Jesse & Joy - Jesse & Joy (2017)

Here comes Latin America’s much-favoured musical duo with their first dual-language album..the Mexican pairing have amassed a string of Grammys, No 1 chart hits and 1.5+ billion views on YouTube. They have put this album release together from their four studio albums so you could regard as a kind of Best Of…so far

Their heavyweight backing and management team embraces Enrique Iglesias and his business partner Fernando Giaccardi. If they were impressed, the act has a future outside Mexico, probably globally. Jesse plays guitar, keys, drums and sings whilst Joy sings and plays guitar.

Lead cut Echoes Of Love is introduced by rolling piano and sweeping strings. Joy’s voice is confident and the song is not a million miles from say A Lady Antebellum or Corrs hit. The song would certainly appeal to fans of either as the sound though somewhat dense is not wodged up with synths or annoying electronic beats. Is that a pedal steel taking a kind of solo ? I swear I can hear a mandolin at times. A strong opener indeed ; More Than Amigos takes a fun Latin beat and squeaky trumpets, Joy’s voice is a tad more sultry. Hip-swingers and fans of Train’s more summery hits will like this. Just a pinch of Estefan abounds in this effort. Fine singing.

Espacio Sideral has acoustic guitar chugging away and a beautiful vocal that almost dances with the melody, then a rocky beat kicks in to make it a party song; Helpless tells a tale of love. This lass’s voice is really special, like Steve Nicks she has something entirely her own, here set to soft electric piano and a lively swaying backdrop ; Run flirts with electronica but the humanity of the voice takes the chill off the tune. Still a bit cold for this listener but this sort of stuff has appeal to woe-is-me-and-my-lot females..

No Soy Una De Esas features Alejandro Sanz is mixed for radio and boy do the voices play off each other! Joy’s best vocal on the set, I venture and Sanz has a suitable rasp and edge to make this a punchy inclusion. A really good recording.
La De La Mala Suerte is softly delivered and the ambience evokes RadioHead’s High & Dry. Yet again the voice is keyed perfectly and soars. The strings are not too syrupy, I would have lightly flanged them. Here I Go is light funk with semi-spoken lyric delivery, very catchy chorus ; Un Besito Mas has Juan Luis Guerra aboard is languid and sung with plenty in reserve, drinks-by-the-lake stuff. Neat percussion and guitars complement the production.

Llegaste Tu is a touch downbeat though tenderly presented ; Little Drops Of Love is a nimble pop song that could be a hit anywhere on the globe, fluffy but pleasant enough ; Corre ! commences with solemn piano and stays a little mournful. Lovely melody, it must be said.

So – a quality Latin-pop collection with too many ballady songs and not enough use of guitar tones BUT one of the best female singers I have heard in recent times. Worth buying for No Soy alone! BUT what does HIS voice sound like??