Reviewed by Elliot Rose

Julissa doesn't just spend her time wearing floral dresses and standing around in fields and forests; 'Metamorfosis' is her thirteenth album, and her experience certainly shows. The angelic voice of the Puerto Rican singer/songwriter glides smoothly over the soft rock arrangements which she has put together with husband and producer Mike Rivera. The album takes a turn for the worse in "Eres Fiel" - the unnecessarily poppy drumbeat, synthesiser and vocal hook lose much of the sincerity built up in the previous five tracks, despite being lyrically poetic (the final track, "So Good", is a much appreciated translation). Fortunately the album recovers with the passionate "Nadie Como Tu", but it's not until "Quiero Expresar" that Julissa's Hispanic roots take effect. The highlight for me however is the beautiful "Nombre Sin Igual", Julissa's voice soars exquisitely on top of the gentle acoustic/string ensemble. An enjoyable album (albeit somewhat uninventive) - don't worry if you're not fluent in Spanish, 'Metamorfosis' is also available to download in English from iTunes.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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