Color It Red

The appearance of a "best of" album often means that an artist's relationship with its label has ended — and it could even signal the end of a career. In the case of Color It Red, it would be a shame to see this talented band's career end. Color It Red released three albums, two in the 1990s and one in 2000; the latter two were released on BMG Records Philippines, and the first, Hand-Painted Sky, was released on a local independent. BMG Records Philippines bought the rights to the first album, making 2002's Best of Color It Red a comprehensive overview. This "best of" set collects five songs from each album, and starts things off with the tender "Paglisan" (Leaving). The lead singer of Color It Red, Cooky Chua, has a remarkable voice, beautiful and delicately strong in its approach, and the acoustic arrangement of "Paglisan," and most other songs here, play to her voice. The 1994 debut album, Hand-Painted Sky, has long been recognized as a classic, but the material from the other albums sound better here than before. 1999's Fool's Circle, for example, had potential but was mostly a lackluster affair, and the better songs were buried amidst the sameness. But on Best of Color It Red, songs from Fool's Circle such as "Sumigaw Ka" (You Shout) and "Una't Huli" (The Beginning and the End) have a chance to sparkle, not weighed down by lackluster surroundings. Each song on Best of Color It Red helps the other reach its full potential. This "best of" album could find an international audience.