Son by 4 Albums (6)
'Abba Nuestro'
Release Date 8/25/2009
Tracks 11
Label Universal Latino
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What The Critics Say
From their beginnings as the bad boy quartet of edgy, modern salsa, no one would ever have guessed that Son by Four would end up where they did with their 2004 release Renace. SB4's boy went from winning the hearts of Latin America's 15-year-old girls to wooing their mothers, from disappearing with your underage daughter for a night on Miami's club strip to showing up at the front door with flowers. There's a distinctly adult contemporary flavor to the scope of the record. The majority of the tracks are emotive pop ballads that seem to be gunning for "the quiet storm"'s number one spot. Renace also marks Son by Four's debut on their own label, SB4 Music. Perhaps casting off the shackles of major-label obligation allowed these young gentlemen the freedom they yearned for. They no longer are forced by corporate interests to sing red-hot modern salsa, and are free to pursue their true artistic identity, nondescript watery-eyed pop. To their credit, all stylistic commentary aside, SB4's vocal performance is high quality as always, featuring the R&B-inflected four-part harmony that caught one's ears in the first place. Just know that Renace would better fit the drive to church than Friday night out. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez, All Music Guide
'Purest of Pain'
Release Date 10/31/2000
Tracks 13
Label Sony International
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'Son by Four'
Release Date 2/1/2000
Tracks 14
Label Sony International
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What The Critics Say
Featuring the smash hit, "A Puro Dolor," that helped to put Son by Four on the map, their 2000 self-titled release is a pan-Latin dance party not to be missed. Silky Latin pop vocalization, with more than a little R&B, against the backdrop of sophisticated modern salsa arrangements places this vocal quartet among the hipper artists practicing their craft today. Son by Four have found the perfect balance between modern urban influence and maintenance of tradition. They are unquestionably salseros, Latinos, and yet definitely belong to their own generation. Even the group's Spanglish name tips its hat to their mixed aesthetic, equal parts outdoor salsa festival and Nueva York club scene. The production rivals the best in the business, and the arrangements are a cut above the commercial standard. Though "A Puro Dolor" set an impossibly high standard for the rest of the playlist, having spent a year at number one, it by no means overshadows the other tracks. Though there weren't any other big singles on the record, every cut is of a similar quality. Unlike most Latin pop sensations, Son by Four deserves another look. There's plenty beneath the surface. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez, All Music Guide
