Spanish group Amaral, made up of singer Eva Amaral and guitarist Juan Aguirre, truly comes of age on their third album Estrella de mar (2002). Amaral's other outings include Amaral (1998), Una Pequeña Parte del Mundo(2000), and an upcoming disc, delayed due to Juan's recovery from tendonitis in his left hand.

Estrella de mar presents a unique blend of styles, including haunting ballads (Sin tí yo no soy nada, Te necesito, Rosa de la Paz, En sólo un segundo), Caribbean and Mexican influences (the salsa percussion of Sin ti yo no soy nada, sweeping ranchera on De la noche a la mañana), country swing on No sabe a dónde va, edgy rock on El centro de mis ojos, the pulsating dance beats of the title track Estrella de mar, and the delightfully catchy rock anthems Toda la noche en la calle, Moriría por vos, and Qué séra.

Eva's voice is absolutely gorgeous, lending an otherworldly beauty to the slower tracks. She manages to touch your soul with her delivery and her self-penned lyrics.

The guest list is equally impressive, including Danny Cummings (Mark Knopfler, Bryan Adams) on percussion, Tony Beard (Mike Oldfield, Mick Jagger) on drums, Russell Milton (Waterboys) on bass, Melvin Duffyel (Robbie Williams, Sting) on steel guitar, Danny Shogger (George Michael, Paul McCartney) on keyboards and Echo String Quartet.

A singular gem that reaches perfection in all areas and is a delight to listen to, Estrella de mar is an excellent introduction to modern Spanish pop.

Tracklisting:

1. Sin tí no soy nada

2. Moriría por vos

3. Toda la noche en la calle

4. Te necesito

5. Qué será

6. Salir corriendo

7. Estrella de mar

8. Rosa de la paz

9. No sabe a dónde va

10. De la noche a la mañana

11. El centro de mis ojos

12. En sólo un segundo

amaral's "estrella de mar" has to be one of the best pop cd's i've bought in a long time. it's melodic, hypnotic, intelligent, and very addictivive. it's one of those rare cd's you can listen to beginning from end. vocally and muscially she reminds me of a cross between la oreja de van gogh, luna limon (little known mexican band), sarah mclachlan and mecano. i can not recommend this cd enough. it's amazing. am dying to check out previous efforts. standouts include "sin ti no soy nada", "moriría por vos", "toda la noche en la ciudad", "¿qué será?" and especially the title track "estrella de mar".

For many years, Spain has been coming out with some of the best and most distinctive rock and pop music in the world scene (see Alejandro Sanz, La Oreja De Van Gogh, Estopa, Alex Ubago, etc).

Now Amaral is on the scene. This album is really a mixture of genres from pop to rock to electronica. Personally, I think they excel in the rock/pop side if things.

To say they are big in Spain is an understatement. They are now on 500000 records sold and counting. Hard to describe this album but for me the classic is Rosa De La Paz. A hauntingly beautiful song where Eva's voice lingers in your soul long after its finished.

Really, it is Eva's voice that stands out in this band. It is just gorgeous, it is honey. The great thing is she understands the concept of phrasing. She doesn't appear the need to scream every second word like most rock/pop singers. She is a true artist.

As a music lover, it's important that the CD can offer something to me as a whole. Too often, by the time I get to track 13, I feel like I'm on a Ferris wheel and can't get off. Amaral has something new and different in every track and my favorites play in my head long after the CD has stopped.

An Awesome cd ! This cd is excellent. All the songs are awesome.

I highly recommend this cd to anyone who'd like to know what pop/rock is like in Spanish/Spain. Puts you in the mood for some deep thinking !