Paramita - Paramita (2008)

The strength of an artist may be measured by their second album. That is what I think. Many artists and bands whose second albums have gone on to stay. Take Radiohead for example. When everyone heard Creep, they all screamed "one hit wonder". The band retorted with "The Bends", their sophomore album, their most accessible one, and the one that jumpstarted their mainstay in the rock world.

Paramita is no stranger to the "one hit wonder" danger that many bands try to avoid. Their song "Hiling" is such a big hit for them like "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is to Nirvana. It's a good thing their album "Tala" has a bunch of hit-worthy songs such as the title track, "Panaginip Lang", and others. Still, besides being a favorite in the Philippine gig scene, they still have much to prove. Nowadays, they are proving themselves pretty well, with solid performances that command the attention of the audience. The fact that Ria Bautista, the lone female member of this three-piece, plays a mean drums while singing. She really kills the kit. Trust me, I have seen them live.

Okay, this is my first review for this blog, and I will probably follow this review format for the rest of my posts.

Pros:

• Mature musicianship. In the first album, Norman Dellosa recorded the guitars. In this album, Marco de Leon plays the guitars, and he adds a really different flavor to the band's songs. When you compare the two albums of the band, you might notice the difference in the way the guitars sound. Marco's guitars are blues-influenced with a hint of classic rock here and there. His slide guitar parts add a new dimension to the sound. Oh heck, just listen to the album. Alsey Cortez's basslines also play their part in "filling up" the sound. Ria's drumming and singing? It's in the next list items.
• Odd-timed passages. There are some, which sprout unexpectedly, in the album. "Lisan" has one, near the mid-end of the song. I found myself rewinding the CD just to check if it was indeed a 7-count measure. This just proves that a pop-rock or a non-prog band can have odd-timed parts without sounding "geeky". Some bands in this category [from the top of my head] include Sandwich and Typecast. Ria's drumming is the foundation of these complex passages.
• Ria's singing is better than ever here. Just the first track is enough proof. The CD also has "demo" versions of some of their songs, recorded live in Marco's room. These live tracks are proof of the band's talent. You will hear that Ria's voice quality is the same in these live versions as in the studio versions.
• Simple yet thought-provoking lyrics. It's pop-rock the way you want it to be. Easy to listen to, easy to get stuck in your head. Tracks like "Sa Piling Nya" and "Lisan" have must-hear lyrics.

Possible cons:

The song "Decadence" is one surprising song in the album. It has that ska/hardcore feel [with Wowie of Radioactive Sago Project on trumpet] which is very "un-Paramita-like". I was surprised by the lyrics and the phrasing of this song [Who started this fire?/Who started burning the building/....how would you like your death steak/Well done or rare?]. It first sounded pretentious to me, but after several listens, it became one of the most memorable tracks in the album.

Ratings:

Music - 83%
Lyrics - 80%
Album Art - Still the Buddhism-Taoism-inspired art like in the first album. 75%
Replay Value - 78%
Overall - 80.5%

Standout Tracks: Decadence, Lisan, A Little Less Time

While listening to the album: Clean up the stuff in your room. Then mess something up again when "Decadence" plays.

Links:
Rough Cuts of the Album from Paramita's Multiply Site
Paramita on AMP
Paramita Official Mailing List