Unidos Permanecemos

by Andree Farias Released in tandem with the group's United We Stand, Hillsong United's Unidos Permanecemos is the praise collective's first Spanish-language album, and a direct nod to its zealous Latin American fan base. Track for track, Unidos Permanecemos is a mirror image of United We Stand -- right down to the interludes -- except translated for its faithful, YouTube-obsessed Spanish audience. The result is unprecedented: Unidos Permanecemos, without trying too hard, rocks harder and soars higher than a lot of what the much more staid and traditional Spanish gospel music market has to offer. The fact that the Aussies took the time to learn the lyrics and enunciate them correctly is proof that they didn't just want to rush out something to appease their ardent Latin followers; they wanted them to give the full Hillsong United treatment: big choruses, stadium-sized rockers, and lots of Brit-pop atmospherics ... en español.