(Photo Credit - Lindsey Byrnes)
Advance Review - Jay Som - Anak Ko - (August 23, 2019)
Anak Ko immediately kicks off with the alt-pop rich "If You Want It". This track features fantastic vocalization throughout. The melody is also extremely dynamic, especially on the synth solo about 2:50 in! I absolutely thought this track kicked the doors in for the opener.
"Superbike" has a bit of an alt nostalgia feel to it. It very much reminds me of an alt-pop track that would come out in the 90's, but that's not a bad thing by any stretch. The middle-to-end breakdown section of "Peace Out" is the most bad ass part of the record thus far. Wow! Those guitars were killer!
"Nighttime Drive" is an alt-pop masterpiece. It's smooth as silk throughout. The vocals are solid, the music is snappy and gets you moving, and the string section at the end is absolutely beautiful. There's a lot to love here. "Anak Ko" broods a bit and builds throughout the song. You just feel that something immense is coming and the tension built by Jay Som is absolutely fantastic. Just when it reaches the breaking point, Jay Som throws a curve and actually moves down opts for a semi-isolated vocal section. Would I have preferred for it to blow up? Yes, but I was okay with the ending result as well. Ironically, the next track "Crown" does have a nice breakdown section near the end with synth and guitar work that are downright special.
This album is solid and doesn't have a spot where Jay Som lets off the gas. It's so well put together from top to bottom and all the tracks fit so well together throughout. This being Jay Som's third release, it represents a continued step forward for her. I think that this album will only continue to project her to stardom, she certainly has the talent.
Rating - 5/5