1 week Ago By N/A (Punch Liwanag)
If you’re this type, then you’d be glad to come across an album like “SWABE.” Fact: Pinoys love a good cover, almost as much as they love an original song. Why we have a soft spot for covers is varied, but partly because we like familiarity.
Sometimes, we want to be transported back to a good memory when listening to a song we know and love. If you’re this type, then you’d be glad to come across an album like “SWABE.” This six-song EP grabs a handful of the most memorable OPM songs ever and has some of the most influential music acts of today interpret them in the coolest, smoothest-sounding way possible.
The concept sounds good, right? But listening to the resulting covers? Well, read on. “SWABE” begins with Amiel Sol taking on a classic with “Pagdating Ng Panahon.” The Aiza Seguerra original was a monster hit back in the day, so this is a tall order for Amiel Sol.
But what Amiel shares in common with Seguerra is that they both have a knack for delivering a ballad in such a relaxed way. Amiel, who’s behind the hit “Sa Bawat Sandali,” currently personifies cool Pinoy-pop balladry, and his very lyrical approach gives life anew to inarguably one of the greatest OPM love songs ever, and sure enough, Amiel’s version brims with quiet yearning, which is at the core of this innately optimistic tune. Earl Agustin, the singer behind this year’s first big hit, “Tibok,” sounds like a million bucks to me with “A Little Bit.
” Originally a smash by M.Y.M.
P., this Raymund Santes-written song is a veritable acoustic pop standard. Earl Agustin reconfigures this ballad, originally arranged with acoustic instruments, into an R&B-laced love song and croons its head-over-heels sentiment with soulful aplomb.
Rhodessa, the singer behind the bedroom pop hit “Kisame,” has a playful but sincere take on the Rico Blanco alt-pop gem “Antukin.” Rhodessa cuts right into the song’s urgent love-finds-a-way theme, jolting “Antukin” into a percolating piece of irresistible pop. Meanwhile, retro-pop ace Rob Deniel is perfectly fit to reinterpret an enduring Manila Sound era song via the Hotdog classic “Ikaw Ang Miss Universe.
” The words light and breezy immediately come to mind. Whether by design or serendipitous luck, Rob Deniel even sounds like a young Rene Garcia as the ingrained melodies of this classic shimmer like new in the hands of this young tastemaker. Then there’s Shane Dandan, a vocal powerhouse and a music artist.
She shows it in her imaginative handling of the Ogie Alcasid gem “Mahal Kita Walang Iba.” Originally a ballad, Shanne Dandan now reimagines it into an almost jazzy pop-tinged number with brass arrangements that pop up at interesting points as Shanne’s smooth, mellifluous singing voice weaves in and out of the song’s re-energized arrangement like a confidently handled instrument. Finally, “Hulaan” vocalist-songwriter Janine is taking on the Southborder original “Love Of My Life.
” Janine reinvents this Pinoy R&B standard with an uncluttered approach: a sprinkling of synth-y magic dust here, a scat-laden vocal sauce there, thrown in with a lilting rhythm topped with Janine’s assured singing makes this one of the best takes of this song yet. “SWABE” brings back these cool Pinoy pop songs and creatively reimagines them, retrofitting them for today’s listeners. For now, the EP is already available on all the popular platforms.
Down the line, I wouldn’t mind having these recordings into something more tactile, like a vinyl record, because it’s that good. This is a Viva Music Publishing, Inc., project with Vicor Music, Viva Records and Ivory Music.
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