Written by Elijah P. I couldn’t think of any other explosive debut than the 7-piece boy band called Kindred. Offering more than just sound solutions, Kindred Music offers taste and eclecticism on all fronts. It’s explosive at a sonic scale, it’s ambitious from their conceptual process, and most importantly, their camaraderie is what’s shining throughout the 3-minute and 20-seconds of ear candy on their first official single titled “Switch On U!”. Opening the track is Fern. Official’s trademark emotive singing style manning the track’s hook, quickly transitioning to Cavill’s melodic talent at weaving in their verses; Punzi’s impressive timbre flowing in and out; VINCED, Slomo Says and Nouvul’s rap chemistry working like magic: similes on similes, charming one-liners, and slinky verse-trading whereas all members highlight their own unique spin on the boyband formula. Where lastly, Dot.Jaime provides rich, glossy r&b production. After several listens of their debut, listeners would realize later on that the track exemplifies the core ethos of Kindred as a group: it shows and tells you more than what’s on the surface, and “Switch On U!” goes beyond what a unit should be. SUPPORT THE ART & THE ARTIST:
Tag: Elijah P.
EP REVIEW: medyo maybe – Porcelain People
Written by Elijah P. The Ilocos Region can rock everyone’s socks off. Yes, you read that right. The north side has something to say after all. Where the inflections of Will Toledo and the Boss Metal Zone guitar pedals rise from the collective bedroom and slide down their local sand dunes. It comes as no surprise that talent can come anywhere, everywhere. Enter medyo maybe – a solo project whose emotive sharpness is trained in Bandcamp and Soundcloud demos years prior to their latest release – is the indie rock sonic provider from Pangasinan out of all places. The 4-track EP is more than just a taste test. It’s a welcome party of all things influential for the songwriter, a love letter of sorts that span across the decade of 2010s indie treasure trove of guitar solos, freakouts, and all things emotionally direct diaristic lyricism. medyo maybe is ready in “Porcelain People”; no signs of any grazing rust, it’s promising beyond whatever jagged quality it had as long as the songwriter and their lead instrument make a great pair; it’s already made evident on the get-go that medyo maybe and their guitar is a dynamic duo. Tracks like “Don’t Ignore The Blame (Old Something Dies Hard)” drive the rhythms at a thrilling pace, and “Noiseless Noise Machine” has traces of noisy rock with familiar lines that resemble “Julie Tearjerky” at first glance, but the project distorts the iconic guitar line further with repetitive lines in the hook, making it something entirely theirs in the process, “Breaking The Plates” has synthetic synths and their lead vocalist sing in harmony across layers of riffages. This is only the start for medyo maybe and they’re going somewhere. SUPPORT THE ART & THE ARTIST:
ALBUM REVIEW: O.I. Research Partners – Speed Milk
Written by Elijah P. It is believed that Nueva Ecija-based art collective O.I Research Partners have found recordings of a different universe consisting of space cowboys, hieroglyphic spaghetti westerns, and literal drum machine worship. These findings are said to be secured somewhere in their facility, preserved to age like the best milk in town, kept sacred like genres that are made to be published by your nearest DIY label online. Label it as a psychedelic hyperdrive or a Filipino western dashing downwards a dune; “Speed Milk” is the complete package. O.I Research Partners is DIY written from top to bottom of every page in their playbook. Whether it is true or not, O.I Research Partners’ debut project “Speed Milk” have struck gold. There is marriage between fragmented recordings of Eva Yu’s cryptic narration of the world before her while Vik Laugo’s constant guitar switch ups and manipulated kraut-y influences. “Smell My Badge” has Ennio Morricone and Bad Lieutenant fragrance smothered over Laugo’s breath. Fuzzy freakout and folk passages explode all over the place in “Stage Warner”. “We Like Speed” and its rush of dirt vomiting out of the amplifiers is partially eerie and thrilling to hear in your speakers. Accompanying the music is also Eva and Vik’s exhibited visualization of their worldbuilding, an initiative that is to a certain degree impressive and intriguing: Horses stuck in the middle of a lava river while picture frames of a cow hang beside it, stonehenge prophecies on a drum head etc. The possibilities for the couple’s imagination could reach an entirely different universe at this point. O.I Research Partners have imagined a future wherein it is possible to live both sonically and visually. Musically, this is the future that we depend on even if it takes a fantasy research crew or a concept album made by mad scientists. Listening to music casually can be all fun and games until you find out there are badass cowboys living on drug-spiked milk. O.I Research Partners are the real deal. SUPPORT THE ART & THE ARTIST:
TRACK REVIEW: ONE CLICK STRAIGHT – MRT
Written by Elijah P. Written after long commutes and comforting cramped spaces while in motion, One Click Straight has proven themselves again that they are capable of growth, even above and beyond than their current contemporaries in the scene. As much as their lead vocalist Sam Marquez describes every one of their most recent outputs as “raddening”, “MRT” is basically the “renaissance” of their material, their literal version of “city” pop, may it be a songwriting and visual aesthetic standpoint. The string of singles such as “Hayaan” and “Wake Me Up” have established themselves as the pop band, all the while “MRT” and “Lilo” are reserved to be more honest and layered than the sum of their parts. Whispered melodies and crisp drum production are becoming the trademarks of a One Click Straight track — may it be coming from their live drumpad playing or constant teasers on their social media — made their careers as musicians reach an all time high in terms of quality. “MRT” has rhythmic rumbling of a train and synthetic warps mixed with Sam’s unorthodox guitar playing – the creme dela creme of the track. These sonic choices are paired with sentimental lyrics that tackle on the concept of finding each other while in transit, but whatever the place of love will take place in, one thing is made sure: One Click Straight have made unique jams for commuters; for folks constantly moving as the world revolves over and under them 24 hours; for humans depending on music wherever they go. SUPPORT THE ART & THE ARTIST:
TRACK REVIEW: Dionela – Musika
Written by Elijah P. Starting off as a viral Tiktok video wherein singer-songwriter Dionela formulates a song that’s based on an off-the-cuff piano melody started by his girlfriend. Entitled as “Musika”, Dionela thought of all possible green flags right from scratch; timbres fade, melodies are improvised and “butterflies” come out of his stomach after several trials from a songwriting session inside his car. From this point forward this is where “Musika” has weight. The subject is pivotal in the process. The artist, however, has barely scratched the surface of making a memorable experience despite their significant other being the main cause and effect of its virality. If anything, the pianos are barely heard in the mix; neither the vocals legitimize the piano melody that’s as significant as Dionela’s output entirely. It’s ‘hugot’ stripped down to a very unsymmetrical formula to the point where we’re all in for the virality and not for the actual craft. This is made apparent from the Tiktok video alone, we’re here to witness the process, the interaction between love and its result. Although the latter never really give grounds for “Musika”. Just like the title, it’s a textbook love song with several sore thumbs. If we were to look at how the single is formed, the intention of “Musika” is an example of an artist finding inspiration. It’s self-explanatory from the video: we don’t need a PR statement to tell us otherwise. But the mere fact that a viral Tiktok would persuade everyone that the song is good is a trap marketing ploy. Sonically, “Musika” is dry. It’s soup without proper peppering. It’s a billboard with only face value. It’s only a QR code and nothing more. Support the art & the artist:
ALBUM REVIEW: Aviators – Analogies of Love
Written by Elijah P. Wearing a pair of aviators at your local shade shop is a very Liam Gallagher thing to do, especially for Britpop tribute band Aviators – consisting of members John and Arvy. Their attempts at Alex Turner-isms aren’t taking off the tarmac like their other British colony favorites in their debut record “Analogies of Love”, released under Tarsier Records. For the remainder of 2022, they’ve been busy releasing half-enigmatic imagery of their upcoming record. That is to say, Aviators have kept themselves in the confines of an edgy image yet a prim and proper getup of gentlemen rocking the night out at some speakeasy bar somewhere near Legazpi Village. For a band that’s well-worn like their contemporaries, you’d expect a suave, technical performance licking all over this record. But nope. This is the complete opposite of expectations exceeding, or even, succeeding at the very least. It’s 11 songs that span like a purgatory of rehashed ideas of the 90s or what the Arctic Monkeys call a “conduct a sing-along” to the past. “Analogies of Love” is Pulp without the anthemic pulse, Oasis without the stadium rock. Aviators are painfully formulaic, like Franz Ferdinand. Throughout the entire tracklist, there’s no life in their drum machines; If there’s any clear indication as to where this album is going, it’s the lingering, almost suffering vocal performance of John Roxas. “Analogies of Love” is riddled with one-noted performances: guitar solos aren’t as prominent, backup vocalists barely did their job to highlight the choruses, and the drum machine barely has a character of its own. If there’s anything that’s slightly positive or gives any merit to, “Okay (Means Everything” is smack in the middle but somehow showed a sign of life in the album that’s been playing dead for almost half of the time. The tacky drum machine patterns and guitar strums elevate the performance slightly. But other than that, every single track decided to become filler and homages for the rest of its 36-minute runtime. Aviators’ “Analogies of Love” is an album that’s barely shown its potential, rather it’s a supplement of something that was done to look like it was made in the past and resulted in something to look past its forgettable elements. LINK:
TRACK REVIEW: Nikki Nava – Ephemeral
Written by Elijah P. The last we’ve ever heard of singer-songwriter Nikki Nava was at her quietest and her most reflective. This was years before the world had its audible reset. Now, in the year 2022, Nava is at her most ambitious and the loudest she’s ever been in songwriting. In “Ephemeral”, it’s evident how the emotional value in her tracks added more instrumental nuance than most of her contemporaries. The nuance in question: melodies that struck a chord beneath its beautiful guitar strings above multitudes of other ideas thrown in the mix, Nava’s introspective glare that combines a lot of potent melodicism some singer-songwriters lack. “Ephemeral” is an exercise of her growth as a singer-songwriter, punching upwards in writing catchier lines than making emotive vocal droning and sparse instrumentals. There’s an element yet to be seen in Nava’s songwriting, which is still invisible throughout her tiny single discography. A sense of promise is what’s to be seen in her works soon; let’s just see if she could break the ceiling once again. SUPPORT THE ART & THE ARTIST:
ALBUM REVIEW: TNG – GAD
Written by Elijah P. TNG is a six-piece post-hardcore-slash-screamo outfit that doesn’t mince words, not for their track titles at the very least. They are the Bulacan locals ready to bring you into their communal experience – a phrase that’s always been highlighted via their socials ever since the inception of their formation. Composed of members from seasoned math-rock and easycore bands from their neighboring towns, TNG released “GAD”, their highly anticipated debut ever since they’ve teased the recordings in live shows. The experience is what sells the band properly. If it weren’t for their live appearances, then TNG would be just another screamo band circulating in the ether, lost in translation. “GAD” acts not only as mere evidence of their live shows but also as permanent imprints of what they could leave in the scene alone. As a six-piece, they’ve been known to cross paths in many music communities in just a span of one casual gig weekend after the other, this album is a 10-track course meal of what they could offer week in and week out. If their live shows wouldn’t convince you enough, then “GAD” acts as proper anticipation for the celebration: build-ups that don’t pull their punches, crescendos that don’t bore, and poetry that keeps you on the edge of your seat while in uncontrollable tears. Tracks like “now (end)”, “eve”, “orb” and “oui” experiment with emotional threshold; Their lead vocalist Alden trading vocal barbs with the rhythm guitarist and lead guitarists intense progression, may it be a quiet preface to an explosive climax or a haunting radio transmission by the outro. Wherever you look at it “GAD” knows when to stop, listen and observe everything that surrounds them sonically. With every minute that passes by their debut record, a memorable guitar bursts through a flammable moment of catharsis: “cty” short for “close to you” is a callback to the classic Carpenters track and their eventual recontextualization of the iconic intro riff; “fee” without any hesitation starts and stops the aggression, ends with a hopeful note for a lover waiting to see the sun shine again, only to realize that they are the beacon of hope they were looking for. The overlooked theme of optimism not only slightly manifests in TNG’s ethos but also in the band’s entire definition of their following moving forward. Seeing “GAD” in its most raw, authentic, and complete form, is a celebration that deserves a warm embrace after listening to the entire album from start to finish. The end product of this album is nothing short of an experience wrapped with so much weight and assurance all at once. Support the art and the artist:
ALBUM REVIEW: ena mori – DON’T BLAME THE WILD ONE!
Written by Elijah P. “There’s a fire in my kitchen” Ena opens the album with arms as wide as an eagle spreading across the pop concrete. Then all of a sudden, the album now opens a portal. To what seems to be an unintentional anachronism, Offshore Music‘s Ena Mori isn’t a fool to trick us into such sonic nostalgia. Saying that this release is a statement has already run its course in many other publications. “There’s a fire in my kitchen” Ena sings wickedly for less than a minute. It says more than just a “statement”, but rather, what comes next is an experience succeeding many pop records’ longevity. It’s a sure shot from the get-go. “Don’t Blame The Wild One!” is an album that succeeds sonic barriers never before bent in any album ever locally from both an emotional and production standpoint. It asserts pop dominance. Ever since releasing her debut EP at the start of the lockdown, her debut album this time around is expansive, more fruitful, and less banal. By the time this writing is published, the debut project has already gone outside of streaming platforms, acting as a nomad in territories where it was never before tapped by Ena’s refreshing brand of pop music. Performing the songs live all over the Luzon region, the last leg of her album tour stops right at her hometown of Las Pinas. This alone proves that Ena’s not playing around. Not for the rest of “Don’t Blame The Wild One!” 10 tracks at the very least. As the pop-sphere is still in this state of stasis post-Sarah G’s Tala, the well ran dry, and the arrival of Ena Mori’s debut “DON’T BLAME THE WILD ONE!” is an impactful listen from start to finish. But like her album tour, there’s a lot of territory waiting to be uncovered in each listen. Highlights like “TALK! TALK!”, “OH, BLEEDING HEARTS?” and “A HIGHER PLACE!” begs the question that pop structures are supposed to be limitless. With the assistance of her producer Tim Marquez – his production works like a surgical music technician, making sure that there is indeed no musical template to abide by. Symphonic soars and flutters — rhythmically in motion — corresponding to every hook. Ena responds by shouting, yelling, harmonizing and screaming at the top of her lungs to achieve such lengths; Vocal gallops over crushed mallets of kick drums and time reversed-ocean-wave synths; Lyrical phrases calculated over every left turn in the production. What the listener would pick up from all of these spots is that Ena Mori is a jack of all trades. A pop star whose moments are savored by devils in the detail – the devil being a random plugin avoiding a pop cliche. Recently released singles like “RUNAWAY HOLIDAY!” and “SOS” have monumental hooks and driving melodies — the usual boxes that are already ticked, only to be boosted by Ena and company’s envelope-pushing production. But as the highlights glossed over in the debut album, there were moments where the second half of the album starts to slightly go downhill. Lowlights like “WHITEROOM” and the reimagining of “FALL IN LOVE” are tracks that meander after the fantastic 4-5 track run midway in the album. Arguably, these might be track arrangement issues, but by the end of the day, these are tracks that could’ve been emphasized as pop bangers rather than straight-up non-single filler. The last half of “A HIGHER PLACE” ends abruptly, heading straight into “SOS” with no prelude or any build-up whatsoever. If the result was truly intentional, then some listeners would beg to differ since it had the most invested Ena has ever been in terms of vocals. Regardless of whatever intent and purpose this album delivered, it has heart, if not value to Ena’s moment of solidifying her identity as an artist. The debut project has a lot of sonic territory covered, layer after layer, production texture overlapping the other. It achieved something great, but there needs to be more than what was already out. Like any other listener’s natural curiosity: will there ever be more to hear? more to hear besides what was already done? The answer to that query is simple: Don’t blame the wild ones for pushing what’s new. Ena’s only burned the kitchen, she has the rest of her house left to bring it all down. Support the art and the artist:
TRACK REVIEW: Clara Benin – Affable Dork
Written by Elijah P. The colorful and sparse career of Clara Benin hasn’t gone unnoticed. Releasing a single or two every year, earning a spot on intimate shows in familiar places, translating one of their oldest tracks into a different language, it’s always likely to think that her career has been stable – as in steady, but hardly ascending quality-wise. “Affable Dork”, her not-so-new yet recently reincarnated material has unearthed the details of a relationship painted like a movie, whereas Benin’s fiction becomes stranger than reality. The “Affable Dork” in the protagonist’s head is another red flag waiting to reveal itself. The emotional weight that describes the heavy romanticization of the character comes in the form of an underwhelming figure of speech. Her vocal performance has trudged through glossy yet skeletal percussion, string sections, and the likes that would attempt to alleviate Clara’s fairytale forewarning. She’s displayed her greatest strengths – both in a vocal and production sense – only to be executed straight-faced with little to microscaled conviction. But for what it’s worth and its reference to Ruby Sparks, Clara’s 7-year journey of rom-coms and imagined situations has, unfortunately, reached its due date years before folk-pop’s inevitable peak. Support the art & the artist: