetic music and fun, irreverent lyrics make any listener want to get up and start dancing.
“I would like to be a super hero and protect you from all harm. Give you the Milky Way Galaxy in a bowl of cereal. Take you to the sidereal space and fly just like Superman can,” they sing.
One of the album’s greatest songs is the second track titled “Nadie Prodra” (“No one Will be Able to”). The song, which tells about the difficulty of forgetting a loved one, could have been a very good love ballad but is instead an upbeat, fast-paced song driven by strong acoustic sound, something that makes it even more appealing.
Other outstanding songs include “Somos Lo Que Fue,” (“We are What It Was”) which Joy sings alongside Noel from the famous duo Sin Bandera, and “Ya No Quiero” (“I Don’t Want To Anymore”), Jesse and Joy’s second single in Mexico, which should be making its way into radio stations across the U.S. soon.
Ironically, perhaps the album’s worst song is the one that gives it its title: “Esta Es Mi Vida” (“This Is My Life”). The song sounds different from what Jesse and Joy offer through out the album. Its lyrics are rather cliché.
“I don’t have money nor do I drive a super Benz. I am not Michael Jackson nor do I have my own jet,” states the song’s opening verse. Simply put, the tune is simply not as interesting sounding as the rest.
Regardless of its imperfections, Jesse and Joy’s debut album “Esta Es Mi Vida” is a great album. The talented pair of siblings offer fresh, energetic, and powerful music, in a pop world where talent is many times hard to find.