"What language do you speak?" asks Shakira on the opening track of her new album Oral Fixation, Vol. 2. For the small-in-stature Latin bombshell, the answer to that question has been pretty open-ended the past few years -- her last release being the all-Spanish first half of the double album, Fijación Oral, Vol 1. Before that, it was her English language debut, Laundry Service.
For Vol. 2, Shakira shows that her language lessons have paid off beautifully since Laundry Service, with lyrics that are some of the best she's ever written in English, and she throws in some new-wave guitars, synthesizers and creative song direction for good measure.
This time around, Shakira pretty much ditches the glitzy dance-pop that Laundry Service was made up of and opts for catchy pop-rock that carries itself with a surprisingly dark and introspective tone -- think Madonna's more reflective tracks during her Ray of Light days.
Far from being a big fan of her previous albums -- although that booty she shakes around like a prize-winning bullfighter's cape has always been pretty darn appealing -- Oral Fixation Vol. 2 pleasantly surprised me. Before her attempts at crossover albums, Shakira was an immensely respected singer/songwriter in Latin America and even did a fantastic MTV Unplugged session. Oral Fixation Vol. 2 seems to exude that talent more so than, say, her hit single "Underneath Your Clothes," which came across more as a song that garbled the English language than what I'm sure Shakira truly meant to convey.
While there are no real danceable songs on this Latin minx's newest release, there's plenty to gently rock out to in your car, starting with the first song, "How Do You Do." Kicking off with a choir eerily chanting lines from the Lord's Prayer, the song turns into a catchy ballad that is interspersed with hip-hop verse. It makes for an interesting album opener and was good enough to grab and hold my short attention span.
"Animal City" is probably the closest Shakira comes to trying to pull people out on the dance floor, as it has a strong beat and enough lead guitar lines.
As if she needed some extra attention, Shakira enlists the help of Carlos Santana, whose contribution to the song "Illegal." While Shakira's trademark warble makes the song a bit better than the typical yawner track, it just doesn't cut the cake, making it one of the weakest tracks on Oral Fixation.
The good news for Shakira is that she's not afraid to really go all out with experimentation on her albums. She shows it can pay off with songs like the trumpet-led "Hey You," which sounds like something Björk wishes she could pull off successfully, and the album's closing track "Timor," which is an exploitation of new wave with a children's choir to make a political statement.
I can tell you, though, that many who simply dismissed Shakira as a bubblegum pop star with little songwriting talent will think twice -- after hearing Oral Fixation, Vol. 2.
