Written by Louis Pelingen Ever since she started her career in 2019, LIAB Studios‘ very own SHNTI has been on her way to improving her skillset as a rapper and songwriter amidst her rise of success in subsequent years. Her laid-back delivery captures a sense of lowkey charm, a natural fit to her jumping points in lo-fi production that dips into jazz-rap soundscapes. Her melodic sensibilities are balanced out with loose flows, peppered with consistent rhyme schemes, flavorful wordplay, and honest writing that showcase the playfulness and introspection in the themes that are personal but are also resonant to a wider audience. These are the elements that she embraced ever since, and are working effectively well as she keeps on testing her limits as an artist. This year is a good year for her. Rerecording past songs from her increasing catalog is a sign of her growing confidence as a musician now showing through in spades. Additionally, provided that gigs are now available for face-to-face situations, it’s the right opportunity for SHNTI to put something out there, an anticipated debut project. And with ELMNT now released, it’s easy to say that the EP displays SHNTI’s artistic confidence in the best way imaginable. A collection of 6 tracks that nestles and branches out of SHNTI’s zone, embracing synth-inflected drum beats amidst lo-fi organic instrumentation that she smokes through effortlessly. Her signature relaxed vocals are prevalent, but they’re now oozing with an imposing attitude that was there before but is now refined, so far as standing out amidst the features in the EP. That attitude translates to her efforts as a songwriter, knitting together rhyme schemes and wordplay cohesively and attentively. In the 4 new tracks, SHNTI steps into the present, carrying an aura of confidence around her. “Bright” opens the EP with SHNTI shining through the airy synthscapes, additional backing and choir vocals, and pulsating grooves as she elevates herself and gives a middle finger on the past bonds that pulled her down. “ELMNT” lures you in as the addicting hook, snappy trap beats, and wobbly synth work are solid setups for SHNTI to just be in her element, allowing her slick flows along with clever wordplay to put her loose attitude to feel captivating, balancing out her garnered confidence with a self-aware discussion of fame and exhaustion. “Rhythm” displays her slickness into a flirty territory, her Doja Cat influence showing as she and Yorko’s playful and cheeky bars under punchy drums and pristine strings create a hazy and haughty seduction towards a woman that they’re into, a typically male-centric flirtatiousness that SHNTI steps into and makes it her own. And “YUH” featuring WAIIAN is the smokiest track on the record, reflecting upon their musicianship and how the criticism towards their work keeps them reaching for higher gains as their meandering flows slither around relaxed grooves and gloomy horn loops. While confident and strident, she looks back on 2 previously released tracks and polishes them to a new sheen, a reminder that she still puts introspection in the open. “Best Life” works through shuffling percussion aided by calming acoustic and bass guitar, allowing SHNTI’s laid-back flows to remind herself and everyone to not just live the best life, but put in the work to help other marginalized individuals have that same luxury. The EP eventually ends with “Could Be”, where the horn lines, textured percussion, and subtle bass, pianos, and strings swirl through SHNTI’s pensive musings of the realities of life. Realities that make her question existential thoughts, a question that she keeps repeating as the track glitches out, ending the EP abruptly. Personally, while it was an odd choice to put “Best Life” and “Could Be” on the tracklist at first more so based on worries that they might not fit in thematically and sonically. After a couple of listens later, however, they do deserve to be in this EP. Mostly because it reinforces the introspection that “ELMNT” and “YUH” provides, where “Best Life” sonically works as a cooldown before heading deep down into languid lo-fi jazz crannies of the last two tracks, and ‘Could Be’ acts as a great ending whose introspective questions linger past the EP, questions that may be answered sooner or later as SHNTI keeps on moving forward, as both an artist, and also as a human being. In short, I’ll admit that I’m trying to look so hard for any kind of nitpicks on this EP. But every time I look for anything to find flaws with, the elements in the varied instrumentation, balanced production, captivating performances and melodies, and deft writing just keeps snapping right back. And to quote SHNTI herself, she’s in her goddamn element, where the confidence that she built off for the past couple of years is paying off in great dividends. This is just her debut EP, and with the assured spirit that she has right now, I won’t be surprised if she keeps this streak up with a light that keeps on shining. Support the art & the artist:
Category: EPs / MIXTAPES
EP REVIEW: Manic Mundane – Narrative Three
Written by Louis Pelingen I imagine that working on this EP has been the cathartic moment Manic Mundane needed. The stage name of Kath Dizon, she has been a musician for quite some time now, fronting a hardcore punk band during her college days in Iligan City, using the KTHDRLZ passion project during some time in the 2010s, as well as attending indietronica gigs during her stay in Dubai. But working as a PR executive during her 9-year stay in Dubai only exhausted her, deciding to return to her hometown in Mindanao in early 2020, where things get much worse with the start of the pandemic and her laptop that she used to produce music for five years eventually died out, leaving her with none of the drafts reserved for polish. But eventually, she has to start anew. And with Narrative Three, her debut EP as Manic Mundane – released under Melt Records – that fresh start is a relieving one. Right from the jump, the EP displays a set of tracks that are overflowing with colorful and layered instrumental textures courtesy of Sho Hiniko’s contribution to fleshing out the mixing of these tracks. Her vocals blend in with the sweeping synth-wave and electronica tracks, giving the soundscape its bombast with her upfront vocal tone. The EP has influences and similarities that make sense but also is surprising. Personally, there is a smattering of Let’s Eat Grandma and CHVRCHES from both the synth choices and the vocal tone that Manic Mundane uses, but her influences from Bjork and Grimes also make sense. The melodies don’t leap out immediately and take their time to get front and center. And when the melodies do flesh out and the cathartic lyrics bring out its impact, it really sticks with you. “Awake/Solitude” has this gothic tinge to the swarming synth patches that let itself push through along with the punchy drum loops and Manic Mundane’s gripping vocal melodies, effectively allowing the dire religious reflections to feel riveting. ‘Pavements’ immerses itself with splashes of reverberating synth work, pulsating percussion, soaring vocal melodies, and gleaming guitar chords from Mckie Alvarez of Filipino shoegaze band WYWY that lets loose for a blaring guitar solo that brings in all of the other elements to coalesce to a gratifying finish, mirroring the dramatic details of Manic Mundane’s decaying relationship with religion and the darkness that comes with it. “Spring Waves” ends the album in a positive light: the glittery synthesizers and thumping drums allow Manic Mundane’s uplifting vocals and lyrical details of love with dreamy affectations. While the production and the vocals are well done for the most part, there are times when the melodies just don’t have enough fullness to give their impact. “Astral Bodies” repeats its chorus like a mantra after the verse melodies, leaving the track underwhelming as it coasts through the glimmering instrumentation and lyrics of connection with a cosmic touch. While “Lover” with the shimmery synth textures and romantic refrains in the lyrics are pretty, the melodies themselves and the way they are structured make the flow of the song end up sloppy. There are aspects of the lyrics that feel quite dull and show Manic Mundane still growing as a songwriter. It does not mean it’s entirely bad, the religious and otherworldly details fit well when the instrumentation is this layered and the melodies give the themes of love and grappling against religion an immense impact. But the writing itself doesn’t find itself digging deeper into creative liberties, making the writing reliant on those religious, otherwordly aspects to stick. And if it’s not for those details, the writing could end up being uninteresting. But as a whole, Narrative Three is an EP where the catharsis can be found with flying colors where the instrumentation is full and textured, production that balances out all of its layered synth work, confident vocal performances from Manic Mundane, and strings of melodies that makes the extensive themes of love and religion to land effectively. But there are still flubs with the general writing of the lyrics as well as some songs where the melodies just don’t sweep the listener the way they should. Still, the best songs of the EP allow Manic Mundane’s ideas to leap away into something more, something where greatness will be found. Support the art & the artist:
DEMO REVIEW: DJ HEADACHEMAXIMUM – DAMNATION DEMO 2022
Written by Louis Pelingen In our local electronic dance scene, it is always wonderful to hear a lot more hardcore EDM music in today’s day and age. Where the raves will stomp the ground till it gets crushed to bits as the DJs don’t pull their punches and pushes the limits of EDM with deafening volumes, gut-wrenching drum and synth textures, and rhythms that will make everyone dance like they’re fast-forwarding in 2x speed. These hardcore rave scenes will not be for everyone as there are others who might just prefer dancing to the grooves rather than ballistically setting the dance floor on fire, but it’s a necessary part of dance rave culture nonetheless. After all, they can be spaces that can be gratifying and energetic to engage in, and hardcore EDM rave spaces certainly do not disappoint. When it comes to DJ HEADACHEMAXIMUM’s hardcore EDM leanings in this 4 track demo release, they sure put out a good set of them. DAMNATION DEMO was released under @SLANDERTRAX , a label that focuses on putting out hardcore EDM projects. While this was the first one put out under the label, it is a good and exciting release that puts both DJ HEADACHEMAXIMUM and the SLANDER TRAX label with exciting anticipation on what they will put out in the future as this demo project has some good tracks on them. While straightforward and simple to wrap your head around, there are enough variations and switches on each track that makes them pop out in their own way. ‘CALL ME’ starts off with the kick drum and rave synths in a well-measured rhythm, just before the squelching synths come in and create a chaotic sonic display. ‘IBUPROFEN’ proceeds with its looping synths, pulsating kick drum, and glassy hi-hat progressions that get more energetic when the screeching synth tones come into the fray. The last two tracks end the project that dips its hardcore foundations with softer synths. ‘PERPETUAL BREAK’ amidst the shuffling percussion rhythms comes to the blissful synthesizer that tip-toes through the track, and ‘REMORSEFUL SEPPUKU’ immerses all of its runtime with multiple change-ups from the rubbery synths, blocky percussion, and stable bass and hi-hat drums. What this demo project showcased is a good foundation of Hardcore EDM that has enough variation in synth tones and progressions. It might be considered standard in the genre, but at the end of the day, there’s a good quality in each of the tracks that if played in a hardcore rave gig, it will definitely put enough people in a state where they will whirl themselves around the area. Not mindblowing or anything, but it’s good enough for what it needs to do. Support the art & the artist: https://slandertrax.bandcamp.com/album/damnation-demo-2022-stax-001
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:
EP REVIEW: As Silent As The Forest – Tranquility
Words by Elijah P. Founded in 2015, progressive rock-slash-math rock trio As Silent As The Forest have personalized their arsenal into something more vigorous compared to holding-hands-in-the-air, tree-hugging milquetoast math rock bands out there. For a band that’s premised behind tree stumps, inserting atmospheric passages about the wilderness and the likes, ASATH have more what others bargained for in their latest EP titled “Tranquility”. As the title suggests, there’s more to peaceful riffages and swells than most advocates assume. In tracks like “Young Blood”, the band embodies indiemo sentimentality all the while armoring themselves with heavier lead tunings, deeper bass lines and masterful drumwork. The kick-off track “Unsaid” and its opening lines imply a fearless attitude, far from standing beyond the precipice of math rock’s cliches. There’s an even balance of calls for mercy and emotive vocal deliveries, making it border between a post-hardcore and math rock project. Rarely a divisive choice of thematic sound can come across as consistent but ASATH have done it in a way where they’ve told a story while simultaneously packing a catchy chorus or two. However, in the grand scheme of things, “Tranquility” can become lopsided by its contrasting tracks and almost identical song structures. As much as there are odd timing and tunings made in the record, the record can quite become tedious in continuous listening sessions, that’s if the listener doesn’t pay too attention to its devilish and sonically inherited details. The title track attempted to deviate from the tracklisting before it by adding an intense double kick drum – which in retrospect barely acts as a motif that helps elevate the track’s themes. By the last track titled “Dark Days”, the EP has turned itself into a full on post-hardcore record with guitars tuned lower compared to other tracks. That is where the project starts to fall flat on its head. As Silent As The Forest’s first ever EP stands on its own, but it barely stands out as a one-of-a-kind record that defines the movement. “Tranquility” has some highs when they’re paid close attention. The project has its lows when listened to as a wholly math rock record. Support the art & the artist:
EP REVIEW: Tsuyunoshi – 2004
Written by Elijah P. Tsuyunoshi, a young up-and-coming contemporary pop and r&b act hailing somewhere in Southern Metro Manila made some noise on the Soundcloudsphere for releasing catchy-as-hell bops and frequently collaborating with producers and performers who specialize in playing around genres that involve heavy percussion and lighthearted Ne-Yo-esque production (may it be drum and bass, dubstep, or 00s r&b). ‘joshwa’ — a producer based in Seattle, by way of Honolulu, whose frequent collaborations with Tsuyunoshi earned both performer and producer their own respective spotlight in the international r&b and rap spotlight in the United States — assists their compadre carry the entirety of their debut full-length 2004 to the Discord music scene and the entire world. For the clueless reader still begging who in the world is Tsuyonoshi: Where does “2004” start? At what point in time does the album begin? The album’s main star kicks off the album with weepy lyrics and a whiny hook, both possessing catchy and chant-worthy moments wherein Tsu’s voice doesn’t reach to a point of overbearing; “astray” starts and finishes with joshwa’s guitar chords serenading the listener. Tsu continues to bob and weave joshwa’s playful production choices, injecting anthemic melodies per syllable, consistently driving the track forward even if the guests try to surpass each other. “sidetracked” — one of the album’s main highlights — Tsu battles with balancing the valuable love language of spending time, alongside the dense production that adopts a clunky style, a sound that’s matched with Tsu’s running thoughts as he sings the words out loud in panic mode. “twofaced” adds lush guitar picking, funky synths, and the occasional high notes; the climactic vocal registers is honestly a skill Tsu needs to be recognized more besides the celebratory whiny vocal style. Overall, the entire album runs in 17 mins and 7-tracks. From the get-go you would ask yourself whether or not the relatively short length constitutes an “album”; But by the end of the day, the quality of the music speaks for itself. Tsuyunoshi’s “2004” proves that their ideas aren’t restrained by the limited length. The ideas in question: back-to-back banger r&b vocal stylings amplified by genre-defying production, the soft-loud dynamic highlighted by its tireless performance, and Gen Z’s massive influence in combining vibrant sound choices in the fold. Support the art & the artist:
EP REVIEW: CREPUSCULAR DAWN – IN FILMIC STASIS
Written by Nikolai Dineros Hardcore turned post-punk: At least, that is where the appeal for the newly formed post-punk outfit, Crepuscular Dawn, who recently unveiled their debut release, In Filmic Stasis, comes from. And while some may argue that hardcore and post-punk/no wave come from the same umbrella, one cannot deny that switching styles can be an arduous task, especially for the more creatively established musician. Upon rummaging through the vast archives of old, forgotten performance clips from the peripheries of the local hardcore scene, all in search of any material from the members of Crepuscular Dawn’s other projects, I was only able to find a handful of music to go by – one from Bandcamp and the other from YouTube. The parent hardcore bands in question are Eyes of Fire – Manila and Off The Chain, the former of which had a studio album – branded as stoner blues rock –, a live album, and a demo release published on Bandcamp, all for the taking. As for the latter, all I gathered was a live performance of their song “Mainland Pride” on YouTube. Fast forward to ‘In Filmic Stasis’, the once brutal and in-your-face mosh preachers are now sporting synths, dismal and eloquent songwriting, a melancholic “Insiang” (1976) cover art, and a copious amount of reverb and high pass filter across the guitars and vocals, respectively. Sad vibes all over, but you can still bang your head to it. ‘Whirlwind’ is a brilliant tone-setter, kicking off with a rich rhythm section backed by an infectious guitar riff, and the singer’s expressive and emotional crooning that remains at the forefront throughout the five-track project. True to the band’s hardcore roots, “Geworfenheit” then takes all these elements and elevates them even further. The vocals are much more potent, the wall of guitar and synth passages that are simultaneously at play are explosive, and the glittery counter-melody provides more glam. “Pilgrim” is memorable for its intense and powerful guitar-bass line that complements the thumping batterie, and that “Death is the only constant” line that goes on repeat at the final leg of the track. Much like ‘Geworfenheit’, it borrows a lot from the band members’ former hardcore sensibilities. The first three-track run is a strong and uncontested one, but even “Empire of Speed”, which follows after “Pilgrim”, has its fair share of amazing feats. It is easily Crepuscular Dawn’s most upbeat and straightforward song in the record, thus making it stand out on its own, at least before “Leper God” plunges at the opposite direction to finish ‘In Filmic Stasis’ at a depressive note – typical gothic fashion. Support the art & the artist: N/A
EP REVIEW: Chall – Quezon Citypop
Written by Elijah P. Looking for an alternative sound is like choosing a specific category at a bookstore; the possibilities are endless. For solo artist Cloud aka Chall, he has familiarized himself with several sounds and chose to give it a spin in his YouTube channel; From the noisy walls of sound of My Bloody Valentine to the drunkard hypnagogic musings of Mac DeMarco — both artists nowadays are a dime a dozen due to their unashamed imitators regurgitating their ideas. And it is safe to say that Chall tries his hardest not to end up like one of his idols in his latest EP. Chall waltzes in the streets of Quezon City at the break of dawn. With a cigarette in hand, he treats himself to a dinner-for-one blowout in lieu of the release of his debut EP titled “Quezon Citypop”. His feelings regarding a lost love are as consistent as choosing a soft pink and red color palette, but musically, his actual output pales in comparison to his long-haired shredder persona online. In Chall’s first ever extended play effort, we hear passionate ballads track in and track out, breathing in the nicotine of everyday hustle and bustle while simultaneously breathing out the scent of sea salt by the shore. “Quezon Citypop” sounds exactly like you imagine: a hybrid of jangle pop hanging by the sea of city pop cliches. From track 1 to track 5, you get the idea that Chall wanted to replicate what was great about Citypop, but one thing he hasn’t made clear is what does it have to do with Quezon City? Our imagination with a genre that was prominent in the past feels hard to pin down in the EP. “Quezon Citypop” hardly imagines a better tribute with barely any heady songwriting — something Chall should brush up on in the future. At the opener “Midnight Moonlight”, the track bum-rushes the second the record starts. It was a sudden whiplash of bass slaps and uneven mixing choices that don’t gel well with the urban romanticism themes. As well as the consecutive tracks that followed such as “Easy Morning” and “Tanging Halik”, both tracks felt longer as usual due to its elongated song structures that bore more than they could amuse its listener. Additionally, the sheen on those guitar solos hardly echo right through the awkward hook writing. Neither can the occasional technical wankery can save the EP from being madly in love at its genericness. The last tracks like “Pretty Japanese” and “After Hours” are on the nose attempts at duplicating the aesthetics of City Pop whilst implementing a ‘sad boy’ twist in its lyrical themes. The only problem here is these themes barely work in that kind of unorthodox setup. The closing tracks yields an underwhelming afterthought that hardly values any relevance to its title and the production’s attempt at polishing a clean, jazzy, funky City Pop-inspired record. Chall’s “Quezon Citypop” represents stale ideas of a movement that’s gone way past its due. The lonerist upbringing hardly convinces and sways and it all the more sells cheap nostalgia, abandoning all original angles of what makes Quezon City a center for pop in general. SUPPORT THE ART & THE ARTIST:
EP REVIEW: LORY – s/t
Written by Elijah P. Parañaque’s very own desktop pop musician Mikee Mendoza aka Lory released their debut self-titled EP with the help of Terno Recordings. Like a tidal wave on a sunny afternoon, the 16-year old sophisti/city pop wunderkind virtually came out of nowhere. With their label distributor promoting their upcoming EP in the middle of a Facebook doomscroll, the chance of seeing a polo-wearing starry-eyed musician with a knack for guitar licks and synth-y embellishments are unmissable, unless you’re the type to follow Terno’s highly curated city pop picks in the past 3 or 4 years. Apart from this project, it appears that Lory could gel with the Terno crowd, only for a short while that is. Partly this is due to the uncharismatic vocal presence throughout the self-titled project. “Pleaser” and “See The Now” have outstanding chops in composing a colorful mishmash of riffages and bleeps, furthermore the guitar work emulates lounge-y theatrics and the laser-like synth presets hop in and out of the track whenever it likes. But to emphasize chops in a constructive manner, the singing barely carries any of the bright production that’s established in the EP; “Over (Now)” drags tremendously as Lory continues to become a grand champion at the annual snorefest, specifically in the vocal department. Its vocals have become a factor at diluting the soundscapes to mere copypasting of previous musical trends, such as the peak of Spadesmania or She’s Only Sixteen’s millennial Poblacion bar songwriting. Lory instantaneously drags the listener to its doom by providing an underwhelming closer to the EP. The production choices and its outlines are spick and span but its direction leads to a sonic dead end. To what looks like a fantastic from front cover to back listening experience, the debut project holds itself back in tweaking its gear to full throttle. Lory’s self-titled EP is a trial and error piece on city-pop sound design and a clear example of how its vocal performance could potentially end up in becoming a deal breaker for many. Support the art & the artist: