Proxima Estacion : Esperanza

Spin - 8 out of 10 - "...Bubbles with uptempo bounce, complete with drunken horn section and giddy street-corner sing-alongs..." Q - 3 stars out of 5 - "...A rambling parade of effortlessly catchy daftness..." Rolling Stone - 3.5 stars out of 5 - "...A showcase of Chao's musical, political, romatic and literary preoccupations...anchored by unfailing melodies that are quick and tricky..." Uncut - 4 stars out of 5 - "...An extraordinary record which, as its European success has proved, has a potential appeal that reaches far beyond the world music bins..." Down Beat - 4 stars out of 5 - "...The music is deceptively simple as Chao mainly works with standard song forms, steady beats and catchy melodies..." Rolling Stone - Ranked #7 in Rolling Stone's "Top 10 2001". Spin - Ranked #12 in Spin's "Albums of the Year 2001". CMJ - "...With Chao's nasal squall singing lyrics in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French over guitar strumming R&B and reggae chords...[this] plays like a travelogue..." Q - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[A]n uncommonly rich and heady brew of mariachi and African rhythms, with songs sung in Spanish, French and English..."

Clandestino, Manu Chao's first solo effort, owed its greatness to its character. It was minimalistic yet filled with experimentation. But its biggest distinction is that it was honest, direct, and intimate: the personal diary of someone who had traveled a lot, not only around Latin America, but through life. Unfortunately, Chao seems to lose his way a little bit on Esperanza. Apparently intended to be a continuation of what started in Clandestino, it ends being just a clone of it. The reiteration of ideas and formulas makes Esperanza a far less memorable album than Clandestino. ~ Alberto Moreno de la Fuente|