This Long Overdue Review...

Sino Sikat - Self-Titled

After nearly four months of listening to this album non-stop (thanks to the mp3s my cousin shared with me), I am finally giving this band the credit they deserve by buying the record and writing this long overdue review. Take note that the wait was due to mere stinginess on my part and not at all because it took me this long for this album to grow on me. On the contrary, it was one of those albums I fell in love with after a few loops on my player.

As a lay music lover, I’ve always based my liking of a record from its (1)technical prowess, (2)ability to make me sing (all the words of all tracks, by heart) and dance (even if it is not dance music), and (3)ability to awaken emotions, especially those you never thought you had or never even experienced firsthand. It’s all about involvement, being more than background music, that makes a good album for me. And this one passes all criteria with flying colors. Sino Sikat is sweet, sexy, brash, poetic and just simply funky, all in this gem of an debut.

In the countless times I've listened to it, I've formed this love story in my head that begins with the sultry attraction that is "Akin Ka". Its Herbie Hancock/Chick Corea-ish beat perfectly melds with the piercing staccato of Kat Agarrado's vocals. After this "first sight" comes the wave of sensuality and repressed desire in the guitar and techno stylings of "Turning My Safety Off", the theme song for the beauty of longing and stripteasing for someone by way of telepathy. This track also reminds me of the debut single of male-fronted Pinoy Soul band, Mike's Apartment. Despite the parallel themes, there is an apparent contrast between the subtleties of the of the way the lyrics of the two songs were written. It's like opposite gender perspectives, "he feels, she feels", in which the female counterpart “Safety Off” comes out as more metaphorical than the literal "Nagdedeliryo". (For that matter, the same can probably be said about most female vs. male expressions.)

What happens when lust becomes love is embodied by my current favorite "Magic". Who won't fall in love with this... "Plant your seed on me/We'll let it grow/Nourish me with your love/Shower me with life... You are my light/You are my love/You are my life/You are my all"? And the mind-body-and-soul rich melody is surprisingly from a simple CM7-FM7 progression. Then there's "Pag-Ibig", slightly reminiscent of Zero 7's "Destiny", as smooth and as sweet albeit with a slightly narrower range.

But enough of mush. With the rest of the tracks, Sino Sikat bursts of a stew of flavors in a variety of subjects and mood. There's the Mishka Adam-esque "Tragic Beauty" and the spiritual reggae-fused "Prayer". Another favorite is the romantic portrayal of ennui in "So Blue", their most poetic song in the compilation for me. It amazes me how funky a song about melancholia can get.

The Tagalog tracks, especially "Praning" and "Sino?" took the longest to kick in, but eventually I realize these are what provides the strongest contrast - upbeat, tough and sometimes intentionally crass. "Telepono" has this danceable sound in the tradition of Brand New Heavies and Incognito, with its sax improvs and playful basslines. As a finale track, "Sino?" truly stamps the band's statement, as if to say "We Rock!"

And they do. Shame on me that I still haven't, but I really should see them live next time.

Rating: *****