Customer Reviews

She's Spanish, I'm American

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Well if your first thought is anything like mine, let me calm your nerves - this album features neither DJ Jazzy Jeff nor the Fresh Prince. What? No love for a He's the DJ, I'm The Rapper joke? You're right. That was bad. Ok, so rather than that actually being my first thought, I have been excited for this EP since I heard it was being made. Josh Rouse and Paz Suay are back at it...musically. After what I consider a successful first collaboration on Josh's latest album Subtitulo, the two teamed up for five more songs. This is a great EP.

01. Car Crash I love the jazzy beat to this song. It is a little higher tempo than material Josh has done before and despite the morbid lyrics about wanting to die in a car crash, it makes for a very refreshing sound.

02. Jon Jon They waste no time before jumping right into the second track. Everyone has a friend named Jon Jon who seems to always be in trouble and can't find his way out of a bottle right? Me neither, but this is another optimistic tune with less-than-optimistic lyrics. It is probably a theme we should get used to on this short album, especially since we're two for two on songs I like. Paz handles this one alone vocally.

03. The Ocean Always Wins A little backstory here is that Josh Rouse and Paz Suay were living in two separate places on separate continents and had agreed to move to New York City together. Before she had a chance to leave to meet him, he surprised her by moving to live with her in Spain. This song is either an accurate or fictional account of someone who is about to cross the ocean to be with the one she loves. It is beautifully sung and could put Paz Suay on your list of favorite female vocalists.

04. These Long Summer Days Josh Rouse re-enters the album vocally here. I like this song a lot. As we approach the comfort of the warmer months this is a gentle reminder of the carefree feeling summer brings.

05. Answers Josh Rouse has a very delicate and comforting voice. He showcases it very well here. I like this song, too, but just not as much as the other four on the disc. He gets a little more experimental with the sound on this track and it doesn't do much for me.

This is not Josh Rouse's best album, that would be "Nashville," but hey it's Josh Rouse so it's still pretty good. I enjoyed hearing the interplay with Paz Suay, his girlfriend, and she's got a pretty nice voice herself. This is a nice little EP.

Josh Rouse has consistently released some of the best pop-rock of the decade. In between his last two outstanding full-length CDs - "Subtitulo" (2006) and "Country Mouse City House" (2007) - Josh made this EP with his girlfriend, Spanish singer Paz Suay. The result isn't his best effort although it is extremely enjoyable. The set starts off strongly with "Car Crash," which would sound right at home on any of his recent CDs. The song is chirpy 70s-style pop and Suay's vocals blend nicely with the music. "These Summer Days" is perhaps the best song, with Josh taking lead vocals and Paz lending mostly background vocals. The combination of their voices gives the song a nice fuzzy almost dark sound. The most unusual song is "Answers" with an up-tempo beginning somewhat reminiscent of Radiohead. Later, dark swirly synths kick in along with Paz' vocals. It's a different sound for Josh but definitely works.

The other two entries - "Jon Jon" and "The Ocean Always Win" - are much weaker. Not coincidentally, these songs feature Paz. Here her voice is rather indistinct; she sounds like the type of female pop singer you can hear performing in coffee houses around the country, giving the songs a dated 90s indie rock feel. No Spanish flair here. I have mixed feelings about "She's Spanish, I'm American" - I certainly welcome any new music from Josh Rouse, and in moderation Paz Suay is a nice addition to his work. Her contributions to "Country Mouse City House" ("Sweetie" and "Domesticated Lovers"), for example, are subtle and superb. However, I kind of hope that she's not featured too prominently on his future works. "She's Spanish, I'm American" is solid work from Josh and a chance for him to try some new things. I'm sure it will please most of his fans.

I love this EP! Josh and Paz sound great together and separately. I love her accent. This CD represents the things I love most about Josh Rouse, and improves on them. A great collection for summer, or to ward off winter's chill. I am hoping for a full-length CD and many more collaborations from these two.

Car Crash and The Ocean Always Wins should definitely be on the radio. The other songs are way above average, as well.

Josh and Paz - if you read this, you should DEFINITELY keep this up - you're seriously on to something.

I couldn't be happier with this, but it's more poppy and different from the Josh Rouse CDs, but if you're a JR fan, I don't see you being disappointed!

i love josh rouse, first time hearing the female artist,now a fan. wish it were longer!

What happened to the Josh Rouse I've loved up untiland including the Nashville cd? Girl comes and songs suffer.