| Artist: Mia Palencia
Album Title: Songs From A Jiwang Kingdom
Reviewed by Elaine Mah
Mia Palencia’s second album Songs From A Jiwang Kingdom is truly jazz at its best. Arrangements and sound effects are left to its bare minimum for this compilation, relying almost solely on Palencia’s melodious vocals. You can trust me when I tell you that you’ll fall in love with this album whether or not you are a jazz fan. Songs From A Jiwang Kingdom compiles beautiful, original dreamy pieces that is soothing to the ears and meaningful to the heart. Very true to its name, tracks from this album are indeed jiwang whether it is in the lyrics or the rhythm, or even in Palencia’s vocals themselves. If nothing does, the pure honesty and real emotions coming from Palencia’s music will touch your soul. It is not necessarily the kind of music you’ll find yourself humming to, but it is the kind that will make you want to listen it over and over again. I’m finding it difficult to pin a personal favorite as none of the tracks disappoint. But if I must, I pick ‘How I Try’ as my personal love because of its meaningful lyrics about a girl trying to make it big in the outside work. I think we all can relate to that.
If you are a jazz fan, you will love this album. If you are not a jazz fan (is that even possible?), you will be one after this album. If you are a nonchalant person without a care in the world, get this album if only for the sake of supporting a local act!
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