Lindsay (New Horizons)

In 1999 Philippine singer Lindsay Custodio released her second album New Horizons. Her first album, aptly titled My First, was released in 1996 and was dominated by easy-listening love songs — a style of music quite popular in the Philippines. However, My First also contained two upbeat, soulful numbers, and New Horizons's repertoire seems to take off from there, featuring more upbeat, adventurous material attuned mostly toward dance. As such, the album can be considered a major stylistic departure. The album retains the easy-listening approach on several songs: "Sa 'Yo" (trans: To You), "Superstar Ng Buhay Ko" (trans: Superstar of My Life), and "Nasaan Na" (trans: Where Is It Now?). Yet even "Sa 'Yo" is perched atop a silky, syncopated backbeat, and "Superstar Ng Buhay Ko" has a passionate, catchy chorus that stands out above the usual, bland easy-listening fare. The opening cut "In a Special Way" starts on a bottom-heavy, syncopated backbeat which leads to smooth strings (presumably played on synthesizer) and a catchy melody. "Tunay Nga Ba" (trans: Is It Really True?) is another dance number and again features a heavily produced sound. Custodio is obviously enthusiastic and earnest, though she doesn't seem entirely comfortable on all of the upbeat songs. She is probably more accustomed to the minimal challenge of easy-listening fare, and needs more time and practice for the challenges posed by more adventurous material. Her voice is pleasant, but nothing particularly special. She kept her voice in the middle-to-low range on the first album, but she sings in a higher register on several numbers here.