From Amazon.com
Rock-pop dance queen Shakira from Colombia is back with a sophomore album that pretty much mines the same field as her debut, with predictably similar sounds. "Ciega, Sordamuda" has the same urgent dance beat reminiscent of "Estoy Aquí," the monster club hit from her debut,
Pies Descalzos. The singer/songwriter, whose whispery, quavering vocals sound like a cross between Alanis Morrisette and Dolores O'Riordan of the Cranberries, wrote or cowrote all 11 tracks. Surprisingly, considering that noted producer ace Emilio Estefan is at the helm here, there is very little variance here from her debut. The tunes are mostly either rock-edged dance numbers or reflective melancholy ballads; the best include the echoey "Tú" and the meandering "Sombra de Ti."
--Ramiro Burr
CD Description
Latin pop innovator Shakira represents the kind of eventuality for which Alanis Morissette, Bob Dylan and Beck are all precedents. Eventually, all parallel lines intersect, or so that particular mathematical theory suggests, and so it is with separate but co-existing styles. In the world of contemporary music, fusion is an inevitability. Thus, DONDE ESTAN LOS LADRONES. This album finds the charismatic songstress combining traditional Latin roots (represented by the occasional acoustic touches) with post-Alanis angry-young-woman sensibilities, Sheryl Crow-esque pop eclecticism and an electrifying rock & roll rhythm. Those expecting polite recreations of Latin styles past will be sorely disappointed, but listeners for whom crossover is the norm will find a wealth of satisfaction in DONDE ESTAN LOS LADRONES, whether or not they understand the words.