The music of Pacifika draws you in almost immediately: The Vancouver trio's musicianship is superb, buoyed by a voice that stopped me in my tracks the first time I heard it. Pacifika's sound has been labeled as world fusion, but that label is more of a restriction than a description. The group's acoustic base and subtle electronic flourishes provided a great way to start its musical journey, but Amor Planeta raises the stakes with an electric-guitar bite that adds a crucial dimension.
Singer Silvana Kane has Peruvian roots, but her Spanish-language vocals defy borders, complementing the music and vice versa. It's hard to imagine one without the other, especially given the music's perfectly subdued pace: It's not in a hurry, instead allowing plenty of space for the sounds to sink in and draw you closer. It's hard to play slowly and still be expressive, but Pacifika has mastered that art.
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