A New Song

Sounds like … harmonious Latin pop similar to Son by Four and MDO, plus the adult contemporary balladry of Sin Bandera, REIK, and Motivo.At a glance … nothing new in terms of originality, but their sense of melody, spotless harmonies and warm production help them rise above more conventional Latin pop.Track Listing Dreams Oh Zion Deeper New Song God's Talent Conversation It's a New Day Strength Amazing Love Song Beautiful Dar Amor Talento De Dios Maravilloso Nueva Cancion

Who would've imagined that when Gustavo Ortega, Jovian Jiménez, and Noah Chaparro got together in 2002 to help a mutual friend with a school project, their efforts would lead them to evolve into a full-fledged music group? We're not told how the friend fared academically, but his homework resulted in the trio Ordained Praise, a ministry whose name is derived from Psalm 8:2. Despite the psalmist's words, these Latino brothers aren't children, but a mature-sounding outfit with a penchant for exquisite harmonies, well-produced musical beds, and bilingual lyrics that praise God.

The bulk of their debut, A New Song / Nueva Canción, is decaffeinated Latin pop, which means it boasts all the flavor of the original, but without the latter's hyperactivity and harmful side effects. The most daring moment in the album comes when rapper Macho (of hip-hop duo New Breed) lends his emceeing skill to the party joint "God's Talent," but other than that, things remain uncomplicated, straightforward and pop-based, with enough levity and cleanness so as to not distract.

This simplicity happens to be one of their most important playing cards, as the songs are never too busy or layered to the point of overproduction—a weakness of most Latin pop. There's something warm and understated about the way the songs were created, with just enough splashes of acoustic guitars, nimble keyboard treatments, and soft programming to carry the trio's faith declarations. This containment helps the case of Ordained Praise as they set out to reach out not only to their age group—who will most likely love this, by the way—but also to more conservative first-generation Hispanics. A recommended debut.