 Title - ‘Unwrapped’ (Epic)
Artist - Gloria Estefan
Many songs on the album evoke other artists without being imitations. The intro to "I Wish You", for example, has a psychedelic, almost late-Beatles feel. Ska-flavored "You" could be at home on a No Doubt album! What's best about the album is the depth in each song, in both instrumentation and lyrics. Gloria is a craftsman both in the fourteen English tracks, and in the four Spanish bonus tracks. Many songs are introspective, often wrenching, like "Famous", whereas others are light and playful, like "A Little Push". The instruments on several songs are put to good use, like the Andean "quena" in "Wrapped", its Spanish version "Hoy", and in "Te Amare" (and its identically-named Spanish version.) Guitar is everywhere, as is snare percussion. Harmonica, played by guest artist Stevie Wonder, even appears on "Into You". This is Gloria's first English-language album in six years. In a more reflective album than the past, this picks up from where Destiny left off and shows the next stage of the evolution of a truly gifted musician.
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