Inspired renditions in MARK BAUTISTA’s “Every Now and then”
In Mark Bautista’s latest album, “Every Now and then”, the young singer displays a fliar for choosing the right songs to revive. The 12-song collection contains popular love songs, most of them from the 80’s, and many of them strongly identified with their original singers’ vocal affectations and styles.
Take Patti Austin’s “All Behind Us Now” or Angela Bofill’s “Break It To Me Gently”. Reviving them is a risky proposition, because it expose the darking young singer to rabid fans’ unfair comparison and ridicule.
LONE ORIGINAL SONG
In this remakes of heart’s “the Dreams” and Side A’s “Hold On,” he succeeds in making them his own. The album’s lone original song, “Kasalanan Ko Ba?,” boasts of a rich melody and catchy chorus that will surely appeal to radio pop-weaned music lovers. It’s Tagalog songs like this that highlight Mark’s aptitude for emotive enunciation—which is likewise evident in the only other Tagalog track in the collection: ray Valera’s “Naaaalala Ka.”
ANGST
In his cover of Lani Hall’s “I Don’t Want You To Go,” Mark delivers an emotionally pared-down performance. Though aurally serviceable, his relaxed tack takes the angst away from the song’s pleading sentiment.
In thee title track, Earth, Wind and Fire’s “Every Now and Then,” he muffles the first lines, but finishes the song with confidents. However, the danger of the technical polish is the loss of emotion in a song originally sung fraught with yearning. The same is true in his version of Toto’s “I’ll Be Over You’” a serviceable track that doesn’t soar as much as it should.
Cover Photos
