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2006/04/05 - DAILY TELEGRAPH - ENGLAND |
Kevin Johansen - City Zen
Given that most people profess not to listen to song lyrics, choice of language is a surprisingly critical factor in popular music. Take Buenos Aires-based Alaskan Kevin Johansen. Singing in English, he is just another affably droning, slightly countrified American singer-songwriter. But when he switches to Spanish, both singing and songwriting gain a new swing and melodic breadth.
The tango-flavoured Desde que te perdí makes a delightful oponer, reflecting Johansen´s maternal Argentinian roots-the singer affects the kind of indolent drawl that is particularly forgiving whatever language you´re singing in.
The arrangements create a pleasingly loose weave of flavours-touches of Cuba here, of Nashville there- while the song have an engagingly humorous lilt. Paul Simon´s occasional Latin-flavoured songs come to mind, though Johansen´s efforts are far more convincing.
This British edition of Joahnsen´s Grammy-nominated international debut stresses his Latin side-leaving the English songs to langnish unnoticed at the end of the album. Yet, whichever way johansen chooses to pursue his talent, there´s a corn-fed, inalienably American side to him that will manifest itself one way or another.
MH
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