Simply Roselle

In 1999, Philippine female artist Roselle Nava released Simply Roselle. Like Nava's previous album, 1997's On Higher Ground, Simply Roselle is dominated by passionate, easy listening love songs, a style of music quite popular in the Philippines. Ten of the album's 12 tracks are ballads, which doesn't make for a well-rounded record. Though pleasant and easy on the ears, songs like "Mahal Mo Ba'y Din Na Ako" ("Is Your Love Not Me Anymore"), "Bihag Ng Pag-Ibig" ("Prisoner of Love"), and others eventually become tiresome. The Filipino-styled ballads have some bright moments, however — "Tanging Mamahali'y Ikaw" ("You're the Only One I Will Love") features a dramatic melody that Nava imbues with much emotion and sincerity, and "Lost in You" has a catchy melody line in the chorus. However, these moments are easy to overlook amid the deluge of easy listening material. The most surprising track is the funky, R&B-styled "Get Out,," which Nava sings with relish and contagious delight. Since Nava is co-writer on this song, it's highly possible she enjoys this type of material, and hopefully she will do more. Though not the most gifted of singers, Nava seems more at ease on this record than on her last album, and her overall performance is more assured. Her voice doesn't have a lot of depth, but on Simply Roselle she gets the most from what she has.