Next Generation

Excellent vocals, brilliant songs, beautiful melodies and fantastic arrangement. As a previous (and current) Sweetbox fan, I find that the vocal style of Jamie Pinedais great and refreshing. I hope she keeps up the good work.

長年、SWEETBOXを聴いていますが…まず、今までのSWEETBOXとは別物として捉える必要がありますよね。すでに、GEOとJADEはETERNITYとして活動してるわけですし…それを前提として、純粋に音楽の内容を評価するならば、POPとR&Bのバランスのとれた良作です。新しいボーカルと曲がマッチして、とても聴きやすいです。

While most fans of Sweetbox are accustomed to Jade Villalon as vocalist, I have to say that as a newer Sweetbox fan...I find the team of vocalist, Jamie Pineda and producer, Derek Bramble to be a great duo. No, Jamie and Derek did not write each track by themselves, nor did they write on every track but you’ll find that you’ll either forget or not care about this once Jamie begins her song. The powerful vocals of 20-year old Jamie are not to be ignored. Examples of this statement can be found in the powerful ballad about not knowing how to love your partner, ”With A Love Like You” and in the upbeat dance track, ”Crash Landed”. The thing you’ll notice quickly about this album is that it is in a word - romantic. The songs ”Love Forgets” and ”In A Heartbeat” give a sense of a naive sort of love, and this isn’t a bad thing at all as these tracks are written to sound like that..while the tracks ”Everything Is Nothing” and ”More Than You’ll Ever Know” give a sense of a solid love. The opener and first single from the album, ”We Can Work It Out” will show old Sweetbox fans that while the face and the voice has changed, the classic theme of ”Classical Music meets Pop” stays the same. The updated version of ”Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” is one of the standout tracks. With rearranged verses and the male featured on vocals (assumed to be producer, Derek Bramble) as well, the song keeps the classical piece, ”Air on the G string” by Johann Sebastian Bach playing throughout the song. ”The Next Generation” remains a mostly positive, friendly album with the exception of the ballad, ”When Will It Be Me” which Derek Bramble co-wrote with Lindy Robbins and Yasmeen Sullieman for Yasmeen’s un-released album years ago. So if you’re hung up on the fact that Jamie isn’t Jade or isn’t writing on all the tracks (although she did write on over 6 songs), you can get the idea that this isn’t a solid album out of your head. Jamie has already started writing for her second album and only time will tell if she surpasses her predecessors, Kimberly Kearny, Dacia Bridges, Tina Harris and Jade Villalon. Overall -- 8/10. Standout Tracks (In order) -- With A Love Like You, Magic, Everything’s Gonna Be Alright, Everything Is Nothing, Love Forgets