About 'The Dark Knight Rises'

One thing that dwindled in the last decade was the focus of Hollywood on elaborate & realistic action films. Being in the decade of the nerd, the genre was traded for simple-plotted toy & comic book stories which were mostly filled with explosions & CGI to compensate for the lack of complexity.

The shallowness of the Hollywood action genre in the beginning of the millennium still continues. There are a few highlights, of course, thanks to Scorsese, The Bourne series, and the more rugged Bond.

But when Nolan introduced the concept of the grounded superhero film with 'Batman Begins' in 2005, it stood out among the handful of movies at the time. Such was the beginning of another trilogy masterpiece. He followed it up with 'The Dark Knight' in 2008, painting an even darker picture that's actually a true reflection of many parts of the society. In fact, his Bat tales are not merely made-up stories to excite the viewer. They were always social commentaries on what's going on with the world; how not everything is black & white; and that things are fucked up but you can always do something about it.

The challenge is raised even more in the last installment, 'The Dark Knight Rises'. Eradicating evil with another evil - doing what's necessary. The question of whether freedom is more important than order or vice versa. Anarchy. How old wounds remain unhealed and affect what kind of persons we become. These are old themes that seem fresh in the film and, as always has been, gripping. While Ra's al Ghul was a justice freak and Joker was a madman just for the sake of being one, Bane has different intentions. With a stellar cast, 'Rises' presents a maze full of effective performances that sets deep into your bones. The fights are muscular - both figuratively & literally. And the twists, while they may not come as surprises to Batman fans, make the storytelling more interesting.

In spite of being based on a comic-book, the Nolan brothers have molded the stories of our favorite detective into a relatable form. And that's exactly why it works so well - because in all of us there is both a child who is a fan of fantasy and an adult who requires facing reality. It's a talent that no other writer/director can do today.

One can argue that Christopher Nolan hasn't been original since 2000's 'Memento' and he's just delivering rehash of old ideas. But everyone must realize that in our time right now, everything has already been thought of in the past. All you can do is gather different elements and concoct your own formula. And in that sense, Nolan is a genius.

Album Review: Incubus - If Not Now, When?

It's official. Incubus has a pop album.

Well not exactly pop but more of a pop-rock mid-tempo set of songs. 'If Not Now, When?' starts fresh with an 80s feel with the title track. It then proceeds to 'Promises Promises', a sort of groupie-point-of-view song. From there, they basically stay on the same road, not steering much with every tune they present. The melodies are catchy & the music backs them up tightly. Good songs actually make up the whole record. Good, but not necessarily great.

If you've been following the band since the beginning (or at least the middle) of their career, you would know that they are one of those few bands that show growth & evolution through their albums. A group that has a conscious effort to not repeat what they have done in the past as much as possible.

'Fungus Amongus' was full-on funk.
'S.C.I.E.N.C.E.' was funk/rap-metal.
'Make Yourself' was nu-metal.
'Morning View' was modern metal-alternative.
'A Crow Left Of The Murder' was hard rock (& the peak of their greatness).
'Light Grenades' was scattered-modern rock.

With 'If Not Now, When?', they chose to reinvent again & leave their comfort zones more than ever. Chris Kilmore, their previous DJ, fully takes on the role of the keyboard player. Guitarist Mike Einziger steps back, avoiding the flashy riffs & leads. Drummer Jose Pasillas applies a more-bassy sound, forgoing with his signature treble-laden pounding which works well with Ben Kenney's bass-playing. And the fact is that it all works well & perfect. The whole machinery is cool & smooth.

However, it does not offer anything new. It may be new to Incubus but it's a territory that many musicians have been on before. Einziger might try out a Radiohead-like tone here & there or employ 80s riffs on 2 songs but it's nowhere near groundbreaking. As for vocalist/lyricist Brandon Boyd's themes, it still has that poetic attitude. However, like in the previous album, the themes that surround the tracks are mostly about romance. He is more convincing delivering lines with depth. Here he is almost comparable to younger lovelorn singers. The good news is that he sounds less annoying here than on his emo-like takes on Light Grenades. Although the 'ooohs' & 'aahs' he's too comfortable executing sometimes seems off. He unfortunately was not able to fully-adapt to the new genre they decide to take on.

The album is not 100% mid-tempo. There's the lead single 'Adolescents' which is formulaic Incubus & the fast-paced 'Switchblade' which really is a sore-thumb. The most redeeming part of the whole record though is the 2nd part of 'In the Company of Wolves'. The first part sounds like it was written by either Coldplay or Band Of Horses. But it sublimes into a weird & dreamy tune ala-Massive Attack. It's the most space-floating moment you'll get in this 50- minute ride.

In conclusion, Incubus avoided taking risks but by doing that, they took a huge risk at the same time. It's a paradox that, if given enough thought, actually holds true. The risk is losing a large part of their fan base who were too familiar with their previous aggressive & brash music. The not-taking-risks on the other hand is delivering an album full of forgettable hits; songs that may be catchy at first but melt away too easily. Whether they intentionally want to mess with people's minds or not by offering average music, they undoubtedly seem uninspired. Musicians have to be judged by music anyway. Theirs today is sedated - an inkling of what they can do as a powerful band. Better luck next time.

The Strokes Breaks First Impressions

New York-based garage band The Strokes released their 3rd album, 'First Impressions Of Earth', on January of last year. Mixed reviews of the CD made me hesitant on giving it a listen. Plus, the garage genre slowly took a backseat in my head for the past year. Until a month ago when I took 'Room On Fire' to one of my daily train rides to the office. Even though I dismissed that 3rd album (considering it as a failure - just because AllMusic said so!), I had always been wondering what changes they've made with their sound. Of course, the first (Is This It?) and second album (Room On Fire) basically had the same feel to it - though I should say that their sophomore outing was an improvement.
So on the weekend that followed, I went to Quiapo (yeah, I’m cheap) and bought myself that third album.
And the critics were right - the band did change! But I believe they got better!
‘First Impressions Of Earth’ impresses the passive listeners - suggesting a wide and more complex image for the band. First track 'You Only Live Once' is a great opener and makes you want to listen further. If the chorus of ‘Razorblade’ makes you feel like you’re listening to a very familiar melody, that’s because band vocalist/songwriter Julian Casablancas rips off Barry Manilow’s Mandy. Under other circumstances, this would’ve pissed me off. But Casablancas gets away with it right there because he does it so well and you’d have to just consider it as homage to Mr. Manilow. ‘Ask Me Anything’ is a minimalist song utilizing a mellotron instead of the usual set-up. That’s right! No-guitars, no drums, no bass – just that mellotron and Julian singing over it. He sings ‘We could drag it out. But that's for other bands to do.’ What’s funny is he does drag you out – in dragging beautiful way. The lyrics make no sense but that’s the sense of it. If that makes sense to you.
Unfortunately, only the first half of the album sinks in after repeated listens.
The second-half is like an unnecessary bore that you just can’t wait to end. And the reason for that is because this album is indeed longer than the other first two albums – about twice as long. If it’s not for ‘Ize Of The World’, I should hate the last parts of the album. And ‘Ize Of The World’, is the work of an artist that’s bound to be either dismissed or hated by shallow men who will never understand him. The song is good, not great but good. But the ending is what it’s all about. It abruptly stops without any hint that it would. And it’s not just an ordinary stop- it’s a full stop- the brown-outs we taste every now and then, the unexpected blow on your head by an unforeseen attacker, the shutting of your brain. And if you’re wondering why, listen to the words.
The Strokes had taken a leap on this one. Not just a step but a leap. Some may not like it and they might shed a few fans for it. But music is always about doing/writing/playing/singing what you want despite the opinions of others.
So hats off to these guys!

By the way, the inlays are great too – courtesy of Love Police!

The Return of the Mayas.

This morning, while having my daily relaxation before sleep, I chanced upon one music video. From the first strums of the acoustic guitar, I quickly identified the song - Rivermaya's Sunday Driving! Just about time they released another single from their last album. But the visuals, man!, it had me blurting out "Putek, ang ganda!"

SUNDAY DRIVING is one of the most beautiful songs in Between the Stars and Waves. A great opener - simple yet sweeping - it has that Britpop touch that signifies Rico Blanco's fascination with Radiohead, Coldplay and like bands. Nevermind that they ignored their last album lately. Even I, as a fan, got to the point of exhaustion from them because of their mediocre outings. But the release of Sunday Driving made me miss them and re-realize the genius of Rico Blanco.

The video is an edgy animation in the same way of The Dissociatives' first video (forgot the title), Coldplay's Trouble, and Oasis' All Around The World.
Amazing surrealism. As the title suggests, the boys, animated and all, are driving along a road and in the end gets submerged in the sea. Plus you can't miss the searing background. All in all, it compliments the atmosphere of the song. The images embody the whole album since it instantly reminds us of the inlay in Between the Stars and Waves. I wonder who directed it. I'd like to see it again, or better yet, have a copy of it. It's really impressive.

I've always been a Rivermaya fan - more than any other local bands.
And with a video like this (by far their best), it just revives my faith in the band.

X & Y

COLDPLAY 'X&Y'
Album Review
June 22, 2005
-Rob Chris E. Obong