Novice artists on the rise

By Nickie Wang / Manila Standard Today
19 June 2008

If youR auditory nerves are tired of covers and renditions that only serve as additional rubbish in your playlist, then you need fresh sounds to soothe your ear. It’s only when young blood artists surface that we could experience totally different approaches in music. From the traditional play-safe-and-do-revivals tactics, the Ateneo High School students Mboys ’09 and 2005 Star in a Million product Nikki offer their novice yet exceptional sounds.

Music and the boys

When music virtuoso Ryan Cayabyab heard the talented young students of section M of Ateneo High School sang, he said that their talent must be showcased at the national level. Thus, the Mboys ’09 was born with a self-titled album.
The opening track of the album “Galak” doesn’t sound impressive, but as the song plays on, you will understand why Mr. C applauded these young students. “Galak,” with its simple vocals, goes perfectly with the acoustic.
The album has stored up different revelations. The second track “Bitaw” jumpstarts with a bucolic sound, but from a folk sounding intro, it then astounds you with a pop rock-flavored climax anchored by strong and mature vocals. This lyrically inspiring song drives a message that is solely for people who have gone astray because of drug abuse.
With the album’s intuitive approach to music, the third track “Susan” has more than one flavor to offer. This song is about a girl who probably went through tough situations that can replace Freddie Aguilar’s “Magdalena” or Eraserhead’s “Paraluman.” This track that goes with the piano is fashioned with different vocal styles that sounded like you are listening to three different music genres rolled into one musical masterpiece.
The only English track in the album is “I’ll Always Be There For You.” This track is a kind of music that you could play in the living room without making your mother scream at the top of her lungs. It is something grown-ups and young ones could both enjoy.
“Pakiusap” is the closing track of the album. This very emotional song strummed by the guitar and hummed by a very infectious vocal style won’t beg you to finish off the entire song. Unusually, you won’t mind hearing it over and over again. The track is so affecting that even the track’s performer coos with only “oh,” you would feel the sincerity and the message the song would like to convey.

Not That Kind of Girl

Star in a Million first runner-up Nikki drops her surname Bacolod and releases her sophomore album. From sweet image and ballad singing, Nikki reinvents herself with mature packaging singing upbeat songs. The album Not That Kind of Girl is her explanation of the new image she portrays.
The album is composed of 12 tracks; three of them were originally Spanish songs translated to Filipino by Chuckie Dreyfus. “Not That Kind of Girl (Yo no soy esa mujer)” is the carrier single that supports Nikki’s transition into a lady sounds mature, however, the chorus is the only part of the song that you would enjoy. “Away from it All (Mas fuerte que tu)” is a weak track for it bores the listener because of redundant lyric. The third song that was translated by Dreyfus is “Somebody (A veces).” This one is an outstanding track for it definitely has an international appeal. All elements of this song complement her voice that resembles Lindsay Lohan’s.
“Malapit Na” is good as the opening track. The vocal is so enticing that it would make the boys be eager to know the girl behind the song. While the boys are wondering, girls could jump to slumber party and sing with the girl band sounding track “Step It Up.”
The most outstanding tracks in the album are “Wild Girl,” “Nalilito…Ginugulo,” “Anything and Everything,” and “Dreaming My Own Dream.”
“Wild Girl,” although could make Nikki be compared to the sound of Avril Lavigne and Ahsley Simpson, is definitely a sensation for it proves her versatility. “Nalilito…Ginugulo” goes with a catchy lyric that could actually make the listeners imagine every scene the song narrates. If narration is what the previous track does, “Anything and Everything” is a blissful song that could bring you to a different setting; a flower farm or grassland perhaps. “Dreaming My Own Dream” that breathes its own life, is a track suited to be a movie soundtrack because it engages listeners with its moving melody and lyric.
“A Little Nervous” is a country sound where you can hear Nikki’s soul speaks. To wrap up the album is “Rock Me Tonight” that pitches with strong electronic beat but fails to impress for its immature lyric. The whole album doesn’t fall short in supporting Nikki’s transition into a mature girl, indeed it proves that 18-year-old Nikki is no longer the kind of girl we used to know.