REVIEWS

SOUNDS OF THE SEA: YO

Written by Louis Pelingen Amidst the lunge in the 2020s, the alt-rock scene has been slowly pulling all the stops in the corners of South Korea, slipping itself knee-deep in the various alternative rock facets such as shoegaze, dream pop, and especially post-rock. Through tightly-knit connected dreamers and nugazers like Parannoul, Brokenteeth, and Della Zyr, you see how they piece together those influences into their personal musical avenues. For Parannoul, he embraced cutthroat, massive walls of shoegaze flair in his breakthrough project To See the Next Part of the Dream which has now been simmered down for a delicate air on his 2023 project, After the Magic, just before he embarked once more on that massive soundscape for his 2024 record, Sky Hundred. For Brokenteeth, he emphasized the power of that shoegaze sound to create a saturated dredge in his albums. Della Zyr stretches apart more of her dream pop embellishments across her debut and her EP, filling in more atmosphere within that floating expansion. In the year 2024 comes another dreamer that expands that compositional complexity and scale into their debut project that just came out in the early days of January through every listener’s favorite activity: scouring through Bandcamp. Within Yo’s affirmed debut album, 희망열차를 타고 우주로 가요 (Hopetrain to Universe), he glides through the vastness of the universe and delves his alt-rock influences closer to progressive rock, full of entrancing bright tones and ascending progressions with the accented gleaming pianos, organs, wurlitzers, and trumpets offering an enthralling listening experience across the entire record. These imbue Yo’s raw performances, knacks for melodic swells, and diaristic songwriting approaching pain, nostalgia, and hope in the spaces of love with spacious scale where that yearning is launched across the grand kaleidoscopic beauty of the universe, brimming more light and color as it travels at farther distances. On songs like “Tilikum” and “Hopetrain to Universe,” there is a blazing flair from the keys, drums, and guitars paired with their ascending compositions that erupt and bloom into their joyous forms. Yet the scale on certain cuts takes on a different scope entirely. “3:16” takes a bumpy trek on the overall soundscape with its rougher, blown-out bombast as the track’s internal structure starts on a glossy sheen before it succumbs to the bellowing abyss. “Sweetrain” and its riveting coats of impassioned atmosphere put you into a state of skyward excitement, immersed through palpable progressions amidst frothing beds of horns all around. And “God’s Gift” with its glorious stuffy layers of organs, choral vocals, and Yo’s distant yet echoing performance illustrates the essence of what the album is aiming for, shooting for the stars and beyond to clasp a sense of long-lasting hope that paves a lilting way forward. Another step in branching out South Korea’s fledgling dreamers and nugazers to the mass of alt-rock palettes, Yo certainly takes a shot to reach for the stars and eventually linger within the exciting ventures that he can go across the infinite spaces around him. Through his embrace of progressive rock tapestries, he’s putting another mark on South Korea’s exciting new acts in their growing flock of alt-rock talents thus far, slowly making waves with a live show alongside fellow South Korean act khc back as well as an in-depth interview by poclanos back in February. Don’t forget to get a ticket to a journey of a lifetime, you might also want to take a chance of feeling these glimpses of optimistic hope.

ALBUM REVIEW: DJ Love – Budots World (Reloaded)

Written by Jax Figarola Sherwin Tuna, better known as DJ Love, has spent years at the forefront of budots, a genre he helped pioneer straight from the slums of Davao. His first full-length album “Budots World (Reloaded),” captures both the genre’s origins and its future as a globally recognized electronic dance music subgenre. This album features 15 tracks, with eight brand-new releases and a handful of others previously released as music videos, featuring the talented Camus Girls on DJ Love’s YouTube channel. At its core, budots is the sound of the streets. Its bouncy, fast-paced beats draw from the urban chaos of Davao where DJ Love grew up and made music. The sounds of geckos, birds, dogs, car alarms, the rhythms of Badjao music, and even the hawking of traveling street vendors all find their way to be sliced and mixed by Sherwin. Tracks like “TiwTiw” highlight this raw and relentless energy, with samples pulled straight from the environment that inspired DJ Love’s earliest works. In “Singko Ni Wang Balod2x Budong Bass,” for example, he samples the rhythmic repetition of a street vendor selling items for five pesos (tagsingko). Meanwhile, in “Sabak sa DJ Basuri,” one of my personal favorites, samples the song that trucks use to play with their vehicle horns. Budots, as DJ Love himself puts it, is “pang squatter”–music that reflects the lived experiences of the urban poor. The everyday cacophony of street life gets transformed into something vibrant and danceable, thanks to FL Studio on DJ Love’s computer, his mother’s skyrocketing electricity bills from all those long production sessions, and his nearby internet café. But budots is more than just a collection of sounds; it’s a social movement. When DJ Love first created the genre in 2004, his vision went beyond music. Starting out as a dance instructor in Davao, he saw firsthand how youth from impoverished backgrounds were drawn into gang life. Budots, with its bold, freestyle dance moves mimicking gang fights, became an alternative way to channel aggression and gain recognition (“sumikat”) without resorting to violence. This gave rise to the Camus Boys and Camus Girls, dance groups formed by DJ Love. On the 32-second track “Camus Girls Interlude,” one of the dancers reflects on how budots shaped her, saying it’s the music she grew up with and hopes others can be inspired by it. The central part of budots as a dance culture in Davao is that it empowers communities, as DJ Love’s has always championed through his “No To Drugs, Yes To Dance” mantra in his performances and music videos. Furthermore, the album also looks outward and beyond Visayas and Mindanao. DJ Love’s performance at the Boiler Room x Manila Community Radio in 2023 was a watershed moment both for him and the genre. That officially brought the genre into the global electronic scene. For him, this is the fulfillment of a long-held dream—to take budots everywhere. But even before that, it has already been recognized in Southeast Asian TikTok. This rise in popularity, which I call the “TikTokification of Budots,” plays a big part in the production of Budots World (Reloaded). We now have people around the world dancing budots, albeit incorrectly at first, to Emergency Budots, or AI cats dancing to a truck horn budots mix (is anyone else’s FYP plagued by these?) Nevertheless, DJ Love constantly finds new sounds and popular crazes to mix and sample, often titling his budots mixes on YouTube as “TikTok Viral,” which other budots DJs and producers also do for the algorithm.  TikTok is exactly the app where viral dance trends that use budots and Southeast Asian electronic dance music, such as the Thai saiyor and Indonesian dangdut, helped accelerate the trajectory of Sherwin to evolve the sound into new heights. Not only does the album incorporate the drum patterns of Badjao music, but it also pulls from electronic dance influences across Southeast Asia and beyond. Particularly, the album’s closing and a personal standout track “Higher State” heavily integrates the distinctive sound of acid and acid house genres to the distinct sound of budots. Despite the experimentation, the YouTube video for the track, featuring the Camus Girls, keeps it grounded, accessible, and budots-able. Similarly, the original tracks like “Lead Techno,” “Botleg,” and “Kit Kit Koko” lean more into techno territory but still maintain budots’ signature rhythms and the essential catchy high-pitched “tiw-tiws” and synth hooks. Having more instrumentation and no sampled lyrics, these original tracks made the album more nuanced as a budots genre.  Additionally, budots pulls all these EDM and techno influences into a palatable Filipino sound, making it not just a genre but a cultural staple “na pang-masa.” Christmas parties, bayles, diskohans, fiestas, ligas, and barangayans (and sometimes, Zumba sessions) are social gatherings where budots is danced boldly, often looked down by outsiders to the culture who are often classists and conservatives, as immoral and crass. However, as it gains international recognition among EDM enthusiasts, it’s clear that this growing appeal is helping to reshape perceptions.  Now that budots has moved beyond Visayan-speaking regions and into places like Metro Manila’s rave scenes, its rising popularity among clubgoers could signal a deeper appreciation for homegrown Filipino music and culture. But I hope that this increasing fame never overshadows the genre’s roots and its transgressive, often peculiar and grotesque nature. The genre was born out of Davao’s slums, and it is what makes it truly special.  As it continues to evolve with DJ Love’s album and reaches new audiences, it’s important to remember the humor, defiance (such as the banning of uto-uto jeepneys that played budots during Rodrigo Duterte’s time as Davao mayor), and street-level ingenuity gave the genre its life. The heart of budots lies in its ability to disrupt the norms of both music and dance culture in the Philippines. One thing is clear: after diving deep into Budots World (Reloaded), DJ Love has managed to hold onto the whimsical energy that defines budots while skillfully blending new influences. The ethos

ALBUM REVIEW: Cinéma Lumière – Wishing It Was Sunday

Written by Faye Allego Wishing It Was Sunday is not only an impressive debut album; it is a cohesive album that explores the coming of age, but not in a deep, intricate, or deleterious way. Cinema Lumiere, derived from the Lumiere brothers whom of which invented cinematography, stay true to their band name– they create cinematic music that assimilates the true essence of the Slice of Life idiom.  When listening to this record in one sitting, you’re guaranteed to feel some ear tingles every time a xylophone is used in a track. It’s a record that you can listen to at any time of day, whether you’re sitting in a library and cannot be arsed to create a study playlist, or when you’ve finally succumbed to your main character syndrome and all that’s missing now is your very own OST.  The theme of coming of age along with melodies that sound very Slice of Life are most prominent in tracks like “Longing For You” and the first track which shares the same title as the album. Tracks like “Like A Dream,” “Into The Sun,” and “Act Happy” also seem to follow inspiration from Japanese dream pop where airy vocals mixed with stretched-out, lushful synths create an atmosphere similar to the 80s music scene.  It is also worth noting that the terrific album art is an illustration that takes place in Japan; you can see a young adult holding a Japanese Koinobori Kites that are typically brought outside during the months of April and May (spring), symbolizing and representing children, childhood, and childlike ambition or perseverance.  On the first listen, I questioned if Wishing It Was Sunday was the type of album that you play in the background to muffle the silence in your surroundings. Looking at Cinema Lumiere’s only existing music video on YouTube, I wanted to see the visuals of the tunes that they make. Could “Change of Heart” have a Wong Kar Wai-inspired music video made on an old digicam? Or is it up to me, the listener, to decide what visuals I want to associate this album with?  I asked myself: do your conversations with friends overpower the music? Or does this album make you want to stop and just listen?  After a few adventures outside with only this album on the loop, I think the latter question is the easiest to answer.  Yes, I want to stop, close my eyes, and listen.  Support the art & the artist:

ALBUM REVIEW: crwn – Séance

Written by Louis Pelingen Sometimes, it takes a while for an act to put out their debut record. Case in point, King Puentesmina – also known as crwn – has been a veteran within the local music scene. He is known not just for his ability as a drummer of SOS, but also as a producer and songwriter in his own right. Building up his portfolio under the crwn alias since 2013, carving his identity as a producer whose ability towards crafting beats with soulful textures and enough melodic space for everyone willing to swing by and contribute their vocals on his well-crafted instrumentals. This allowed him to collaborate with numerous artists throughout the years, which only allowed him to expand his open space in creating beats that slot within other genres and is an opportunity to continue refining his skill as a producer – improving upon the textures and the melodies that he has shaped. Since then, he has gotten more acclaim and recognition as a producer, and his production credits have only gotten bigger and bigger, yet it will take a while for a debut album to eventually manifest, up until this year. Séance is the long-awaited debut album that crwn has been working on for 5 years ever since he put out his Orchid beat tape back in 2018, pulling together an assortment of flavorful instrumentals with a full stack of collaborators pulling up vocal melodies within these diverse dance-ready beats. It’s essentially a project that places crwn as the producer who’s able to bring these old and new collaborators together and nestle them to his crafted beats that showcase how much he has gotten better as a producer for a long time. His attention to texture has only gotten fuller and warmer, his attention to mixing is consistent – never taking the clear scope of the vocals and instrumentation, and his melodic sensibilities have excelled – always making the grooves as sharp as they can get. Given the feature-heavy element on the album, there is the looming question of how much these collaborators will be able to stick the landing – whether that be the long-familiar collaborators such as Jess Connelly, August Wahh, and Curtismith, or the more recent collaborators such as LONER, Jolianne, and TALA – fortunately, for the most part, they do manage to aim high. Their writing manages to consistently stay within the simple themes of longing romance and their vocal performances do manage to shine within crwn’s production palette, eventually leading to quality spilling forth. The drum and bass splash of ‘Good Enough’ where Jason Dhakal’s silky vocal touch ups works for the frustrated relationship exit that the song aims for, The 80s house tune of ‘Wish It Never Ends’ where Olympia’s hushed delivery creates a romantic allure in the dancefloor – a characteristic that’s clearly reminiscent of Jessie Ware in a positive way, the bouncy groove of ‘Honey’ that has enough striking melody and space for August Wahh to rap and sing about needing that passionate intimacy with an assured confidence, the slow-building electronica of ‘Waiting For You’ with its buzzier synth melodies, shuffling drum patterns, and acoustic strums that overall coalesce for LONER’s longing delivery for the need to communication to connect through, and the emotive, dreamy melodic swells of ‘Dreaming Of You’ from TALA’s soothing vocals and shuffling instrumentation that ramps up to the potent hook does manage to work, especially with the song trying to put a semblance of comfort towards how love heals and changes people. And while the album is certainly consistently well-produced and put together, it doesn’t always go all the way to the top, mostly due to two things. The small quibbles in certain songs where are certain elements that could’ve been tweaked better: the lyrical flair on ‘Rooftops In Paris’ where Curtismith’s flexing doesn’t carry as much resonance and can be quite disconnected amidst the other songs that touch upon the yearnings or frustrations within relationships, the hook on ‘Another Day’ that can sound quite clunky despite Jolianne’s jumpy vocalisations really giving her all to make it stand out, and the fleeting immediacy of ‘Feel Something’ that could’ve fleshed out a little bit more given how Nadine Lustre’s breathy vocals and the overall melody of the song does come out pretty good. Then there are the big ones that hamper the album back. The shaky momentum where after ‘Wish It Never Ends’, the album structure starts to become more languid, with certain songs such as the pure instrumental ‘Ouroboros’ really putting a dent in the momentum moving forward. But there is also the overall sound that crwn favors to create in the record, full of UK Garage, Drum and Bass, and House elements that he does manage to pull off extremely well, but not exactly in a way that’s remarkable as he could’ve added intriguing ideas within these beats that could allow these already good tracks become spectacular. But as a debut project that crwn perceives as an updated version of his style of production since Orchid, Séance does deliver in that assessment as his ability in putting together melodies, textures, and genre variations has improved, allowing his collaborators to give really good performances within these collection of instrumentals. At the same time, certain issues does take away the sparking flair that the album mostly has, eventually resulting in the project not as striking as it should’ve been. Despite the waning structure, this séance is still able to successfully communicate to the spirits, letting everybody’s sense of yearning keep on growing deeper. Support the art and the artist:

ALBUM REVIEW: Juan Karlos – Sad Songs and Bullshit Part 2

Written by Louis Pelingen The story within Sad Songs and Bullshit hasn’t ended just yet. When Juan Karlos released the first part of Sad Songs and Bullshit, it showcased a soaring high in terms of streaming metrics when “ERE” broke through the local Spotify charts, proving that he can still make songs that can still slide into everybody’s playlist and listening routine where they can sing along to that ridiculously effective hook, but the music and narrative just does not follow through in the same way. There are a few quality standouts where the potential can be pieced together such as “Paruparo” and “Gabi,” but the oversold performances paired with the non-descript sound and the broad post-breakup narrative where Juan Karlos starts getting way self-pitiful just creates a sour touch that makes the album quite messy to go through. So to follow through the first part, Juan Karlos managed to put the second part of Sad Songs and Bullshit, finally completing the overall picture of this arc. If Sad Songs and Bullshit Part 1 relied upon its bombast to carry through Juan Karlo’s attitude with this breakup, Sad Songs and Bullshit Part 2 saddles its sound within a generally low-key and intimate foundation, eventually creating a followthrough where the sadness takes place after the bitter emotions of part 1. However, just like the first part, the overall array of these songs doesn’t have enough interesting flair to provide. Still carrying the tepid display of acoustic folk-pop that just got way overdone to the ground, specifically with cuts like “Limang Taon” where the inclusion of that zapping synth that doesn’t add to the ending, “Bukas” with its middling shuffling tune, and “Tanga Mo Juan” ending up coasting along even if the presence of backing vocals does add more to its melody. While there are still some variances within this sound alongside Juan Karlos’ adopting a restrained vocal performance that does make some decent enough flair to these songs – the prettier spare flourish of “Kasing Kasing” where the solid grooves and vocal harmonies from Juan Karlos and Kyle Echarri carry some charm, “Tulog Na” where Juan Karlos carries the 2000s pop rock tune really well as the guitars and drums provide some warm texture, “Baka Sakali” with its inclusion of solemn horns is a welcome addition to that song, as well as parts of “Medyo Ako” with its blurry textures and “Bagong Simula” with its bare guitar melody that could’ve worked better if the low end is mixed a bit better – the sound palette just carries a consistently dull note that doesn’t do much with the composition and instrumentation, pushing them back into the background more than ever. And if the sense of sound and instrumentation doesn’t do much for the most part, the narrative certainly doesn’t either. This album continues where it left off in the 1st part, still shouldering the lingering feeling of the overall breakup and where Juan Karlos slowly picks up the pieces of himself as he focuses more on recovering from that breakup. Reflecting upon the overall situation, meeting with that ex after what occurred with the tension now resolved, and finally, moving forward to start anew as he falls in love once again. It’s a clear and simple resolution to the overall arc, but the writing just doesn’t do enough to expound on that in general.  Amidst all the bitter attitude that still puts Juan Karlos in a frustrating position where the reflective aspect only comes through in bits and pieces, there is not enough detail to show more layers during this recovery. Sadly, the lack of detail as it relies on broad emotionality is a characteristic that plagues every single song on the album, where a lot of the quaint lovesick moments start to become generic, and what should be a down-to-earth meditation on this heartbreak just comes off as a brief “aha” moment that never goes deeper into untangling his internal musings and emotions. Letting it deflate the impact within this arc as a result. As a whole, Sad Songs and Bullshit Part 2 may have pieced together what Juan Karlos wants to impart within the entire picture where he works through this entire breakup with irrational bitterness and quaint sadness, but there is just not enough distinctive lyrical throughlines and compositional heft to help deepen what Juan Karlos has gone through, where as much as the hooks can stick the landing, the consistent mildew instrumentation where there are only a tad few cuts that really sticks out, the shaky performances that can get more oversold than good, and the generally underwritten writing that relies on the bitter and sad tones without adding dimensions that can deepen the impact and emotions to the story. The second part does balance out the bullshit with the sad, but the overall picture just comes off deflated on an overall scale. With these pieces connected all together, Sad Songs and Bullshit is indeed presented with songs that are both sad and bullshit, just executed in a frustratingly one-dimensional package. Support the art & the artist:

TRACK REVIEW: aunt robert – Mad

Written by Elijah P. Gabe Gomez, better known through their solo project aunt robert, explores indie rock and dream pop with a diaristic approach. Their Spotify bio emphasizes “I like writing short songs,” wholly embodying this sentiment by focusing on emotional depth rather than song length. In their latest single, “Mad,” Gomez is accompanied by a powerful wave of sonic textures—layered guitars and electronic swells of reverb—that create a walloping wall of sound. This sonic backdrop either ushers in a blissful catharsis or points to a bold new direction, moving away from their bedroom pop roots.  “Mad” seeks to sound grandiose yet it remains grounded. It is a statement to the entirety of aunt robert’s material. The buildup in the track’s verses creates tension as aunt robert’s whispered vocals and the accompanying band build towards the chorus. The result is a peak that is both cathartic and a display of emotional unease. While it might may seem elementary to craft a song with both quiet and loud dynamics for some, the contemporary execution of these ideas makes “Mad” especially satisfying. The blend of uncompromising electronica, transcendental dream pop, and the innocence of singer-songwriter formulas comes together beautifully. aunt robert consistently delivered a powerful track, making it clear they know how to create something special. Support the art & the artist:

TRACK REVIEW: VINCED, Fern. – SITUATION

Written by Louis Pelingen With Kindred putting their mark within the local music space last year, that doesn’t stop the members from working further and further into their craft. Just this year, some of Kindred’s members started doubling down on putting out singles as a sign of them pushing themselves into refreshing soundscapes. I might be unsure if it does lead to a future release of a solo project, but just pulling up to create a song is good for the time being, keeping things vitalized as each member focuses on something else. Clearly harking upon the 2000s era of R&B, VINCED and Fern. carries their effortlessly pleasant vocal flairs and harmonies that effectively convey the song’s flirtatious winks, pulling in someone to their passionate presence. Despite the instrumental textures coming off a tad wooden and thin – the wonky guitars don’t exactly mesh well with the sleek synths and clean beat – the overall melodic groove that it carries is solid, allowing the song to have some swell and bounce that VINCED and Fern. rides on wondrously. A quality that will enable VINCED and Fern. to pull off a sense of cool in every situation possible. Support the art & the artist:

TRACK REVIEW: Alisson Shore, Yuridope – Ako Pa Rin

After nearly a decade in the music industry, Alisson Shore has carved out a niche for himself, creating a world of his own told through the full length format. He has a knack for selecting soundscapes, writing lyrics, and curating overall structures that set his work apart from most of his contemporaries. There are times where Alisson’s creative process often results in music that belongs in the electronic music spectrum than it is in the r&b spectrum.  In his last album, Garuda, Shore explores the metaphor of a black bird soaring high and falling hard, blending elements of trap and R&B in a way that creates a cohesive imagery. Moreover, the album uses the bird figure to craft a fantasy-like tale or a tragedy seen through the eyes of a fictional character. It’s as if Shore is building a new realm with each track in different approaches in production style and vocal acrobatics. Fast forward to post-lockdown, with “Ako Pa Rin” featuring Yuridope, Shore continues this world-building, creating a musical universe reminiscent of a telenovela sequel jammed into one throwback piece. This single follows “Ako Ba Talaga?”, which subtly positions itself as a response to the previous single’s dynamic, almost nasty singy-songy dialogue between KLLY and Alisson over themes of infidelity. Rather than merely echoing 2000s music video aesthetics from Channel V or BET, Shore maintains a cohesive sonic thread through his singles with the help of strong visuals that portray a relationship in shambles as shown in cable television and told through old online forums. Each single builds on each other, blending nostalgic R&B with contemporary 2010s production in a hazy, dreamlike sequence. This approach highlights Shore’s storytelling ability and musical strengths, transcending beyond clickbait-y nostalgia. A Messenger app call alarm introduces the listener; It plays along as a narrative device. At the same time, a tool queued right when the kicks and snares go in. With Yuridope puncturing every bar and every invitation for a one-night stand, the featured rapper on the track plays with the flow along its rattling hi-hats, sliding pianos and record scratches. Alisson, on the other hand, follows through in a stronger, much more potent vocal presence and ingenious production that’s equally effective in “Ako Ba Talaga?” which had the nifty Ashanti “What’s Luv?” sample flip.  One is to argue that on the surface, this is to highlight a bygone era of r&b, acting out of pure novelty and nothing in between. But listeners here would think otherwise, both singles belong in an era where Alisson Shore chooses to delve narrative-wise in hopes of elevating the story and its sonic cues.  Is there a new album on the horizon for Alisson Shore? We’ll have to wait and see until the next episode!  Support the art & the artist:

ALBUM REVIEW: July XIV – Hunger

Written by Louis Pelingen Six years might be a long time, but the result is worth the wait. July XIV is an indie rock group whose debut project has been waiting in the wings for some time now. Back in 2018, they first put out “Hunger,”, their very first single that carries off a potent rock tune amidst Evee Simon’s tender vocals punching through the vigorous grooves and soothing melodic flair. That song is perhaps the only song they’ll put out in the open during that time, as they have been focused on performing live since then, with more songs that they will eventually bring onto the record. Some of those live songs will be then released in 2022, keeping that upcoming project still bursting with hope after all that silence. 6 years have since passed, and July XIV have finally put together their debut album, charmingly titled after that debut single, Hunger. Running just around 28 minutes, July XIV brought together a tightly-knit package of indie rock cuts, a straightforward enough descriptor executed well through the stronger compositions by members of this band, as well as the production, mixing, and mastering duties by Evee Simon, Kevin Ingco, and Megumi Acorda respectively. Allowing these cuts to have a consistent sound quality, even if the dryness can run together at spots. But nevertheless, the blend of punchy textures paired with contrasting moments between flashy passages and tender moments are at least solid, from the riveting guitar work and solid grooves of “Chainsmoker,” the aforementioned “Hunger” where Evee’s vocals spark every time the song hits the chorus, the grunge flair that pops up on cuts like ‘Belief’ and ‘Deus Ex Machina’ with the meaty guitars smashing through with aplomb, and the string accented ‘(with feeling)’ allows the album to end in a more solemn note as those weary strings anchors a welcome emotive presence within the instrumentation. Ruminating towards the lyricism, the album title “hunger” feels apt for what Evee Simon is reaching out within this album, as her writing focuses on yearning for so much more within life despite the sense of loss and hardships being felt and gathered over time. This focus sticks the landing due to the sharp metaphors intensifying the drive to live within a grounded reality. Clinging towards dreams, memories, and fantasies keeps the protagonist moving onwards which eventually culminates in “No Sugar” where the protagonist ruminates how getting older does make them wiser and stronger, yet that maturity still can’t drift away the pang they still feel towards losing some important to them on ‘Revelations I’. But despite all that, “(with feeling)” put things back to a much more hopeful but also complex scope, where despite questioning the overall spectacle towards what it means to be a musician, it still gives a reason for the protagonist to feel alive—perhaps creating a new dream that they want to achieve sooner rather than later. Despite the cut-and-dry approach to the production alongside the briefness that can leave the back half feeling less stellar as a result, the melodies that July XIV puts into have some invigorating moments, and the lyrical arc that observes and reflects one’s own hardships and yearning to hold on to better things have sharp details that are worth looking into. Hunger as an album might be a double-edged sword, keeping everyone who has waited for this album to feel satisfied on one side but also leaving too much empty space on the other. Yet, when the album does hit its stride – an exceptional one at that – it leaves us hungry for so much more. Support the art & the artist:

EP REVIEW: Austri – the place where birds meet

Written by Anika Maculangan The place where birds meet, Austri’s first official EP release, takes one on a roadtrip across SLEX, through every province, with no destination in mind. It’s the stops at gas stations, piling up in the 7-eleven, and camping out at the back of the car, that tracks like “Circling” reminds us of. Purely acoustic, with the undertone of ambient tonalities, this is Austri’s initial venture into making music of his own. Once just making covers of Elliot Smith’s “Between the Bars” and The Microphones’ “My Roots are Strong and Deep”, it seems so that Austri has taken it upon himself to try his hand at finding his own original sound. His discovered sound, as demonstrated in this EP, is melodically tame, exemplifying a tender and gentle temperament. Perhaps still a bit demure and modest, from being the introduction to hopefully, many more music to come. Austri’s vocals, crisp and mellow, are able to counteract the deep essence of the lyricism. “Learn to live but first learn to die” he sings in “Thousand Winds,” which evoke the rest of the EP’s blithe and carefree nature. Austri takes risks in this EP, especially when it comes to the honesty he brings forth in his music. In the build-ups that progress to grander compositions, Austri links his folkish tendencies to more of an indie pop disposition. In this harmony of warm cadence and soft inflections of resonance, there is reference to the migration of birds — how they never stick to the same place, and are constantly moving from one place to another. In a similar sense, we too, humans, have this penchant for change.  As time goes by, we find ourselves at different places, depending on where the wind takes us. In this EP, this is what Austri seeks to make us realize. It’s the wooden plaque or wall decal you’ll see somewhere, trying to pull you into being motivated and inspired again. Something that says life is a journey or whatnot, that feels cheesy at the moment, but holds its own true merits. Who knows, maybe in that moment, you actually did need the reminder, and you were only too stubborn to see it for its genuine validity.  This project feels personal and intimate, and for Austri to confide in his listeners, feels like a special privilege of sorts, as we hold the key to this secret garden. It’s a kindred level of frankness we can also garner from other artists such as the likes of Adrienne Lenker and Phoebe Bridgers.The place where birds meet is an insightful look into what it might look like from above, from a bird’s eye view. It brings into perspective how things may appear on a larger scale, when looking at the bigger picture. For someone making their debut, this is the exact enthusiasm they may need to keep that ambition going. In Austri’s case, the sound of trees rustling and birds chirping somewhere in a wheat field is what incites his creative engines to turn. Though a subtly calm setting, this environment is what brings out these profound introspections from Austri’s end, unleashing a candid and sincere collection of songs. What The place where birds meet brings to the table is simple and light accents of sound which we need more of these days, most especially during these typhoon-ridden times. It’s home, it’s refuge, it’s a passage away from the noise. Support the art & the artist: