Album Review: San Juan De La Cruz Poesias (Poems Of Saint John Of The Cross) by Don José Crespo
Alright, let me just say this upfront—this album is not your typical Friday night jam. Nope. It’s more like that quiet moment when you’re sipping coffee alone and suddenly feel all deep and reflective. "San Juan De La Cruz Poesias" is poetry set to music, but don’t expect beats or drops here. This is pure soul-stirring stuff from Don José Crespo, brought to life with some serious direction and arrangement chops by Martin Donegan.
The vibe? Think sacred meets hauntingly beautiful. The whole thing feels like stepping into a candlelit church where time slows down, and every word hits you right in the chest. Oh, and it’s on Folkways Records, which kinda makes sense because they’ve always been about preserving the raw and real.
Now, let’s talk tracks. There are quite a few, but two really stuck with me: “En Una Noche Oscura” and “Oh Llama De Amor Viva.”
First up, “En Una Noche Oscura.” Man, this one’s a mood setter. You’ve got Don José Crespo’s voice gliding over the words like he’s whispering secrets straight from another century. And yeah, okay, fine—it’s originally written by Saint John of the Cross himself, so maybe those secrets are centuries old. But still, it’s wild how something so ancient can feel so… now. Like, I found myself zoning out while listening, picturing stars and shadows and all sorts of dramatic imagery. That’s the magic of it—you don’t just hear it; you feel it.
Then there’s “Oh Llama De Amor Viva,” which honestly gave me goosebumps. The way Crespo delivers these lines—it’s like his voice catches fire halfway through. You can tell he means every single syllable, and that passion pulls you in. By the end, I was sitting there thinking, “Whoa, what just happened?” It’s spiritual but not in a preachy way. More like someone opened a door to something bigger than yourself, and you didn’t even realize you needed that until it hit you.
One thing I gotta mention is how stripped-back everything sounds. There’s no flashy production or auto-tune nonsense here. Just Crespo’s voice carrying the weight of these timeless poems, backed by subtle arrangements that never steal the spotlight. It’s refreshing, honestly. Feels like honesty bottled up and served neat.
So, would I recommend this album? Absolutely—if you’re into slowing down and letting art do its thing. If you’re looking for bangers to blast in your car, nah, probably not your scene. But if you want something that sticks with you long after the last note fades, give this a shot.
And hey, here’s the weird part: as I was writing this review, I kept wondering what Saint John of the Cross would think if he heard his poems turned into an album like this. Would he nod approvingly? Or would he be totally confused by modern recording tech? Either way, I bet he’d appreciate the heart behind it. Isn’t that what good art’s all about?
