Written by Elijah P. 15 years is barely one-fifth of a century; trends and events have passed, figures have become monuments, culture has turned itself to the past and we’re here struggling to become a blender of something that happened 30 years ago. The veil of “OPM” is showing itself to become a rehash of what has been and what was. Indie pop, or pop music in general, has slowly become stale. Alternative music has become the starter pack of many younger listeners. The internet has inevitably redirected our view of alternative music forever. However, for seminal Bulacan indie-pop troupe Orange & Lemons, you’d expect them to dish out something different, all the while picking up where their influences have left off in their latest album titled “La Bulaquena”, their first album in forever. The 10-track album is no way of showing merely tributes to legends and name-checking every little detail behind the scenes. It doesn’t pull off any excuses, Orange & Lemons simply show and not tell. The new album – although vying to become a balance of traditional instrumentation and modern flick of anglophile-inspired indie-pop – has no shortage of melodies through and through, but at what cost? The answer: this is Clem and company’s attempt at reinventing the genre rather than paying true homage to it. All of the tracks circle back to the meaning of what it was like to become scholarly of what is viewed to be archaic in terms of technique and sonics. But that isn’t the lone goal according to the band. O&L loyalists may be surprised by the first couple of tracks. Like this isn’t any “Hannggang Kailan” or another “A Beginning of Something Wonderful”; it’s donned differently with less buttoned-polos and posters of your favorite slick-back C86 vocalist. “La Bulaquena” is treated with amplification of its traditions, wherein examinations of rondallas and kundiman as a whole are done like a pop quiz. The album is expected to behave like a gentleman in barong outfits, but rather Castro, the Del Mundos, and Neroda act as if this is what they have and they do it on their own terms respectively. The album clearly doesn’t imprison itself in its resources, especially with the title track, “Ikaw Ang Aking Tahanan” and “Yakapin Natin Ang Gabi”. There are tracks that exceed everyone’s expectations: headbanging to bandurrias couldn’t be any more exhilarating and refreshing. Although there are tracks that stand out positively, there are others that are entertained as fillers, covers that are fit for a venue of seekers of kundiman, and actual placeholders in a museum. The album, from front to back, face value to its lyrical depths, is conserved as one that wouldn’t come out as rather more innovative or bold; It’s an Orange & Lemons album without their classic setup and yet the entire project keeps within bounds of their familiar sound, even after their 15-year absence of releasing newer material. It is music that wouldn’t come across as material that would pave any of its contemporaries forward, but rather it crystallizes the thought of traditional music not exceeding its expected use. “La Bulaquena” has no tricks or rather little progressive ideas that are enough to gauge another project that would push the kundiman sound to another level in the future. The project needs a little bit of push in sonics: a little more outsider material and fewer instruments that are kept dusted on the inside. Orange & Lemons have accepted that challenge and the result came out well, but remembering it as a body of work barely makes sense in this wide collection of music released this year. SUPPORT THE ART & THE ARTIST:
Author: TFL
TRACK REVIEW: MIKASAN – Snake
Rolling hi-hats, hissing samples, flourishes of Bit-pop – blocky textures that release smoothly in between – and ambient music – the quietest moments are the most deafening effectively; These are all mastered by solo musician and AMP member Mika Santelices also known as Mikasan. So far she’s offered more intrigue than other rising pop musicians today: vocal minimalism, synthetic maximalism, and depth that can be deciphered by its effects hiding behind its waveforms. “Snake” sonically brings Mika’s inner “mad scientist” to life. In fact, she’s more than just a “scientist”, but rather the descriptor “director” seems more fitting when it comes to managing pop music on the centerfold – and it’s Mikasan’s time to turn her own page in the playbook. “Snake” is entrancing in the beginning, eerie in the middle, and exorcizing in the end. Mikasan invites everyone to take a bite of the apple, all the while assisted by trembling, bass-y synths and 808s that are destined to leave you by the artist’s death stare. There’s more in store for her promising career and pop fanatics should wait for her in the near future. Support the art & the artist:
TRACK REVIEW: FERVIDS – Sweet Tooth Aching
Written by Nikolai Dineros FERVIDS is one of those lavishly self-indulgent garage rock bands that taste like an espresso shot in the ears – sometimes overkill, sometimes vapid. But it’s the amusement of seeing how they attempt to make it ‘just right’ that makes this band worth checking out if anything. The Legazpi-based band claims to take inspiration from The Beatles, the British Invasion sound of the ‘60s, and the junkier side of 2000s indie rock with The Strokes. It’s not hard to see why. After all, we have seen plenty of crossovers of influence between The Beatles and The Strokes among new-age indie rock bands in the past. Initial listens of their single “SWEET TOOTH ACHING” would make you believe they took a more ‘Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino’ approach in concocting their sound. And by that, I mean the ‘Star Treatment’ obsession for croony Julian Casablancaisms and swagger – not the galaxy-age, elevator music type of sound Alex Turner tried to emulate that, in the end, is still very ‘Arctic Monkeys’, a far cry from The Strokes’ sound palette. Basically, FERVIDS’ attempt at figuratively wanting “to be one of The Strokes” has led them to create an image that is a far cry from how their influences sound but is still a tad bit reminiscent of them at heart, as far as their attitude on the mic goes. It is garage rock at heart if the garage is converted to a coffee shop and the smudges of grease and oil along each corner were covered in maple wood floorings and Live, Laugh, Love picture frames. But FERVIDS is young. If they choose to continue as a group and develop into their own kind of artists, there will be no need for them to desperately look for a “Please Please Me” or “Is This It” debut moment. Support the art & the artist:
TRACK REVIEW: datefriend – runner up
Written by Elijah P. The debut single of datefriend is anything but a regular song about crushes and being a rebound in a highschool track & field. In fact, it’s more than that; For over 40 plus years of its existence and uncompromised DIY ethics, the indie pop genre proves that songs written in jangly guitars, drum machines, and twee vocals still bring the best of artists from any generation. And “runner up” ticks all the boxes in the most wholesome way possible. With the help of several mixing and mastering works from vets in the industry, namely Audry Dionisio of Offshore Records and Nick Lazaro of La Balls Studio, “runner up” is a single that’s part of datefriend’s debut EP – which will be released soon according to their IG teaser. Its an exciting project waiting to be revealed later on, not only for artists like datefriend but also for their family and friends who express queer identities and sentimentalities openly without compromise. Aside from its cheerful yet longing lyrics, the track’s unorthodox verse and chorus structure can confuse lyric-readers at first, but the saving graces of the track are Hannah’s synthwork and impeccable vocal performance, both of which are able to even out any possible odds for the debut single. Overall, datefriend’s impressive debut can earn them a number of fans who’ve been wanting to scratch that fine tuned jangly pop itch. “Runner Up” isn’t characterized as an innocent runner in beaten up Converse All-Stars, but rather it’s a runner in New Balance shoes arriving at the finish line. Commitment and good taste in indie pop is what you get in first place. Support the art & the artist:
TRACK REVIEW: Eliza Marie – you wanted a woman
Written by Elijah P. Stylistic shifts in music are double edge swords: either they will earn a flock of fans who are eager for a palette cleanser, or they may lose an entire following, one whose hopes and dreams of retaining a sound-based on their previous magnum opus goes to complete waste. For Eliza Marie, or Eliza for short, her music’s ripe enough to experience that gravitational pull towards a more aggressive and a more mature sound in her new single “you wanted a woman” under Offshore Music. Her latest effort dishes out a special kind of fervor compared to her previous releases. The singer-songwriter has several homespun recordings about love, her experiences growing up, and the overall infatuation that goes along the journey in finding one’s identity. Critically speaking, it goes without saying how much of her music has experienced a couple duds in terms of sticking out in the music scene in the past couple years. Eliza’s previous releases include bedroom pop demos, a couple synth pop EPs, and an album that’s confused in either being city pop or new wave; all of which have focused on experimenting with synthetic loops, melody-making, and a strong-sense of sonic bravery that comes along with her prolificness. That body of work has barely made a mark for herself as an artist, but it does symbolically start in her latest single released this year. The softer, brighter flourishes are thrown out of the window. The cutesy, innocent aesthetics are set aside for a raw, unfiltered look into the perspective of the singer-songwriter. The tasteful distorted drum machine kick and snare combination, Eliza’s vocal direction heading towards a haphazard breaking point, and lyrical quotations that may pull one’s heartstrings are the things that make this replayable. “you wanted a woman” was a left turn waiting to expand in Eliza’s young career. Support the art & the artist:
TRACK REVIEW: neytan & Areli – FAR
Written by Louis Pelingen For Neytan’s current space in the local music scene, his handle comes off a bit straightforward for the most part. Well-composed tunes nestle nicely in indie rock and indie pop (bedroom pop if you want to lean on the marketing savvy trends), gentle and polished grooves and instrumental textures, and an amateur yet controlled vocal timbre and simple yet affectionate lyrical pastiches — all of which makes for a relaxed and meditative soundtrack for teenagers and young adults dealing with lovey-dovey yearnings. That’s mostly a compliment because the scenes for these kinds of straightforward, lovely twee offerings have their place in everybody’s playlist. If the artist wants to evolve in this sound, that’s good, but if they don’t want to evolve in that sound and proceed to do different experiments instead, then that’s good too. So it’s nice to hear that Neytan decides to do both on his new single featuring Areli, FAR. It starts off with a brisk and poppy start from the instrumentation with the cycling drum loops and spare guitar licks that are not far from Neytan’s origin point, but the quicker tempo gives a different sheen and immediate turnaround from his released work thus far. It brings out Neytan’s vocals a flicker that he hasn’t shown off before, and with this brand of homespun and colorful instrumentation and production that captures a similar vibe from the likes of Brakence, Brockhampton, and Dijon. It’s a sonic palette that really works for him. Of course, Neytan and Areli bring those comparisons more accurate with the melodies and harmonies that keep aiming higher, like fireworks that keep themselves ablaze from start to finish. This sense of urgency is pushed even further with Neytan’s emotional and captivating yearning for connections with people that are far away from him and Areli’s desperation to keep a friendship intact from a relationship that’s about to break apart with sentiments that are executed really well all throughout. The mixing, however, does not bring enough fullness and color to the instrumentation and vocals that would give this song a lot of benefits, especially with the glance to the mentioned artists that have these sticky, indie genre-fused songs that are elevated with a proper mix. But at the end of the day, when the tune is just so magnetic and Neytan and Areli bring a lot of expressive yearnings atop a sound palette that is executed pretty well, it goes to show that their needs for that momentous connection echo far enough for us to relate and hold on to that same desire in our fleeting, but enrapturing lives. Support the art & the artist:
TRACK REVIEW: Run Deliks – Crawlspace
Written by Joseph De Mesa In the first run of the song, it was made evident by the beat alone that it was more of an emotional song. Far from Run Deliks’ earlier works, including the noisy bass-filled sonics of “Muerto Manila” or the dance-bop of “Get Along”, “Crawlspace” takes on a more emotional route. Of course we didn’t expect any less from their technical lyricism from both Blitzen and Shark. That’s the first thing we should expect from the formidable duo. But as the lyrics read once we deep dive into “Crawlspace” and its 16 bars, there lies crucial, much smaller details. Discussing topics such as anxiety riddling the newer rap artists’ lives and such; With Blitzen’s verse alluding more on the “demon on your shoulder” thematic all the while Shark’s verse with lighter, optimistic bars, and the artist’s dilemma of making art for money, fame or probably neither. After careful listening sessions, Blitzen’s verse unveiled several things, apart from the mentioned anxiety demon, he also paints a picture on the latter half of what it feels like performing for the first time. The bar “Like a monster with a name that I can’t pronounce, takes the form of everybody in the crowd” encapsulates how terrifying it truly is to perform for the first few times, even for the smallest of crowds. Then it proceeds again on how the anxiety you feel being a musician or an artist of whether you can “make it” etcetera. This verse proceeds with a hook in the middle before Shark’s verse. The hook effectively encapsulated how our minds are our own worst enemy. As for Shark’s verse, his verse packs a punch in terms of themes compared to blitzen’s. This one talks about a lot of things: Wanting to go hard on music, but then switching up to how viable music is. He begs to ask the question whether art reaffirms ones rent in the long run. This question is then answered by Shark’s versatility with double-time rapping and technical bars wherein its utilized more from their contemporaries, though i feel like this ones more tasteful. The verse is then finished off with how he doesn’t do it for money or fame, and more on just making music people hopefully would resonate and relate to. A noteworthy thing or two in “Crawspace” is how Blitzen’s doubtful and anxiety filled bars compare really well with sharks more hopeful yet still question filled bars. It’s not a total 180 opposite but still the distinctness of each other compliments both well. Overall the song isn’t that far from their style. It still is very technical and bar heavy when it comes to the verses. The difference lies in the topic. Funnily enough, “Crawlspace” has the same niche of Eminem’s “Lose Yourself”, minus the mom’s spaghetti and the cornball bars that’s influenced Detroit, but rather its influenced Metro Manila rappers who are in the brink of promise. Support the art & the artist:
EP REVIEW: Teleheart – Bubbles
Written by Elijah P. The earlier, more symphonic soundscapes — less punk-influenced era of shoegaze — are channeled through two highschool friends in this little EP titled “Bubbles”. The band Teleheart is a project made up of classmates hailing from Philippine Science High School – Central Luzon Campus, both members are home based in Bataan and Olongapo individually, whose identities are yet to be revealed as of this writing, are hands down of the most promising alternative bands to come out this year, albeit being more anonymous, may it be intentional or not. Their goal for this project is simple: To reach and help out to those who are in mental duress. The tracks vary from piano-backed instrumentals, wall-of-noise that’s layered on classical compositions, a choir of amplifiers, noise rock freakouts that drizzle the outro of the tracks, and many more. This isn’t just a love letter to the genre these kids are paying homage to, but its an entire 100+ page textbook about the great things shoegaze can do to youth culture. Although this project can be a lot more anglophile-influenced in terms of pedal selections only a couple of diehards can point out once it comes blasting through the speakers. There are a couple tracks worth revisiting: the splash of an intro of “How Was Your Day”, “Only Here / With Me” and its colossal textures and left-turn of a transition; “Bubbles” and its Thom Yorkian yawps that acts as a cathartic release to this sonic boom of an extended play. The project balances slow and steady crescendos and pushpit-inducing ditties that break 4 to 5 studio ceilings. It’s a good amount compared to a lot of standard alternative rock records that hold back more than they could push in the long run. For what it’s worth, a school project or not, Teleheart has a lot going if they keep at it once the scenesters take notice of these youngins. Support the art & the artist: https://teleheart.bandcamp.com/album/bubbles
MIXTAPE REVIEW: Daine – Quantum Jumping
Written by Louis Pelingen When it comes to emo music, you will hear the elements evolve in today’s music. Where the angst and emotional turmoil grasped more bombast and grit, especially towards the hooks blasting off at farther distances and the instrumentation bringing all its firepower and elevating the writing that stretches the pissed-off characteristics to greater heights. Whether those elements slip through genres of indie and mainstream pop, rock, and genre-infusion spaces, it makes the songs themselves feel more punchy and easy to get into with those emo stylisms especially when sites like TikTok can get into these kinds of songs pretty quickly. And when it comes to Daine, a Filipino-Australian musician who has worked with certain artists like Dylan Brady of 100 Gecs and Oli Skyes, she meshes her influence of rock and metal with hyperpop and hip hop. It was only a matter of time before she would showcase how she would take this genre-fused take to emo, given that most of the songs were written around 2016. And after putting out singles for the past two years, she has finally put out her debut mixtape, ‘Quantum Jumping’. Genre-fused emo music mostly stands out if the melodies, instrumentation, and vocals stand out to make the emo-tinged tones work even more. Unfortunately, dozens of listens to this mixtape left me wishing that some of the elements are improved upon. Because for the most part, the lyrics of Daine’s past personal stories of growing up, either dealing with her very first personal breakup, social isolation, or mental illness do make up for some solid writing, especially when it’s framed as nostalgic and how it showcases Daine finally celebrating her triumphs which makes sense because most of these songs are written around 2016 and the mixtape is literally entitled ‘Quantum Jumping’. It clearly shows that this is an ode to her younger self who was still struggling with a lot of things back then and finally breaking through it as her embrace of emo music allows her to push past it and be the person that she is now, and I personally liked that sentiment. But when it comes to the music itself, there are just a lot of tough decisions that do not elevate the writing, specifically the melodies, the production, and Daine as a performer. As a performer, Daine still has room to grow as her delivery doesn’t bring more tension when she tries to express her angst or convincing charisma when she tries to be a bit more mellow. It doesn’t help that the production feels overstuffed with texture and not enough melodic tone as the trap percussion does not add to anything, the blurry textures and inconsistent drum and vocal mixes only make the tracks feel oversaturated and overshadow the guitars, and the vocal filter on Daine’s vocals only makes her sound so brittle on a lot of these tracks. But the bigger issue is the melodies, where the hooks end up sounding mild and stiff, and the lack of tempo variation and distinction between chorus and verse melodies on a lot of these just makes the mixtape feel a lot longer as a result. It’s the reason why the mixtape starts off on a weak note, with ‘cemetery dreams’ being the worst song to start the mixtape with the limp melodies and trap percussion that may have been imported from an amateur made pop song in the 2010s and this sadly continues with songs like ‘weekends’, ‘black and blue’, and ‘IDC’ even if Daine’s contrast between her deeper vocals and shouts are appreciated. But going past that, the mixtape does end up with a decent back half, with ‘glitter’ just having that guitar strums amidst minimal trap loops, ‘comes and goes’ being the best song as the production finally ebbs back with the oversaturation and allowing the mix to breathe with the drum machine textures fitting so much better amidst Daine’s heartfelt performance, and ‘new ground’ ending the mixtape on a nice note with the quicker tempo, punchy instrumentation especially with that guitar, and Daine’s assured vocals. To end this off, this oddly reminds me of Charli Adam’s debut record last year also has some genre-fused emo touches and personal reflection of their past and celebration of the present. While Charli Adam could’ve amped up her vocal chops on some of the songs in the record, it’s compensated with melodies that have some oomph to them as well as production that allow the mixes to breathe and let loose when needed. And I personally think that that’s what is holding me back with Daine’s mixtape, where the overblown production, stiff melodies, and lack of vocal charisma and tension just do not elevate with the writing that feels reflective and relatable to those who have struggled with their personal demons in the past. While Daine has grown from her past, and this mixtape does showcase her growth, it does not represent her best output at this very moment. For the time being, this might resonate with those who have been scrolling into the punk side of TikTok and Twitter. And for Daine, this jump is a good effort, but she can definitely leap into better strides in the future. Support the art & the artist:
TRACK REVIEW: dwta – SANTIGWAR
Words by Elijah P. Born and raised in Bicol, dwta aka Jhasmine Villanueva have captured the essence of folk-pop. The MINT musician’s got her start with the support of her label with tracks like “Kalangitan” and “Mapagbirong Tagpuan” – both of which possessing chamber pop and Born AgainTM post-rock stylings. From the get-go, she may have been written off as another label promoted har-har singer in the past 2 years. With her Tagalog-spoken tracks released in streaming platforms, it seems like she’s struggling in narrating the story or having to make sense of every sentimental “hugot” cue card as far as her performances are concerned. Enter “SANTIGWAR”, a complete 180 degree turn in her artistic career as a singer-songwriter. It looked like folk-pop was back in its mystical form. Her Bicolano lyric-writing turned the whole notion of the genre from a stale genre into a sound that’s best remembered for turning stories into reality. Dwta believes in the notion that every writer has their reality to tell, but with the limitations of a language and its accompanying form, she’s exerted her 100 percent effort in ways folk-pop singer-songwriters haven’t gone through yet. The latest track has successfully put Bicol on the map as a place where songwriters excel in their tradition, let alone use their DNA into an artistic statement. SUPPORT THE ART & THE ARTIST: