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EP REVIEW: Bandido - s/t


“Music isn’t all about self-expression, it can also be used as a tool for social change.”, this statement is very true. I sometimes wonder what else could make my shame go away that is often caused with the constant distress and bad news that we get daily. We’ve survived two years of a convoluted regime and we’ve got 4 more years left to spend. The constitution is at its knees and we’re forced to praise a leader that has really earned a bad reputation. With that in mind, we spend our days listening to different kinds of music. Right now, my status as a blogger has gone to a part where I’ve probably overworked on things but my purpose in being one has never fell back. I still have my rights to speak up on anything that matters to us as human beings. A few months back, I was at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, exploring their strong music scene and companionship. This was a student organization event and they were selling zines, prints, and stickers. What sets this university apart from other universities is how disciplined these guys are and how outspoken they are when it comes to social issues. I personally did feel a bit surprised for how plain-spoken these students are when it comes to art and politics. I may sometimes separate these two but it took me time to process everything and accept the fact that music saves and has changed lives. This is what I felt when I first visited the university, it felt like I was at home. And in a way, this EP captures the essence of that moment.

The EP starts off with a banging surge of rock of a track titled “Unemployed”, a track that reminds me of the wit that Kamikaze had back in the day, paired with a vocal performance that kind of reminds me of Siakol. The “tunog kalye” presence was immediately felt in the very first few seconds of this song. From a song that is expected to sound like a delinquent student’s theme song but then it took a quick turn by their lead vocalist Abel to a song about looking for a job 7-days a week. The backup vocals here help a lot by adding up some quirky moments here. The second track which is titled “Arcie”, is a unrequited love story about a guy who’s standards didn’t meet with a love interest who has a lot of money. Instrumentally, the volume and power in here didn’t really hook me on the first listen but the vocals did help emphasize the story in a humorous tone. The third track, and my favorite track out of the five, “Sorry” is an apology letter to the partner that the lead singer is reciting his words to. You don’t usually get a good song that actually has lyrics that revolve around apologies, but Bandido’s take on the formula was organic to the point where we are all that person who can’t afford to give the person who we care about the things that they want. It’s like Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs being sung over except that your satisfaction over the basic of things wasn’t solved. It sucks that you aren’t a knight in shining armor who own a big house and have parents who are mayors in your city.

The fourth track of the project which is “Propaganda” is a track that I can appreciate for its songwriting. There were some lines that discuss how the media manipulates the way how we think and at some times the media just churns the same content day in and day out, without providing any real answer as to why does it happen everyday. The guitar solo here is derived from your typical rock n’ roll found in the last half of the song. It’s a good thing that the guitars did a lot more than vocals because the vocals didn’t really do much but whine about the media. The guitars here sounds good and wiry -- really a great homage to old-school rock n’ roll music in the 90’s -- as it reaches to the end. The last track of the project and possibly their most talked about track to date, “Nanlaban”, is a track I have talked about at length before. We all know how much I loved the direction they went here and how much of it was so relevant in a place where our rights as humans are at stake. The reggae-like sound in the intro was a trap to make you feel safe but the song turns to a 180 then it talks about how anyone can be a victim of the tokhang that is implemented in other areas that are classified as “low class” or “slums”. This track was a brave take on the issue and it was executed very well by the band. We’ve come across with acts that are only relevant because the audience today digs their sound and painful sentiments through their lyrics. But there was always a feeling everytime I think about the current generation of music that I can’t seem to put my finger on just yet. And it’s that bands like Bandido should be noticed and celebrated for its perception of the higher class from a lower to middle class perspective.

The music itself was easy to comprehend and move along to and it was made when traditional rock music in the Philippines was at its peak before these new wave of musicians are now taking over the main stage. All in all though, Bandido’s self-titled release is a release that stands the test of time. What Lauryn Hill’s Miseducation and Axel Pinpin’s Isasatelebisyon is to us, Bandido’s self-titled reaches from 2018 to beyond. The mini-album has expanded thematically with all topics being discussed that are about the lower class, the horrors of unemployment, the government’s propagandic misinformation to the masses, or simply becoming a common man in a relevant time in history. This is an album that everyone has to listen.

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