Setting the tone with a a vibrant, retro guitar energy with epic licks, a dimensional and whirring bassline and rolling drums, Eljuri opens her album Reflexión with the track Espejo, which has the philosophical hook “el mundo es un espejo y la vida una reflexion….”, which means “the world is a mirror, and life is a reflection”. We love the harmonies, echoes and the conscious lyricism. The guitar solo is simply out of this world, combined with the futuristic baselines and English add libs, we are obsessed.
Next up is Salva La Tierra, where top Latina guitar player Eljuri continues to cement her brilliant mind and message to save the Earth with profound lyricism and incredible hooks. Eljuri plays guitar, delivers a profound vocal performance and expands her universe with her fifth solo studio album. We love the “ooh ahh” add libs, which we can only imagine are incredible to experience in a live setting.
La Voz is next, which means “the voice”, and Eljuri opens with a playful Spanish guitar energy and horns, as she sings about collective consciousness. We see a pattern emerge with her lyricism, and appreciate the inspiring perspective that she shares with her philosophical artistry designed to amplify unity and compassion.
Next is Home, which is a dynamic love song and ode to her home city, sung in English. Eljuri connects with the rush of city life and brings this experience to the listener in a relatable way. Once again, the opus features an epic guitar solo!
Shelter is a metaphorical song in Spanish and English, and features bold drums and a Middle Eastern energy. We also learn that Eljuri lived in Lebanon as she sings “SOS“, and asks us to open the door and provide shelter from the storm. The build is anthemic and we love the layered vocals!
The sixth track is Llévame, which translates as Take Me Away. Speaking on the release, Eljuri tells us that this modern trip-hop Bossa “glorifies a reunion where we threw our arms in the air, hugged one another and screamed at the top of our lungs.”
Eljuri‘s international flair comes from the fact that she has lived in Spain, Lebanon, Ecuador, and New York City. It is clear that elements of all of these cities and cultures are present in what Eljuri creates. We adore the fusion of rock, Latin, middle-eastern, reggae, funk and dance, aligned with her progressive and conscious lyricism, poetic nuance, commentary on the human condition and unique story telling ability.
Next up is Por Ti (For You), which is described as “a joyful funky dance party celebrating love, describing an unforgettable magical moment.” We learn that it is about “a chance meeting that has led to sleepless nights thinking of that person who struck a ray of light in your heart.” We appreciate the more vulnerable and romantic side of Eljuri as she professes love for her muse.
El Día (The Day) opens with enigmatic synth keys and holds an empowering and anthemic energy with pulsating electronica and epic drum riffs, whilst No Puedo Cruzar (I Can’t Cross) is a reggae song about a frustrating crossing during a difficult journey. We are consistently in awe of the diversity in Eljuri‘s style.
Track number 10 is Feeds You which kicks off with in English with a pop-punk vibe with elements of Brit-pop! Fans of The Beatles and David Bowie would definitely be able to connect with this. Eljuri sings the old adage, “what goes around, comes around…” and asks us to “fight, don’t cave in…”
El Camino (The Road) opens with luscious Spanish guitar and expands into a powerful Latin anthem with the message that it’s time to gather our strength and march again in harmony. Once again with an epic guitar solo, we appreciate the empowering message of the song!
Finally, the bonus track Keep It Up is designed to re-affirm Eljuri’s signature sound with her funky guitar, pocket grooves and hooky bilingual vocal riffs. Eljuri wrote this motivating theme to elevate and inspire fellow sisters and brothers who share in the fight against injustice. We absolutely adore the freedom anthem and the full circle soundscape, with string chops and Eljuri‘s fierce and dimensional flow!
If you want to see Eljuri live, she will be touring as a power trio in support of the record release throughout 2022 and 2023 in the US, Mexico and the Netherlands! You can visit her website for more details, and meanwhile, we have added Espejo and La Voz to our New Music Spotlight playlist, whilst we explore her previous four albums!