Escape - CD

Latin love-machine Enrique Iglesias may get a lot of press and attention due in part to his famous surname, but it's his voice that has made him one of the best-selling Spanish language singers in the world. Ricky Martin may have the moves and the movie star looks, Marc Anthony may have ultra-cool down to an exact science, but Enrique has the kind of writing and vocal chops that guarantee he'll be around for a long time to come.

Not content to simply recreate the sounds of the day, or offer up retreads of his own material, Iglesias takes chances and does his best to stretch-out material wise with each new release. On Escape, Iglesias gathers up his '80s and '90s influences and fuses them together to produce a passionate collection of ballads and up-tempo numbers. "Hero" is one of the best-written love songs ever unleashed on the music-loving public. The ache and total desperation in Iglesias' voice makes you believe he would lay down his life for the woman in the song.

"Love To See You Cry" employs '70s style squeaks and scratches that wouldn't sound out of place on a rerun of Shaft. Enrique proves the singing gene didn't skip a generation and shows the world that, like his father Julio, he's more than just a sex symbol -- he's one fine pop vocalist. The singer turned actor (Iglesias will appear in the upcoming Robert Rodriguez film, Once Upon A Time In Mexico along with Johnny Depp, Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek) may be a chip off the old block, but he's still his own man, with his own style.

The breathy "Escape," the Abba-esque "I Will Survive," the electronically efficient "If The World Crashes Down," and the jaunty "She Be The One," with its choppy acoustic guitars and hip-shaking backbeat, owe as much to pop music as they do to hip-hop. "One Night Stand," with its pulsating rhythm and oddly filtered vocal break, finds a guy trying hard not to feel rejected when the girl he spent the previous night with blows him off. Enrique paints a picture of a passionate evening and a lovesick fool who wishes the encounter could have turned into something more.

What would an English language album from a Latino singer be without a few Spanish remixes thrown in for good measure? "Escape," "Don't Turn Off The Lights" and "Hero" all make a second appearance and are just as enjoyable in Spanish as they are in English. The liner notes even include English and Spanish lyrics for all three tracks, a real treat for bilingual fans.

After selling more than 23 million albums and performing sold out concerts around the world, the Grammy winning Iglesias says he still believes "it all comes down to the song." On Escape, he proves that really is the case.

By Todd Sterling