Album Review: The Expressions, 'Raw and Tran Quil'

Title: The Expressions
Artist: Tweaks 'N Reverbz
Recorded at Salonga Music studio
Genre: Acoustic Pop

Babies sleep to their mother's lullaby not only because they recognize their mom's voice, but also because this subtle and easy to hum melody induces relaxation and comfort.

Such is the case of THE EXPRESSIONS - a 12-song CD from the husband and wife tandem of Emerson and Jeanine Maningo, collectively known as Tweaks 'N Reverbz. Emerson composes and plays the guitar and the keyboard, while Jeanine sings.

Driven by their guts and passion for music, the duo, amidst a tight financial budget, managed to record a CD comprising of raw acoustic guitars and tranquil vocals that sound like falsetto, bend like panpipes and flow like waterfalls.

An acoustic guitar and a pleasant voice are what "THE EXPRESSIONS" is all about. Songs like Sure, with its dreamy keyboard intro, and Eleven, characterized by its curving and twisting melodic chorus, soothe the mind from a stressful office work. Other cuts like Dream, When We Meet and Closer To Touch follow the same formula - an acoustic guitar, a flowing melody structure and a singing that develops into falsettos and back. Forget the lyrics. The redundancy of the romantic phrases stops you from being restless. In contrary, the repetitive acoustic ambiance of each track brings you to a mental state of having a foot spa.

All throughout the recording, Emerson's guitar playing is simply a display of broken chords and strums. It has even some unnecessary noises because they record the songs live on the studio in contrast to the usual multi-tracking process. But it is his songwriting skills and Jeanine duplicating an Alison Krauss and a Leigh Nash singing style that propels "THE EXPRESSION's" almost meditative ambiance.

Nevertheless, She Has It All has a moony atmosphere. The vocal reverb makes it spacious and the fragile refrain that goes - "hah..hah..hah.." is like a toddler's breath. Flamenco del Natividad showcases a classical lead on an A Minor, and the singing pictures mexican landscapes of bandidos and senoritas. If you are suffering from nightly insomnias and you don't know what to put on your CD player, try this one, and you don't have to pay attention. The songs flow and drowsiness follow and you won't even notice it.

Surprisingly, the CD cover is just the band's name and the CD title set on a white background. There are also unnecessary texts on the CD label and the sleeve. On a P300 selling price, some buyers might be disappointed but again imperfect packaging is a trademark of indie music.

"The Expressions" is Tweaks 'N Reverbz debut CD. Emerson and Jeanine are still exploring their musical capabilities. They might not even know what they're doing yet. Fortunately, they have the passion and the guts and they crafted songs that go well with a morning coffee session.

"The Expressions" is available at Salonga Music Store, SM City Cebu and Kahayag Cafe. For more information, visit Tweaks 'N Reverbz website at www.soundmetro.com/artists/account/431/