Bagong Liwanag: Extra Shine to Stellar Rivermaya

It was not really an attempt to create a new light. Actually, it is more of an expression of maintaining star status amidst all the hooplah. There have been some hard critics who like making comparisons of Rivermaya's present performance to the past (which you can never rewind, by the way) glories, but the album actually has its own strengths, among many other things. 

Despite a major upheaval in the departure of the lead singer, Rivermaya's new EP, Bagong Liwanag, is really something that is a treasure in its own right. Setting aside the fact that the track “Sayang” will really touch and strum the hearstrings of the hardcore Rivermaya fans, the entire album is quite impressive, considering the short time they had to conceptualize and prepare it. Plus, it also gave a chance to rock the boat of Rivermaya and an opportunity to expand their horizons post-Rico Blanco. The show must go on, as their search for a new vocalist is still currently in the works in the form of a reality TV show.

With regard to voice quality, there may be some room for improvement. Since the leaving of the band's previous lead singer really lead them to suddenly explore their other available options (in this case, letting the song writers do the singing to form the album), the members who sang their compositions could really use more practice, until of course, their new vocalist emerges out of the horizon. Since they are also still in the process of getting over their losses in the rough time they underwent, they were also not that polished with their songs as compared to their previous albums.

The song Sayang manifested the core sentiment of the band when Rico Blanco left them. Bassist Japs Sergio was the one who composed the song and though he was not exactly a good vocalist, the emotional quality persisted all throughout the song. Stripped off the usual elements that make a Pinoy rock song, it really went to the core of the listeners and the performers who heard it. 

Mark Escueta's Sumigaw also made waves, after being selected by ABS-CBN as one of its theme songs. The good thing is that the song is energized, filled with both angst and determination to succeed amidst all the trials that the band faced. On the other hand, the bittersweet ensemble of Nawawala by Mike Elgar was particularly memorable since it was written at the very time vocalist Rico Blanco expressed his desire to leave the group. Another Mark Escueta song was Olats, which was more of a funny version of disparaging their demise upon Blanco's departure from the band.

One of the trademarks of Rivermaya albums, however, remains. Rico Blanco may have left the band, but he did not fully eliminate the spirit of the songs. The positive message of “Banda ng Bayan” completely outweighs all the other feel-good lyrics they have made in the past. Though it cannot be something you can directly compare with previous Rivermaya hits, it still continues to communicate a positive spirit and lots of hope for the band.

The instrumental part of the album in their songs is a real hands down winner. You will find that music enthusiasts will clamor over this. After all, this is really what the remaining members are experts in, and they have rightfully and completely accentuated this in the latest album. With all the fervor and energy being spent on Rivermaya, you will be ensured that they will continue to soar high and be able to discover the strengths the remaining band members did not know they had before.

All in all, Bagong Liwanag addressed its audience rights and made a poignant mark in the hearts of even the hard-hearted of Rivermaya fans. And this is really promising to help jumpstart them back to star status, with the same groove that made them top the charts and shape Pinoy rock history.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4rtrPnZaJU]

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