Music that makes the heart wink

Author: Alwin M. Ignacio
Column: Life

With so many bands mushrooming lately, the average music aficionado finds it excruciating to choose whom to support and spend their hard-earned moolah on for the most worthy CD to purchase. With so many bands topping the music charts, a handful of crooners and chanteuses producing gold hits or one-hit wonders, plus the spectrum of Filipino musical taste widening, variety and versatility are still the criteria that set the great bands apart from those equally good yet incapable of bringing something new.

Thus it very refreshing to discover Wink, a quartet composed of Adrienne Sarmiento (vocals), Adam Cesante (guitars/vocals), JC Magsalin (bass) and Junjun Regalado (percussion) whose type of music would certainly be an alternative for picky listeners as their songs resonates with the longings of the heart, gives the voice to the broken-hearted, and gives pop rock an interesting symphonic influence.

We call ourselves Wink because it breaks away from the usual two-name bands. It is short, easy to remember, and when you wink at someone, it makes a lasting impression; it makes you giddy, especially if you like the one winking at you, answers Adrienne when asked on the origin of the bands name.

Why is the album called Wholehearted? Adam, the acoustic guitarist and male vocalist replies, The songs in the album are all about what the heart goes through or to be more specific, what lovers go through when they are in love. There are songs about the joys of falling in love, or what one feels when he or she is experiencing unrequited love. It is anything and everything about love that we all feel.

During the media launch, the foursome sampled some of the ditties. They started with the Wilson Phillips pop classic, Hold On, and comparing them to the original, Winks version is stripped-down and groovy, expectedly based on the acoustic boom that invaded the music scene a few years back. What wis compelling about this cover is the vocal blending of the quartet as it matches the trios rendition note for note.

They followed it with their signature single billed Half-Hearted, a song about how one confronts a crumbling relationship. The captivating track is enhanced even more with its sensible musical backdrop. It is dark, emotive and complemented with a perfect mix of invigorating bass, pleasant guitars, and the most heartfelt vocals by Sarmiento. Her voice captures and conveys the pain one goes through.

They performed Makita Ka Lang, Okay Na Ako, which is like an adult version of Smokey Mountains Kailan, but this time, the girl is now a woman who wonders why kahit anong gawin niyang lambing, di pa rin siya pinapansin. The song is bittersweet, presenting all the aches of a one-sided relationship.

To lighten up the afternoon mood, they also sang Sweet Baby, a fairly simple version with Cesantes voice dominating the track, Adrienne interjecting back to the song, and their duet seemes like two people just conversing about their feelings for each other.

Aside from performing as a group, the three male members are part of the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra with JC having a day job as a professor teaching Calculus in a university. Adrienne, on the other hand, does hosting for a Lifestyle Network and events.

With their album Wholehearted, there is no denying that Wink manages to the tie the musical strings together with an interesting fondness for lyrics that are straightforward, voices that are complementary and soothing, and symphonic influences. All these elements show why they are different from the other bands with female vocalists of old.

With their songs and talent, we cannot deny the fact that the music of Wink is here to stay.

Wholehearted by Wink is now available in record bars nationwide only from AltG Records.

Source: The Daily Tribune