Radio Friendly

In 1997, Philippine rock band Alamid released their third album, Radio Friendly. The band's 1994 debut, Alamid, was a strong effort, but the follow-up, 1995's Panaginip ("Dream"), exhibited little of the charm heard in the first album. In a nutshell, Radio Friendly is a better effort than Panaginip, but falls short of the standard set by Alamid. The band's sound has shifted from its origins in rock/hard rock (albeit also playing tender, substantive ballads), to more of a pop/rock ambience. For example, "Childhood Dreams" teases with its rock-edged start, power chords and all, but then changes to a softer, gentler setting as the vocals enter with a pop, almost easy-listening vibe. The guitars continue to rock in parts, but the vocals and other parts of the arrangement soften the edge considerably.

The arrangements to many songs on Radio Friendly are imaginative, and mostly outshine the songs themselves. "Sa Iyo" ("To You"), for example, opens with Latin-styled acoustic guitar, segueing into a punchy rhythmic pattern, as rocking wah-wah guitar and gospel-inflected organ enter the scene. The song's melody is interesting but doesn't match the standard set by the imaginative arrangement. The ballad "Dedma" (no translation) also has an imaginative arrangement, using tender guitar and piano lines, but the song itself is somewhat bland. Still, these songs have more substance than those of the second album. Interestingly, several songs contain a somewhat cheesy vibe, as heard in "Empty" and its corny "la la la la" line. Amazingly enough, the song works.