Gabby Eigenmann
"Sa di kalayuan"

Associated with the prominent family of actors, Gabby Eigenmann breaks out in his sophomore album, “Sa Di Kalayuan”. Just as his parents and brothers were marveling audiences with dramatic acts, Gabby nourished his love for music. Whilst his debut album featured formulaic and pleasant tracks, this record is a signal of Gabby’s departure from the reins of one-dimensional music as he concocts a refreshing whiff of pop rock goodness; the kind that has enough roughness to distance himself away from monotonous performers.

This young singer somehow comes across like Nick Lachey, with the neat locks, boyband impression, and sensitive pop-edged songs. “Sa Di Kalayuan” is a good album, to say the least. All tunes in here boast of heartfelt integrity but does not necessarily revolve on a single musical formula. Opening track “Sa Di Kalayuan” is swirling in guitar arrangements, twinkling in golden energy, and spinning in mature lyrics. The acoustic strums at the beginning set the foundation before building into a bouncy electric high, “Ang marinig ang iyong mga awit sa iyong kinalalagyan/ Habang ako naman ay nakikinig lamang sa di kalayuan”. Gabby’s harmonious voice is well complemented with the stunning arrangement.

The shredding guitars on “Mahal Mo Rin Ako” are reminiscent of rock bands. Surprisingly, the new pop rock formula works to Gabby’s advantage. He sings with determination and hits the notes wonderfully during the refrain, “Mahal mo rin ako, mahal mo rin ako, mahal mo rin ako/ Sana, oh sana, oh sana ito’y malaman mo”. This has the typical trappings of crossing over to higher grounds. Meanwhile “Down To Earth” has a flavorful R&B groove, which Gabby relishes with smooth vocals. It definitely sounds mature and classic when you listen closely.

Most of his lyrics fall along the themes of love: sweet, syrupy, sappy, bittersweet, you name it. The soft, unplugged-like track “I Think Of You”, originally recorded by Sixto Rodriguez, for example, is about a lost love. And although the musical arrangement is pleasant, the overwhelming lines silently screams, “Now these thoughts are haunting me/ Of how complete I used to be/ And in these times that we’re apart/ I’ll hear this song that breaks my heart.”

Another well-designed product is “Sweetheart Tweetums”. This classic rendition is attractive and enjoyable, with much thought and expression. “Traveling Boy” written by Art Garfunkel follows the same path as the previous love songs: romantic singing without sacrificing the original’s tender touch. Meanwhile, “Bakit Kaya” is an interesting song. Not because of the arrangement or the lyrics, but because he sounds like Ogie Alcasid. Even the slight quiver in the last notes of a line sounds like the balladeer’s.

Last but definitely not the least in terms of quality, carrier single “Muli” stays true to what Gabby does best: sincere ballads. Minimalist, stripped-down background emphasizes lovelorn lyrics and evocative vocal cords. Undeniably Gabby’s second album proves distinction among his colleagues in that he took great leaps of risk but maintaining the user-friendly quality within reach.

The record also includes a minus one version of “Sa Di Kalayuan” and “Muli”. Exclusively distributed by GMA Records through Ivory Music and Video, Gabby Eigenmann’s album is now available nationwide.