In 2000, Philippine female singer
Lani Misalucha released
All Heart.
Misalucha possesses an excellent voice, emotive and full of depth, and is easily one of the Philippines' best singers. However, her albums are dominated by easy-listening love songs, a style of music quite popular in the Philippines, but posing little challenge to both a singer and a listener. Regrettably, all 14 songs on
All Heart consist of the easy-listening love song style, and the album cries out for more diversity. It's unfortunate there aren't any upbeat songs on the album, or at least some moderately upbeat songs, which would allow
Misalucha to flex her vocal chords. The quality of songwriting on the album is better than what is usually found on easy-listening albums made in the Philippines, but the preponderance of slow material drags the album down considerably. Many songs tend to sound alike after awhile.
Misalucha approaches "I'll Do Anything" with a delicate touch, and handles the song with poise and confidence. She is at ease here and throughout the album, including such songs as "Bakit Ba Ikaw" ("Why Is It You") and "Hanggang Kailan" ("Up to When"), perhaps giving them more life than they deserve. Two of the better songs are "Hasta La Eternidad" ("Until Eternity"), which was written entirely in Spanish, and "Save This Heart." The songs have strong melodies and could possibly appeal to an international audience (it should be noted that most Philippine easy-listening love songs would have trouble finding an audience outside the country). Despite
Misalucha's fine performances, the album sinks under the weight of so many easy-listening love songs, and the album becomes quickly tiresome. ~ David Gonzales