Written by Louis Pelingen The artistic bond that Neytan and Areli have made ever since ‘FAR’ has flourished into something ecstatic beyond compare. When they first put that song out in the spotlight, their musical chemistry gels in an instant as their melodies echo their sonic influences such as Brockhampton and No Rome, and the ruffled yet effectively tuneful production has enough to captivate not just the listener but perhaps even themselves. This pairing of their interlocking interests and styles eventually paves the way for this duo to make their own boyband under the delightful name: Cat Boy Jeepney Drivers. Under their long-awaited debut mixtape, DIARY NG POGI, there is something in the presentation alone that speaks about the duo and the interests that made them click together. Their fascination and appreciation for the 2010s mainstream and local pop culture, the intrinsically silly Pinoy references and exuberant experiences that they carry along through their songwriting and performances, and even their sense of musical wonder that is not just creative, but in a way does reminisce on how homespun a lot of the local music scene that was popping over in youtube back in the early 2010s. Where despite the limitations that those acts have to face, they still manage to push past that as they insert as much charm into their songs whenever possible. Of course, these inspired characteristics do plop over to the musical side as well, where both Neytan and Areli chain together their respective knack for sampling and melodic composition to create a delightful blend of incredibly enjoyable pop and R&B songs within this mixtape. The joyous bounce of “LOSER” just puts an instant grin from ear to ear due to the swiveling samples and rumbling grooves swirling around the effortless vocal melodies, “UNSINT A MESSAGE” that’s comprised of manipulated samples and shuffling beat carries the layers of vocal harmonies to soar and allow the cheeky yet sincere sentiments to succeed, “MARSHMALLOW HATDOG” with its near 4-minute runtime full of harmonic layers picks up more melodic swells alongside pileups of strings and distorted percussions that closes the mixtape to a grand finale, and their cover of Justin Bieber’s “BOYFRIEND” adds upon a certain menace on the track’s sense of cool through the hammering percussion and blown out vocal pickups that lets the song to become instantaneously glorious as a result. Even if the breakbeat samples on “POP CULTURE” and especially ”MAYBE MITSKI” didn’t have the same creative treatment as the other songs, the vocal melodic runs placed upon the quicker pace of these songs are still sharp enough to work within the structure of the mixtape. Defined by their past local and international sonic influences alongside their own experiences that mold the silly yet sincere moments in these cuts, Cat Boy Jeepney Drivers are willing to not just take notes on past glories but appreciate them by embracing a sense of wonder and charm into their song-crafting process. As a result of their adventurous brand of pop, DIARY NG POGI unleashes multitudes of ecstatic, creative, and excellent set of pop songs from a duo that lives and breathes pop culture. Overall creating a colorful and charming diary that definitely needs a next installment, for there is so much greatness on display. Support the art & the artist:
Tag: Neytan
TRACK REVIEW: CATBOY JEEPNEY DRIVERS – MAYBE MITSKI
Written by Kara Angan Laguna and Pampanga-based electronic duo CAT BOY JEEPNEY DRIVERS bares their drum and bass chops in their latest song “MAYBE MITSKI.” “MAYBE MITSKI” notes a significant departure from their more synth pop debut “LOSER.” The pair trades their electronic synth riffs for a fast-paced and prominent percussion line—a trademark of the genre. While “LOSER” was jam-packed with a funky bass line, synth and electric guitar riffs, and multiple vocal lines to fill the track, “MAYBE MITSKI” proves that less is definitely more. While the track is short and sweet, clocking in at only two minutes and 33 seconds, the vocal melodies and harmonies keep the track interesting over a repetitive drum track, bass line, and riff. The duo’s No Rome influences shine significantly in the song. Their vocals are layered with autotune and reverb, complementing well with each other as the track progresses along. There’s always something new to pick up when listening to the song multiple times—the subtle “oh’s” that pan right, adlibs, and more details that make the song instantly catchy and memorable. While the lyrics aren’t exactly out-of-this-world or revolutionary, what makes the song stand out is how CAT BOY JEEPNEY DRIVERS are able to round out a song through their production. The duo’s flexibility with genres makes them an act to definitely watch out for—and I’m excited to see where they decide to dip their toes in next. Support the art & the artist:
TRACK REVIEW: neytan & Areli – FAR
Written by Louis Pelingen For Neytan’s current space in the local music scene, his handle comes off a bit straightforward for the most part. Well-composed tunes nestle nicely in indie rock and indie pop (bedroom pop if you want to lean on the marketing savvy trends), gentle and polished grooves and instrumental textures, and an amateur yet controlled vocal timbre and simple yet affectionate lyrical pastiches — all of which makes for a relaxed and meditative soundtrack for teenagers and young adults dealing with lovey-dovey yearnings. That’s mostly a compliment because the scenes for these kinds of straightforward, lovely twee offerings have their place in everybody’s playlist. If the artist wants to evolve in this sound, that’s good, but if they don’t want to evolve in that sound and proceed to do different experiments instead, then that’s good too. So it’s nice to hear that Neytan decides to do both on his new single featuring Areli, FAR. It starts off with a brisk and poppy start from the instrumentation with the cycling drum loops and spare guitar licks that are not far from Neytan’s origin point, but the quicker tempo gives a different sheen and immediate turnaround from his released work thus far. It brings out Neytan’s vocals a flicker that he hasn’t shown off before, and with this brand of homespun and colorful instrumentation and production that captures a similar vibe from the likes of Brakence, Brockhampton, and Dijon. It’s a sonic palette that really works for him. Of course, Neytan and Areli bring those comparisons more accurate with the melodies and harmonies that keep aiming higher, like fireworks that keep themselves ablaze from start to finish. This sense of urgency is pushed even further with Neytan’s emotional and captivating yearning for connections with people that are far away from him and Areli’s desperation to keep a friendship intact from a relationship that’s about to break apart with sentiments that are executed really well all throughout. The mixing, however, does not bring enough fullness and color to the instrumentation and vocals that would give this song a lot of benefits, especially with the glance to the mentioned artists that have these sticky, indie genre-fused songs that are elevated with a proper mix. But at the end of the day, when the tune is just so magnetic and Neytan and Areli bring a lot of expressive yearnings atop a sound palette that is executed pretty well, it goes to show that their needs for that momentous connection echo far enough for us to relate and hold on to that same desire in our fleeting, but enrapturing lives. Support the art & the artist:
EP REVIEW: neytan – Normal Pop Radio
Written by Elijah P. There’s an unspoken gap in synthetic pop grounded from the bedroom and r&b recorded in lapel mics, and the one way to address the void in between those genres are the acts that bridged it: Men I Trust, Clairo, and just to name a few. Those artists paved the way for DIY musicians to come up with ideas wherein they mix in several musical influences and ultimately come up with a singular, signature sound or movement. It was an itch longing to be scratched for many and yet it’s still missing the oomph everyone was looking to consider. For bedroom pop/r&b neophyte Nathan Ron Del Mundo aka Neytan, it comes across as if that itch has been scratched by his versatility and taste in his first ever EP titled “Normal Pop Radio”. Judging from the EP title alone, it looks and sounds like the 17-year old performer-producer wasn’t trying to duplicate an era that was lost, but rather he finds comfort in the strumming, the vocal twisting, and the mic cupping with additional themes of love, infatuation, and other what have yous that are sonic hallmarks in those respective genres. Tracks like “ALMANDINE” and “Malaysia” – the latter track being a loosie that isn’t on this EP but it exemplifies his knack for choosing appropriate melodies – are examples of hard-hitting and hazy production choices that best suit his vocal range. There are showcases of variety in genre choices but it’s enough to disjoint the EP even further. The filler tracks “SHE’S PRETTY (OUT OF MY LEAGUE)” and “CHICKEN WINGS” are products of soft soul and r&b that are easy on the ears but run on the mill if seated among the sea of songs that are identical structurally. It only makes it more superficially restrained rather than melodically consistent that would brand their identity later on. If anything “Normal Pop Radio” is memorable for, it’s the sheer potential the young up-and-coming musician can pull off sonically. However, his vocal chops could get a little bit of training before he can go full on Rex Orange County while surfing on those dreamy symphonies cascading to the drum machines. Neytan has a lot of work to do in the future, especially when searching for a natural sound to cling on and not rest on the laurels of his Discord contemporaries. Moving beyond one’s influences is one step closer to being a performer of a lifetime. SUPPORT THE ART & THE ARTIST: