A decade or so ago, news of a release by a “side project” of some act I liked would have registered scorn and disdain on my part, particularly when such releases come too close for comfort with the main act’s recently released material. Such fatuous loyalties have since been diluted, and the definition of “side project” has been eroded to a point where it has become meaningless, its sneering, almost pejorative use defanged for the most part. A decade hence, my tenor—and the general listening public’s, by my estimation—has softened when it comes to such releases, and I’ve found myself disposing of the differentiation between the two altogether. Asking what caused such a change in the musical zeitgeist is inviting a chicken-egg conundrum (i.e., whether people becoming more appreciative of side projects have caused more side projects to surface, or vice versa); I personally can’t be bothered to engage in that rather tedious conversation.
Being an admirer of the juggernaut that is Twin Lobster—who, in my opinion, is currently the most musically talented trio (bested only by the now-defunct Ginseng Luzon), at least in the circles that I frequent—I couldn’t help but gravitate towards its vocalist and de facto leader Nick Lazaro’s electro-pop outfit Moonwlk and its debut release 20Twelve. Sharing vocal duties with the coy but emotive Gabbi Buencamino, Lazaro’s musical pedigree (a conservatoire-trained musician who now moonlights as a music educator) and road-wear manifest themselves strongly in this record. Unorthodox hooks have always been one of Lazaro’s strengths in his other musical outfit, and 20Twelve is replete with expressions of such tendencies. “Your Nose, Your Throat, Your Words,” while punctuated by discordant voicings in certain sections, can easily be a mid-tempo sing-along anthem among casual listeners.
“Droppish” and the title track flow from the same musical reservoir, with Buencamino’s singing applying the final gloss to these already pretty melodic vignettes. Lyrically speaking, some songs have a tendency to be dragging and can sometimes feel too densely packed to have an immediate emotional effect. The lines in “All Red,” for example, occasionally sound like they’re on the verge of stumbling, much like how one can when one takes too many small steps too rapidly. More perceptive fans of Twin Lobster will also recognize some motifs from that band’s oeuvre (listen to the angular and syncopated accents on “Droppish” around 1:40-1:55) appearing on this album.
But all this is minutiae in the context of the competent songwriting in this collection. In this listener’s opinion, the biggest gem in the crown is “Choose Me” (a track previously reviewed on this site). A plaintive, earnest plea addressed to a mostly inebriated love interest, Lazaro and Buencamino broker a perfect marriage between an irresistibly hummable melody and a satisfactorily expressed sentiment. Listening to this track alone may tempt someone to tag this duo as merely “having potential,” but such a description is tangential, if not altogether inaccurate: Moonwlk’s 20Twelve, in spite of its blemishes, stands as a solid first outing by a group who knows what it’s doing, and isn’t afraid to take a risk if only to be rewarded by the discovery of their current limitations.
No comments:
Post a Comment