I just got a copy of Sponge Cola’s Palabas. The first time that I saw the band perform live was at Kafe which is located along Katipunan Avenue, just across Ateneo. I was able to hear their version of Madonna’s Crazy for You which was also covered by Imago some time ago. And with that, I loved them, not because they did a cover of my favorite cheesy song but because they are really great.
The album Palabas consists of 14 tracks namely:
22
Partisan
KLSP
Neon
On the Floor
Stone’s Throw
Jillian
Lunes
To the sly and cunning
Una
Dragonfly
Gemini
Jeepney
Closure
The album concept is simple. It’s like if Sponge Cola is a movie production outfit, then Palabas is a movie. It’s simple as that. The album art boasts of really good photography. And if you do not like fonts that are very small and hard to read, then you may have a hard time reading the lyrics if you wish to sing with Yael (vocals and guitars) at the comforts of your room.
If you’ve listened to the song Lunes, the verses are jazzy sounding but when you get to the chorus part it transforms into a rock song. If you look into the lyrics of the song it’s like the persona identified by it is in a state of confusion, and saying sorry and all.
Also, Neon is a nicely written song. At first, you would think that the song is purely acoustic, then, there will be a part where you will hear guitars with effects, drums and bass. Why is this so? I guess they wanted to set a mood for the song. But I still prefer the plugged version. And if you look at the lyrics sheet, you may notice that there were only three lines written. It’s because that Neon does not have definite lyrics because it changes everytime.
And if they are going to release another single, I’d hope that it would be 22. The lyrics are so amazing and you could feel the excitement in Yael’s voice. Also, the melody of the song suggested the suppososed mood for it. 22 is a love song actually.
If you will hear the track Jillian, you will not hear Yael whom almost every girl that I know looks forward to date him if they had the chance. In Jillian, you will hear their drummer Chris Cantada singing. And not only singing, he also played the guitar in that song. There was a part of the song as if you Chris is singing from a telephone.
The song Stone Throw is written by Ely Buendia. No wonder the lyrics are so Ely which will bring you back to Eraserheads days.
Jeepney is everybody’s favorite. It is the love anthem that Sponge Cola made. It is the song that would cling to your mind and eventually have a last song syndrome which is a good LSS.
If you do not have the album yet, buy your copies now at all record bars.
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