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Ricky MartinLife Columbia/SonyBMG Since Ricky Martin grabbed the world's attention with hits such as Maria and Cup Of Life in the late 'nineties, his popularity in the west took a tumble with the release of his all-Spanish album 'Almas Del Silencio'. 'Life', therefore, has taken me by surprise. I envision Martin as a macho Latino clad in leather pants pulling out anything possible to appeal to the ladies, but 'Life' takes a different direction. After a three year hiatus in which Martin was finding himself spiritually, this new album has strong Hindu influences and loses much of the sexism. He still has that sensuous, intensely dreamy voice, but Martin shows off his maturity throughout 'Life'. The opening track Til I Get To You has a world-music feel and Martin seems comfortable with what he is singing, sounding as though he has really found his place. For more mainstream listeners, the first single I Don't Care features a hip-hop element courtesy of Fat Joe and Amerie (the album also includes a Luny Tunes Reggaeton mix of the track), and there is a hip-hop vibe to Drop It On Me featuring Daddy Yankee and Taboo from The Black Eyed Peas, only this track is a biting crossover of genres with a consistent Latino beat. There is the handful of tender romantic songs, such as Stop Time Tonight and Save The Dance, but generally nothing makes 'Life' amazing. Even the title track doesn't provide enough oomph with its catchy, determined chorus. Everything on the album is polished and each track is finely produced but unfortunately I didn't find this an amazing comeback.  |
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