Sentimental

In 1995, Philippine female singer Rachel Alejandro released Sentimental. Her 1993 album, May Minamahal ("My Beloved"), was a fine effort — she breathed life into the average-to-weak songwriting, making the songs sound better than they deserved.

Alejandro is saddled with even weaker songwriting on Sentimental, but she gives it her best shot. (It should be noted that Alejandro doesn't write her own material typically, though she co-wrote one song here, "Paalam Na" ["Goodbye Now"]). Still, there isn't much anyone could do with some of these duds, including the insipid ballad "Let the Pain Remain."

Usually, albums made by Philippine female singers lean toward easy-listening love songs, but half of the ten songs on Sentimental are upbeat, dance-inflected tunes, including "Aminin" ("Confess"), "Easy to Please Me," and "Different Kind of Love." Alejandro showed a fondness for upbeat material on 1993's May Minamahal, and her passion continues on this album.

Despite being upbeat, "Easy to Please Me" is another example of weak songwriting, as the derivative tune borrows uninspiringly from various dance sources, including the Donna Summer classic "Love to Love You, Baby," outright mimicking that song's "Love to love you, baby" line. "Different Kind of Lovin'" is of better songwriting quality, and Alejandro makes the most of it. As before, Alejandro performs the ballads well, showcasing her strong, expressive voice. None of the ballads represent first-rate songwriting, but "Never Gonna Fall in Love" has some substance, and Alejandro makes it sound better than it should. Someone should find better material for this fine singer, as she truly deserves it.