It’s been five years since Barbie Almalbis’ last studio album, 2006’s “Parade,” and quite a while after she took a break from music to get married to visual artist Martin Honasan and have kids.
The angel-faced singer-songwriter, now 33, was visibly glad to be back in the scene with a new album, “Goodbye My Shadow” (released by her manager Tommy Tanchanco’s label 12 Stone Records, distributed by Star Records), which contains 11 all-original tracks.
“I’ve been getting into rock ’n’ roll so much lately,” she told the Inquirer a few minutes before strapping on her guitar and joining bassist Karel Honasan and drummer Alden Abaca to play songs from the new CD at the press launch held recently at Route 196 in Quezon City.
Almalbis said the album has “songs about my children, love songs written for my husband, and some about myself.”
Though she hasn’t lost her soft, Edie Brickell-like vocals, Almalbis played guitar with an intensity that matched her newfound love of straight-ahead rock at the press launch. Pocholo Concepcion