Having conquered the Russian music scene with his first four albums, billion dollar businessman-turned-pop star
Emin Agalarov now sets his sights on the rest of the world with his first internationally released effort,
Wonder. Described as his homeland's answer to
Enrique Iglesias, the son-in-law of Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev appears to have used this comparison as the album's template. Not only does
Wonder include several tracks which could have been lifted from
Iglesias' 2001 album
Escape, such as the flamenco-tinged "Hero"-esque ballad "Don't Go," and the melancholic dance-pop of "Just for One Night," but it also features production from
Brian Rawling and songs co-written with
Paul Barry and
Wayne Hector, all of whom have previously worked with the Latin heart-throb. However,
Iglesias isn't the only obvious influence on its 12 tracks, which self-consciously attempt to cover all bases of the MOR, Radio 2-friendly pop market. There are echoes of
Progress-era
Take That (the electro-influenced "Falling"), sweeping
Chris Isaak-inspired dream pop ("Hold You in My Arms"), and chiming
Snow Patrol-style balladry (lead single "Obvious"), alongside competent if unremarkable attempts at Southern soul (the title track), Eurodisco ("One Last Dance"), and shuffling country ("Tell Me You'll Be Mine"). As highly polished as these songs are, only the new wave pop of the
Nik Kershaw-esque "You Don't Even Know Me" contains the kind of killer hook that he needs if he's to transcend his native fan base. In the end,
Wonder appears to have been created based on the findings of a focus group, and apart from the odd flourish of well-crafted pop, it's a case of being a jack of all trades but a master of none. ~ Jon O'Brien