Anak Ko

Jay Som - Anak Ko
Critic Score
Based on 20 reviews
2019 Ratings: #201 / 805
User Score
Based on 474 ratings
2019 Rank: #208
Liked by 25 people
August 23, 2019 / Release Date
LP / Format
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CRITIC REVIEWS

90
DIY

Call it chill wave, call it dream pop, call her a bedroom producer - this album’s full of enough variety and adventure to make such generalisations moot. A real triumph.

85
Under the Radar

Anak Ko is a record from an artist whose artistic voice sounds polished and refined, and whose continued growth and greatness will be a joy to witness.

83
Consequence of Sound

The record and its seamless transitions from one heavily enticing, tender, and softly delivered track to the next paints a captivating and enthralling self-portrait.

81
Paste

This album is representative of continued growth, and there’s no sign of stopping anytime soon.

80
Tiny Mix Tapes

There’s little apparent by way of concept, lyrical wit, and aesthetic quirk — qualities that illuminate the work of many of Duterte’s colleagues — but ambience, style, and ingenuity are well at work, making the album a vibe-y classic worth hanging onto.

80
The Observer

Like previous Jay Som records, Anak Ko might seem slight at first listen, particularly Duterte’s winsome coo, but the payoff for lingering in her evolving dreamspace is hefty.

80
Loud and Quiet

Duterte is not here to ruffle feathers or to blaze a new trail into music’s unseen future. What we have instead is a body of nine songs that ably glide through familiar indie environs.

80
Exclaim!

Duterte showcases her ability to create songs with the illusion of space within a 35-minute record, drawing listeners in yet without overstaying her welcome.

80
The Skinny

Thanks to the great production and instrumentation, there's a perfect mix of soft vocals and an entertaining display of instruments. As a whole, Anak Ko is the type of project you listen to while allowing the rhythm of the singer to take you away.

80
The Line of Best Fit

Refining her skills as a producer (as well as mixer and engineer), Duterte has clearly taken time to give the album a glossy finish, despite being recorded at home, glimmers of guitar shinier than before.

80
NME

LA’s Melina Duterte strips away the shoegaze of debut album ‘Everybody Works’, revealing a set of stunningly crafted indie-rock songs about self-care and heartbreak.

80
AllMusic

The comforting Anak Ko is more unified in tone than prior releases and benefits from its marriage of immersive sound design with consistently engaging songs.

80
PopMatters

Anak Ko isn't a showy record, nor does it radically differ from Jay Som's previous efforts. But the intricacies of the instrumentation, and especially the subtle power of Duterte's songwriting, prove her polish as a musician.

75
The 405

Largely avoiding any grand intent or message, the nine-track album is composed of the intimate statements she excels in. Musically speaking, Jay Som has never sounded warmer.

73
Pitchfork

Melina Duterte’s second album as Jay Som sounds exploratory and playful, like a jam session among friends that’s just hit its stride.

70
No Ripcord

Don’t expect it to linger like Jay Som’s last, but do expect it to keep you company as these waning days of summer transform into fall.

70
Rolling Stone

Few artists these days are so good at turning their private worlds into wide-open biospheres of pleasure and discovery.

70
Slant Magazine

Duterte balances the musical warmth of her bedroom-pop influences with some heavy emotional stakes.

70
Crack Magazine

This time around, Jay Som has traded in most of its lo-fi pop allure in favour of precision and controlled intensity.

70
Spectrum Culture

Anak Ko feels like both a great leap forward and a subtle retreat, a fascinating auditory illusion played by Duterte.

SnowyFighter
76

What a sick af album cover

I don’t have too much to say about this one honestly besides the fact that it’s very solid. Just some good tunes with great vocals and nice production. Especially with the song If You Want It, I love the guitar tone and the melody is great. Other solid ones are Tenderness and Crown :)

If You Want It - 9
Superbike - 8
Peace Out - 6.5
Devotion - 7
Nighttime Drive - 7.5
Tenderness - 8.5
Anak Ko - 6.5
Crown - 8.5
Get Well - 7.5

usedtobe
98

The sophomore record from LA based bedroom pop singer songwriter Melina Duterte features her cover art set in a stone balance beam on arabesque, basking under the sun at various hues of orange that captures the entire aesthetic of the record as a whole: setting path on a new territory with her voice front-and-center with that certain youthful glow, refreshing all the way through with that familiar melody that never out stays its welcome. Her lyricism evokes emotional sincerity and growth, ... read more

smallpeeble
85

y'all listen to this ♥

ethanscrag22
72

This album was pretty cute! I don't really have a ton to say about it, I honestly decided to listen to it because the art was pretty. I kind of wish there were more dream pop vibes here cause the indie rock stuff was a biiit basic. When it goes into the more dreamy vibe sit really lovely though I feel like it honestly matches the vibe of the album art really well. There are still some fun moments on here. The production is nothing to rave about but her vocals are really nice and the melodies ... read more

NR

dreamy dreamy dreamy

Oshawott
60

6 to 7

Melina Duterte's 3rd album is definitely: A VIBE, the first two songs are incredible with amazing vocals and great guitar riffs, then the album falls off a little bit, but still manages to maintain the nice morning feeling and delivers some other cute songs too. A great mix of indie rock and dream pop with little occasional moments of boredom

LISTEN TO: Superbike
Other Highlights: If You Want It, Crown, Tenderness,
Least Favorite: Peace Out

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Track List

1If You Want It
3:13
85
2Superbike
3:53
91
3Peace Out
4:16
85
4Devotion
3:32
95
5Nighttime Drive
3:13
95
6Tenderness
4:01
98
7Anak Ko
3:38
85
8Crown
4:38
88
9Get Well
3:57
93
Total Length: 34 minutes
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Added on: June 4, 2019