Ben & Ben offers a toast and a goodbye to those they loved and broke up with on their new song.
No, they’re not being gluttons for punishment. It's all about the damned "feels."
Their latest single, titled “The Ones We Once Loved,” is a piano-decked song that “runs heavy on emotions filled with pain, maturity, and ultimately, acceptance” as the song description goes.
The lone piano accompaniment (and the eventual strings) certainly lends to the melancholia and hurt, but it's more about what’s being said than how its delivered as the lyrics go: "So I apologize for coming into your life / just to break your heart in pieces / and then leave you in the night."
The singer obviously wants to make amends. He goes on to say that from the start, “I never wanted anything but to see you reach your dreams” but that he has “dreams of my own and I just couldn’t let go.”
Paolo Guico’s from-the-gut delivery certainly moves. The song is his aching goodbye to say sorry one more time, before inevitably letting go and be on his way.
We can’t hear them all on this track, but Ben&Ben is Paolo and Miguel Guico on vocals and acoustic guitars, Pat Lasaten on piano and keyboards, Agnes Reoma on bass, Poch Barretto on electric guitars, Toni Muñoz and Andrew de Pano on percs and Jam Villanueva on drums.
“The Ones We Once Loved” is produced by Johnoy Danao and Jean Paul Verona.
Offering a fresh take on a Mayonnaise hit is young singer-songwriter Leila.
The dulcet toned singer strips down the Monty Macalino-written “Jopay” but made sure everything that’s good about the song is still there: the storytelling bit, the catchy choruses, even the rhythmic motif.
Except that Leila’s delivery is entirely acoustic guitar driven.
We’d say that Leila’s is “A Different Sunday”-worthy take (those who listen to Jam 883 would know that reference). Mayonaisse’s own Monty Macalino was at the helm to produce LEILA's version.
Taking flight is 21-year old singer-songwriter Baet Alcantara with his hypnotic new single titled “Eroplano.”
Hailing from Cavite, Baet Alcantara somewhat sounds like a trippier version of John Roa. Tonal similarities aside, Baet stands out on his own on this “slow burn acoustic track” about failed relationships and what-if’s. On this song, Baet Alcantara goes heavy on the vocal echoes and that accompanying guitar that seems to jam endlessly with him as he sings, adding to the stoner pop quality and headiness of “Eroplano.”
Pinoy band of Mercury is a trio built around guitarist vocalist Nathan Huang, bassist Angelo Sison and drummer Daniel Morong. Upon closer inspection, of Mercury is sort of a musical chameleon who goes head first into all styles depending probably on what their mood is.
From soulful rock romps like their excellent “Fools,” to 80’s NKOTB-styled R&B dance songs like “Out Of You,” to club-worthy electro pop like on their “New Highs” collaboration with Crazy Donkey and Angemi.
Their latest single is the lo-fi sounding “Enough” and it’s all about atmospherics and vibe this time around for the trio. The thing about of Mercury (formerly known as Nathan & Mercury)? Is that whatever style they’re currently fiddling with, works.