Under the Sign of Cain

Miguel Bose recorded Under the Sign of Cain in London, using not only British producers and musicians but also taking advantage of the city's rich multicultural musical heritage. The result was a polished, very well-crafted album of Europop with many world music influences — not just the flamenco of Bose's native Spain, but also Arabic and African music as well. "They're Only Words" or the title track would fit in with any of Bryan Ferry's solo albums. "Home," the album's centerpiece track, mixes African singing with lovely pop melodies and Bose's best singing. Throughout the album, Bose shows himself to be a polished, elegant singer with a warm, supple voice and without any overbearing mannerisms that mar too many other pop balladeers. Some of the tracks are a bit too slight to stand up, and others go on for a bit too long, but for the most part, this is a fine introduction to Bose's work. ~ Victor W. Valdivia, Rovi