Joey Albert Opm Timeless Collection Gold, Series 2 - Joey Albert

Philippine label OctoArts/EMI released Joey Albert OPM Timeless Collection Gold, Series 2 in 2000, a compilation of 16 songs recorded for the then OctoArts label in the 1980s by Philippine female singer Joey Albert. The album contains easy listening music and middle-of-the-road ballads, and only two of the album's 16 songs, "Porma Ng Porma" (Always Trying to Impress) and "Mixed Emotions," are upbeat; the album has a quiet ambience. Unfortunately, without much diversity, the album exudes a bland sameness. Albert's voice isn't the best of vehicles, nor is it the worst, but at least she is mostly tuneful. She has trouble, however, navigating the sinuous twists and turns of the spirited, jazz-inflected "Mixed Emotions," and her voice sounds off-key in parts of "Say You're Mine." "Tell Me," which Albert recorded in 1984, has since become a Philippine evergreen, and it was written by respected Philippine composer Louie Ocampo. The songs written in English, such as "Tell Me," "Memories," and "Say You're Mine," tend to be middle-of-the-road, while the songs written in Tagalog, the Philippines' national language, are easy listening. An exception is the upbeat "Porma Ng Porma," which features swinging acoustic guitar and spirited horn punctuation. Albert does a fine job on the ballad "Say You're Mine," instilling much passion. Her duet with Pops Fernandez on the song "Points of View" is marred by the off-key singing of Fernandez. ~ David Gonzales, All Music Guide