PARASOULS, Drifters, Dream Makers
Rarely is a Pinoy band able to find and unveil nuances in the tried-and-tested allures of pop-rock. Rarer still is getting it done handsomely without gravitating towards generic pop-punk.
On their latest EP, four-man Parasouls uncover shades of folk-rock and power pop to galvanize their distinct take on Pinoy pop-rock. Key to the leap in imaginative musicianship is Dani Dimaano who wrote most of the words and music on the 6-track album. Unlike a lot of disillusioned millennials with a guitar and a mic, Ms, Dimaano does not whine nor whimper. Dani rather articulates the self-conscious disappointments of her generation amplified today by the struggles with Covid-19 restrictions yet in the end, she turns them into triumphs in the firm belief that all things will pass. Of course, her angst-dipped musings transcend expectations with the able help of her bandmates. These drifters are finally making their dreams come true.
MEDYO MAYBE, The Sinking Ship Of Uncertainty
Now comes unexpected new music from the Ilocos Region. Medyo Maybe describes himself as a boy armed with a stolen microphone and an acoustic guitar who decides to make music. He further describes the EP to tell the “untold love story between titanic and the iceberg.”
Pretty weird right there along with track titles like “Dead Sea” and the titular “The Sinking Ship of Uncertainty.” But for all that, the album rolls out a short yet strange psychedelic trip in under 15 minutes. The liner notes go on to state: “As the lonely robot made his journey to the oceans/He sees a sunken ship/Is this what they call love? he mumbled to himself.” Add passages of musique concrete plus the pleasurable sound of reverb and this album is quite possibly one of a kind in today’s increasingly predictable scene.
JAMIN REYES, Kundiman at the End of the World; or the Techno-Fascist Colonial End
L.A.-based guitarist Jamin Marciano Maximo Alcoba Reyes is behind this work featuring interpretations of 20th century Filpino classic tunes arranged by Maestro Pedro Concepcion
and transcribed by Maestro Jose Valdez. Jamin recorded the tracks in 4 channel stereo
through his grandfather’s Akai 280D-SS reel to reel tape machine. The idea is to capture the sweetness and romanticism of kundiman set against the backdrop of violent times of intense people’s struggle for liberation. In short, it’s late night guitar for any age even as the politically astute should feel the anguish and pain shining through such immortals as “Dahil sa ‘Yo”, “Walang Kamatayan” and “Dapit-Hapon.”
ROBERT PLANT AND ALISON KRAUSS, Raise the Roof
A decade after their initial collaboration on the certified masterpiece titled “Raising Sand,” ‘70s hard rock icon Robert Plant and country rock poster girl Alison Krauss got together for a new round of reinventing blues, country and bluegrass classics. Producer T-Bone Burnett is also back on the board to draw out the best performances from the winning pair of artists.
With avant guitarists Bill Frisell and Marc Ribot on sidemen duties, Mr. Plant and Ms. Krauss truly raise the roof bringing fresh flashy energy to the original blues of “Can’t Let Go” and added rock and roll bedlam to “Gone, Gone, Gone.” Then there’s the haunting balladry of “Going Where the Lonely Go” which contrasts wildly with the tepid country croon behind “It Don’t Bother Me.” Ten years later, the Plant-Krauss combine remains a magical proposition.
DURAN DURAN, Future Past
Giorgio Moroder, Mark Ronson and Blur’s Graham Coxon share co-production and co-writing credits on ‘80s New Romantic idols Duran Duran’s new release. As expected, the ageing foursome, led figuratively and vocally by the redoubtable Simon LeBon, expands on their past successes to deliver a new album that’s as eclectic as their native musical chops will allow. So “Anniversary” harks back to “Hungry Like A Wolf,” “Invisible” references the early days of electro-rock while “Hammerhead” sees them carousing with hiphop chanteuse Ivorian Doll. Still, they all come second to the mesmeric splendor of “All of You,” a sprawling number with sections of ecstatic highs and unruffled lows.
MASTODON, Hushed and Grim
Part of the triumvirate (including the mighty Baroness) that placed US Southern sludge on the heavy metal map in the 2010s, Mastodon continue to reanimate the brute strength of their namesake from the age of fossils. On their latest release, a double album, the band once more flexes with the massive scale, scope and magnificence of their 2004 effort titled Leviathan. Meaning, the source of Mastodon’s primal heaviness appears inexhaustible as can be gleaned from the 1-2 opening punch of “Gobblers of Dregs” and “Savage Lands” then on to heartbreakers like “Peace and Tranquility” and “Had It All.” Certain songs even conjure grunge champions Alice in Chains mixing it up with Soundgarden in metal hell. Call it career progression but Mastodon’s new piece de resistance is really an evolution in sound.