Written by Elijah P.

You don’t get tight alternative rock anywhere, not much in Biliran, East Visayas, no. In fact, Naval-based singer-songwriter Emelette De Leon Saclolo exists to prove all Manila-centric critics wrong. “Brave” is an indicator that unsophisticated, semi-gritty, lightly sung indie rock can work when the performances are tightly performed. Everywhere you go, you get heavy stalwarts like Taken By Cars showcase their wall-breaking kicks and emotive vocals and bedtime television’s slowcore-inspired passages, Emelette is cut from the same cloth but she’s shown more heart than brawn compared to her predecessors.

Released back in August of this year and a music video launched around the month of October, Emelette sings in the middle of an empty basketball court in her hometown of Biliran. Interpolating the clips are two lovers running away from their hometown and taking charge of their own trajectories in life, symbolically leaving what’s mundane, and staying brave for the taking. Emelette’s “Brave” is filled with layers of guitar chords strung into different chords woven after the other, creating a textured moment that captures the feeling of overwhelming love for a significant other. There’s casual electric, fuzz-driven guitar, and there’s Emelette’s debut single taking up a notch for the greater good.

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