After his initial burst on the scene at the turn of the century, success seems to have slowed down Spanish singer/songwriter
Alex Ubago. Three years after 2006's
Aviones de Cristal (as well as a 2007 greatest-hits package) comes his fourth studio album,
Calle Ilusión. Recorded in Buenos Aires under the direction of Argentine
Cachorro López -- by now probably considered the king of Latin pop --
Calle Ilusión is as competent and polished an album of confessional pop as you would expect from the artists involved. For the same reason, it is equally sure to please fans of the soft-spoken
Ubago, as it delivers a new dozen songs that, predictably, deal mostly with love and relationships. With a few exceptions ("No Estés Sola," "Como si Fuera el Último"), however,
Ubago avoids the pitfalls of many of his peers as he steers away from becoming too preachy or too whiny. He even manages to concoct a convincing reggae-pop song in the title track, the album's highlight together with the single "Amarrado a Tí" and the ballad "20 Horas de Nada."
Calle Ilusión offers a few surprises as it winds up, including a cover of
Andrés Calamaro's "Mil Horas" and a Spanish/English duet with
Craig David on "Walking Away." Both are affable enough, as the entire album is, but one cannot help but realize that, if these two artists are what
Ubago is aiming for as a songwriter and singer, he still has some way to go. Six months after the original release, a second edition of
Calle Ilusión added three bonus tracks: two more covers (
Mecano and
Juan Gabriel) and a duet with
the Corrs'
Sharon Corr on a new version of "Amarrado a Tí." ~ Mariano Prunes