In 1996, Philippine pop/rock band
White Lies released
White Lies. The band's music features mellow, easy listening melodies often rimmed by a harder-edged rock ambience. Despite the searing electric guitar, however, the tunes are readily discernible as easy listening. The band contains five members, which include a vocalist, guitarist, bassist, keyboardist, and drummer. Vocalist Roland Fernandez has a strong, tuneful voice and also possesses a wide range. He is able, for example, to segue easily from the middle register to a higher one.
Songs such as "Sariling Musika" (Our Own Music) and "Kiss Me Baby" have a pleasant tone embedded within a rock-styled arrangement and can be compared to Philippine band
Black Rain and such international bands as
Bon Jovi and
Survivor. Searing guitar fills are prominent on these songs. The piano is prominent on "Sariling Musika" and "Keep This Love," among others. Searing electric guitar lines also punctuate "Keep This Love," giving a harder edge to a quite mellow love song. One of the more adventurous songs on
White Lies is "Kaibigan, Kabarkada" (Friend, Buddy), which features a boogie-woogie rhythm and a meaty melody. Alas, parts of "Kaibigan, Kabarkada" are also easy listening.
White Lies is tailored for the Philippine market, which often enjoys easy listening music, but the album would have a difficult time finding an audience outside of the country. ~ David Gonzales