Women with a plan

The three CDs today exemplify female recording artists taking a stand for their respective musical visions. For one, KC Concepcion, the vision is marked by diversity and crossing genres, with an obvious nod to music she would have heard as a youngster. Estelle is on the forefront of the British hip-hop/R&B scene and with some Amercian heavyweights in her corner, she comes out smokin’. Maria Mena is an introspective alternative folk/pop singer who hails from Norway, and makes her own brand of “noise.”

a.k.a. Cassandra: KC Concepcion (Sony BMG). The overall impression of the debut CD is that KC is at home with various styles and genres of music, and the CD is a testament to that versatility. There are smart covers, from the ‘80s anthem I Melt With You, to Roxette’s It Must Have Been Love, a straightforward version of John Lennon’s Imagine (she should have first listened to the late Eva Cassidy’s interpretation), and an Umbrella that is even more slowed down than Marie Digby’s acoustic take on the Rihanna dance hit. Among local composers, Ryan Cayabyab’s Ngiti Lang and Joey Ayala’s Agila show just how extensive the listening habits of KC can be. The most surprising delight of a number for me is her flirtation with pop-electronica, the Myrene Academia/Raimund Marasigan penned number, Breathe. While some songs, like her I Just Can’t Get Enough, left me cold, I was impressed by the strong consistency of her vocals and selection of songs. The single Imposible, is an anthem like production that is reminiscent of Moonstar or Yeng Constantino. Go, KC!

Shine: Estelle (Warner Music). Estelle is not some new kid on the block, a previous CD sunk without much of a trace; but proving that cream will rise, producer John Legend plucked Estelle off the streets of London, signed her up to his Homeschool label and we now have Shine. Enlisting heavyweight Kanye West for the first single American Boy was a stroke of genius, as suddenly, everyone was talking Estelle, amazed with the sassy, polished performance on the video. The second single, No Substitute Love, freely samples George Michael’s Faith with really stunning results. True to her British roots, there will always be a little of Brixton and Jamaica in Estelle, and her reggae-influenced songs, Magnificent and Come Over, show off that side of her musical roots. At times, she sounds like the British Mary J. Blige or Lauryn Hill, and on some of the ballads, like a funkier Corinne Bailey Rae. But throughout the CD, whether dabbling in soul, pop, reggae or hip-hop, Estelle gives notice that she’s making the most of the second chance. 

Apparently Unaffected: Maria Mena (Sony BMG). Maria Mena is something of an acquired taste. On this, her second CD, she moves away from the pure pop imaging she first made noise with, and moves towards darker, more introspective, “waters.” Is it a successful transition? I’d say it is a qualified Yes. Sounding like the Norwegian Vanessa Carlton or a more musically layered Colbie Caillat can be a good thing, but it depends on how strong your songs really are. I loved This Bottle of Winie and got really excited, but other than These Shoes (which reminded me of Sara Bareilles), too many songs were just too depressing and maudlin. I think consistency is something of an issue with this outing, the good songs are great, but they’re kind of far and in between; and more often, we’re left with songs that would only survive on some B or C-list. Maria obviously has talent and it’s good to find her music reaching our shores as so many good artists (like Asa and Donavon Frankenreiter) never get their CDs picked up locally. I guess too much of a risk.