Written by Adrian Jade Francisco Marikina’s up-and-coming pop artist SHANNi decides to elevate the groove in her latest single. In “SSS (stuck song),” her soft Manila sound explores a funky city-pop environment, a dreamy but exuberant track that tackles the narrative of a push-pull dynamic in a relationship. “SSS (stuck song)” is a stark contrast from the past three singles in the area of her sound elements. The lush texture, infectious guitar, boogie-worthy synth, and piano layers revisit the era of retro-fueled rhythms. It is irresistibly catchy, pulling the listener into a repetitive whirl, much like the endless loop of a vinyl, right from the first listen. “SSS (stuck song)” and its lyrical construction does not stray away from her previous releases; Instead, the production takes the spotlight. While her ‘70s-esque torch ballad inspirations led her to venture into nostalgia-driven hits, it does not reinvent the homage it is leaning on. It lacks the innovative approach to the funk-rock and city-pop genre. Although SHANNi did not opt to introduce something fresh in the soundscape of the aforementioned genre, her ability to widen her palette may be a positive sign. SHANNi’s talent and skill are undeniable when she puts out replayable jams like “SSS (stuck song)” as she continues to explore her artistic facade. If she consistently maintains this momentum, she’s likely to produce more bangers that stick like gum, replaying over and over like this one. SUPPORT THE ART AND THE ARTIST:
Tag: funk
ALBUM REVIEW: LUSTBASS – inner space
Written by Anika Maculangan Having been in the game for a while, LUSTBASS delivers new intonations of soulful jazz and R&B modulations into the sphere of what is contemporary in style. A proclamation of lush beats, innerspace is the conglomeration of fruitful collaborations amongst the artist himself with other seminal artists like Jess Connelly, Jason Dhakal, Fern., Cavill, RJ Pineda, Waiian, Akio Rene, Nicole Anjela, and ((( O ))). Just when summer has ended, it makes us anticipate the next one even more, with this relaxed, beachy, and casual expression of sound. Effortless, wavy, and adjacent to chillwave, LUSTBASS explores the multitude of areas that the downward tempo scale of pop can encapsulate, if done right. With its easy-going, almost nonchalant ambiance, innerspace is a composed way of merging the stoical with the serene, in a more or less, leisurely mellowness. Known for his keen, cutting-edge approach to the assembly of rhythm, LUSTBASS best demonstrates this skill in this motley of modish, sophisticated indication of experience and background of joint teamwork with other fellow artists. Some tracks are more atmospheric than others like Yeyuhh, the album is transcendental in the sense that it touches every ounce of one’s attention to notation. Motioning from one switch to the next, the songs in this collection flow with immeasurable poise and flair. Not often are producers given the full stage in most cases of how we laud them in the Philippine context, but in the case of LUSTBASS, this awareness of the man behind is well apparent. In LUSTBASS’ signature polishness, it’s swift for one to recognize LUSTBASS’ appeal to reverberation from a mile away. In addition, the vocalists he collaborates with in this album, bring out even more, the smoothness of his instrumentals. Having previously collaborated with some of these artists LUSTBASS displays his propensity to apply his personal touch in all of his projects — a sharp, crisp, melodious harmony of percussion and refined grandeur. This album comprises tracks that anyone could bring with them to a vacation, and not regret it, because it’s a concise dash of opulence that is not too pronounced but just the right amount to make the sky appear broader. Brightly colored, like fresh tangerine or sand along the coastline, LUSTBASS has a certain character to his musicality, that is funky, fun, and vibrant. It instantly brings us to our feet and makes us want to start the day with an uplifting temperament. If only we could make LUSTBASS’ interspace our alarm sound to waking up every morning — so that we’d be more energized to jump back into productivity. Support the art & artist:
TRACK REVIEW: Sunkissed Lola – White Toyota
Written by Elijah P. Olongapo’s sole funky, alternative rock troupe Sunkissed Lola are to watch out for in the new batch of bands in the 2020s. From being introduced by Kiyo in more intimate gigs to being one of Wish 107.5’s most sought-after artists in terms of virality, Sunkissed Lola are aiming to get out of their hometown to hit the big leagues. But with their latest arsenal consisting of an impeccable drummer and backup vocalist in the stable, the problem in Sunkissed Lola still lies in the style of their direction and their vocal performances. If the listener were to open their ears again, looking for another infectious hook in their material, the process of realization would stem from hometown heroes with nothing to lose to hometown big leagues with generic taste in hand. After the hit viral single that is “Pasilyo”, Sunkissed Lola are to double down in the genericness of it by opening the year with “White Toyota”. In their new single, Sunkissed Lola personifies the breezy summer afternoons and a knack for guitar licks that takes the funk outside by the shore. Still, the sore thumb in all of this isn’t just their current sonic palette (even their contemporaries like The Ridleys, Over October or even Lola Amour could make slightly more tolerable commercial music). Sunkissed Lola launches an all-out attack on the funkrock genre, only to be sacrificed by sounding like a car sponsorship out of nowhere – minus all the fun and the glamor of it all. “White Toyota” doesn’t just scream mid but rather: Sunkissed Lola and “White Toyota” work together as a humid product of pop that’s barely reached the surface of memorability in terms of catchy songwriting. “White Toyota” has all the potential to be Sunkissed Lola’s second breakout, but the single only works if your uncle would test out the radio if the brand new Toyota Vios works for background music. Support the art & the artist: