Unspoken (CD - 2003)

Personnel includes: Jaci Velasquez (vocals); Tom McWilliams (acoustic guitar); Pete Orta (electric guitar); Freddy Pinero, Jr. (electric guitar, programming); Michael Ripoll (Spanish guitar, sitar); David Davidson (violin); John Catchings (cello); Brandon Fraley (keyboards, programming, loops); Tommy Sims (bass, synthesized bass); Javier Carrion (bass); Javier Solis (drums, percussion); Marvin Sims, Scott Savage (drums); Rachel Perry (background vocals).

Producers include: Matthew Gerrard, Tommy Sims, Emilo Estefan, Jr., Tom McWilliams, Freddy Pinero.

Personnel: Freddy Piñero, Jr. (guitar, programming); Michael Ripoll (acoustic guitar, Spanish guitar, sitar); Tommy Sims (acoustic guitar, piano, keyboards, synthesizer, bass synthesizer, mini-Moog synthesizer, bass guitar, loops); Tom McWilliams (acoustic guitar); Pete Orta (electric guitar); David Davidson (violin); John Catchings (cello); Abel Orta (bass guitar, background vocals); Scott Savage, Marvin Sims (drums); Javier Solís (percussion); Bridget Benenate, Rachel Perry (background vocals).

Audio Mixer: David J. Holman.

Recording information: The Lab, Santa Monica, CA; The Parlor, Nashville, TN.

Photographer: Alban Christ.

Unknown Contributor Roles: Jovaun Woods; Dana Reed; Roz Clark Thompson; Jerard Woods; Melinda Doolittle; Angela Primm; Billy Gaines; Akil Thompson.

Arrangers: Freddy Piñero, Jr.; Tom McWilliams; Tommy Sims.

Though she has been called "the Christian Christina Aguilera" due to her Latin heritage and predilection for slickly produced dance pop, with UNSPOKEN Jaci Velasquez shows once and for all that she is far more than simply a teen idol. First off, Velasquez has been releasing albums since 1996; she left behind the vocal calisthenics long ago, slowly developing into a singer of great maturity, restraint and range. In addition, Velasquez is the primary author of more than half the songs here, which are often quite serious and introspective in tone (making Michelle Branch perhaps a more accurate comparison).

After several albums of less overtly Christian material, the singer uses UNSPOKEN to strongly reaffirm her faith, directing most songs very explicitly to Jesus Christ. Sonically, there's more going on here as well, and the subtle, uncluttered production perfectly matches the earnestness of the material. A watershed moment in Jaci Velasquez's career, this album establishes her as a fine talent who is also an artist of substance. minimize