Written by Elijah P. Traversing drum machines, lone guitar work, and messages for the messenger crying themselves to sleep, Devices’ very own Andrea Ramos has worked on a promising solo project that equates to a warm summer hug in their fantastic debut single “Can I Try Again?”. Before Andrea Obscura, Ramos has dipped their toes on a new wave to boom-bap and this is far from the Lower Myth we knew back in their Soundcloud days. Riding along the tricks of the trade seamlessly as a producer can be a rewarding journey as an artist, but taking the helm, in the recording booth, and soloing a green screen is another achievement in itself. This is easily Ramos’ most conversational and honest work to date, and sometimes dating back the years of relearning and unlearning your past self is, nowadays, a cliche; It might be a slog to read but Ramos does it in the most melodically faithful and emotionally genuine way imaginable: A biographical moment was sung captivatingly, verses were intertwined in clever beat switches. “Can I Try Again?” is downright a quarter-life-crisis themed-single for folk wanting to hit the restart button, but to us, it’s a 3-minute audio diary filled with memorable lines, instrumentations that swap dexterously, and melodies that hit close to home. SUPPORT THE ART & THE ARTIST:
Category: TRACKS
TRACK REVIEW: Sunday Stallone – Saving Face
Written by Louis Pelingen From a distance, there is something fascinating about Sunday Stallone. They’re a 5 man band that was formed in 2018, mostly putting out covers from a few years back. Those covers showcase their musical influences, from DIIV and their dreamy brand of indie rock to Yung Lean and his hypnotic brand of cloud rap and hypnagogic pop. Additionally, their Spotify profile mentions their merge of genres such as shoegaze, IDM, and ambient. The influences and genre meshes mentioned prior do knot together with how they put up those covers, hazy textures with washed-out aesthetics to create a vibe that will leave you floating, especially with how the songs are paced to glaze and echo through the mix. Once you get closer to their debut single, there is a risk that the band pulls through with its wall of sound from the guitars and drums that coast through misty synth patches that elevates even further in the chorus sections. This kind of mixing and maximalist production touches do work well with the intended theme of the song, pushing through times of frustrations and yearning to move forward despite it. However, once you get the scope of this single, it’s just unfortunate that the rest of the song just ends up being limp. As much as the risk from the band trying to make a stunning debut single is appreciative with its maximalist approach, if maximalism is being pushed here, there needs to be robust melodies and effective performances to carry that maximalism to a potent degree because this just does not have both of these factors. Besides the chorus with its decent maximalist swell, the verse melodies on the instrumental and vocal sides need a bit more crunch and flair to them to act as necessary building blocks to the chorus. Give the drums some engaging rhythms, the guitar and bass some diverse licks, and the keyboard some glistening presence that will make the verse melodies feel rich and buoyant. And when it comes to the performance, even with the backing vocals that show up from time to time do add to the yearning of the song, the vocalists on the first and second verse just lack the tone to sell it. And with the vocal melodies on both verses sounding stiff and bland, their performances just drift further away, feeling one note and numb as a result. Despite all of those criticisms, there is still work to be done. While this maximalist approach in the genre-fused music landscape has been made before, Sunday Stallone has the texture and spark to fill in the gaps in that maximalist niche. But the lack of fulfilling melodies, transitions, and performances crumble the maximalist mix and textures to the ground. It’s a notable debut single from the band that may be flawed all around, the chorus does save face from this single completely falling apart. Support the art & the artist:
TRACK REVIEW: Dilaw – Kaloy
Baguio’s very own Dilaw – consisting of rapper/singer Dilaw and instrumentalist Vie Dela Rosa – is one of those acts where they are taking the internet and their face-to-face show attendees by storm. After signing with Warner as of late, the duo’s byproduct of animated rap-rock and ukay culture prop up folk-rap are shaking up their entire roster in terms of uniqueness. But as their output becomes more prevalent and as well as their said live performances, Dilaw Obero and company haven’t exactly reached their X-factor just yet for a couple of reasons. “Kaloy”, their latest single, breeds a new kind of hybrid genre that’s equal parts enticing and questionable: It’s enticing in a way where their superstar of the duo Dilaw Obrero, just doesn’t pull back from their lyrical and vocal punches; But it’s questionable in a sense that their head-scratching sonic choices are outdated and quirky for the sake of being quirky. In short, the rest of their output – including “Kaloy” and other of their unreleased material – has been painfully shallow and derivative thus far. Obrero’s vocal performances have cringy twee-styled screeches where his vocal prowess doesn’t reflect the promising licks in the instrumentals. Their performances overall puts the political undertones buried way down by prioritizing style over actual substance. And “Kaloy” is evident of their troubling, overindulgent renditions that, let alone, become a hindrance to their yellow-hued branding. Support the art & the artist:
TRACK REVIEW: rienne – Honey
Virginia isn’t too far from home, at least for power-pop solo project rienne. Born and raised in the Philippines, bridging together their fixture for local sensibilities and Western-influenced pop songwriting is their specialty. In the universe where pop acts could exceed amp volumes and the overwhelming college parties, rienne’s isn’t just another act that’s stuck in stale lyricism, or rather tethered in bland sentimentality. “Honey” is one of their standout tracks after several trials and errors balancing the rawness of cool lo-fi and Filipino-branded ‘hugot’ in their previous singles: rienne’s not like the others. The track blemishes in catchy harmonies peeking during the choruses while their vocal work, besides the hook-y climaxes, transcends another plane of tweeness to the mix. This is an edge to Virginia’s rich punk history in the course of their hometown’s wispy yet emotive singing. rienne’s “Honey” might be one of your favorite tracks to send your crush to at a party. SUPPORT THE ART & THE ARTIST:
TRACK REVIEW: No Lore – Paumanhin
Siblings Jerald and Tita Halaman are the types to mesh together creative ideas like a blender. Their project No Lore produces a multidisciplinary venture where it requires a sensory experience to their worldbuilding. Tita Halaman and their paintings are always secondary to the accompanying soundscapes. But for No Lore’s case, it’s the other way around. Tita’s dream-pop “harhar” singing style synergizes with Jerald’s indietronica-inspired key presets a la Postal Service. But one can’t help but notice the lack of push with regards to their sound. Take their latest single titled “Paumanhin” for instance. Off The Record‘s latest track is deprived of any emotive strengths amidst a maelstrom of instrumentals that distract the potential harmonies that are supposed to become the highlight of the track. But instead, “Paumanhin” is covered with so many sonic interruptions: heavy kicks above rattling drum machines, arena-sized claps wrapping over synth lines, etc. Additionally, Tita and Jared’s vocals happen to become an underwhelming and vapid performance through and through. Overall, the duo’s brought themselves a sonic palette cleanser, whereas, on an opposite day, the palette’s just reduced into something more cluttered and less of an opus that would less likely become an artistic masterpiece that would hang on an exhibit’s walls. Support the art & the artist:
TRACK REVIEW: Denise Julia – NVMD
Written by Elijah P. Denise Julia is part of the Tiktok algorithm renaissance – wherein a surge of ‘sounds’ spread around in different prompts, elevating the song to a different ‘vibe’ throughout its online charting success – or for short, “NVMD” has transcended to becoming more of a disposable brand than it is a bookmark to Julia’s career. From an emotional standpoint, it’s passive at one and “ride or die” at the next. This is Julia’s lyrical prowess not at her fullest. It’s disappointingly average and it remains as if it doesn’t surpass her contemporaries. From its face value, “NVMD” doesn’t force its listeners to do anything or maybe prompt her audiences to receive anything that’s worthwhile. It’s your standard r&b track that barely crosses the point, with no bite and all bark. Denise Julia, like her previous singles, barely brings anything to the table. Her artistry brings less nuance from both lyrical and sonic standpoints. These are generic descriptions through and through, but there’s nothing else to point out how the letter ‘M’ in “NVMD” stands for “Mid”. SUPPORT THE ART & THE ARTIST:
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: