Daniel Padilla waxes serviceable covers in debut album

PADILLA. Has his Tito Robin’s magnetic presence and cheeky swagger

DANIEL Padilla has his Tito Robin’s magnetic presence and cheeky swagger—and, when he sings, as he does in his eponymously titled debut album, he scoops for the low notes of a song with a gravelly voice that sounds eerily like his uncle’s, most notably in his covers of Orient Pearl’s “Pagsubok” and 6CycleMind’s “Prinsesa.”

Given Robin’s “track record” as an occasional singer (who released “Harana,” a compilation of his recordings last year), however, that initial note about the quality of Daniel’s voice may not seem encouraging for a first-time recording artist.

But, if you listen closely to the young comer’s repertoire, you’ll be pleasantly surprised that he’s actually an improvement on the Padilla template—because his renditions are serviceable, regardless of whether they’ve been appropriately “tweaked” and polished by the Autotune technology or not. Moreover, his mom, Karla Estrada, is no slouch at singing—she even released a solo album in 1995.

High notes

Because his adolescent voice is still stabilizing, Daniel usually relies on nasal placement (VST & Co,’s “Paniwalaan Mo”) to secure his high notes, which are best showcased in his revivals of Adam Sandler’s “Grow Old With You” and Iaxe’s “Ako’y Sa ‘Yo, Ika’y Akin,” made more memorable by Janno Queyquep’s lovely drums-and-strings arrangement.

The boy renders tunes that suit his ability and range, and is influenced by the breezy, crooning style of Michael Bublé (his idol), which probably explains his idiosyncratic phrasing—or his vocal arrangers’ direction. If he continues to hone his craft as a singer, we envision a musical future for Daniel that’s brighter than that enjoyed by some of the entertainment industry’s vocally challenged heartthrobs!

Padilla also acquits himself well in his remake of Rico Blanco and Rivermaya’s “Hinahanap-Hanap Kita”—but, the carrier track is characterized by an unfinished quality that exposes the rough edges of the teen idol’s voice. So, until he irons out those vocal kinks, it’s best for Daniel to stick to his day job!