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| Photo by: Kirvy Waga |
The first EP Track Over gives you that chill country vibe which is a suggestive way to start off an album that aims to detour from mainstream media’s usual sound. It is a great track and can easily become a favorite to a first time listener. Another groovy song called Complicated follows, and the upbeat mood is sustained. This song is an interesting mix of Kitchie Nadal-esque voice quality perfectly combined with a background instrumentals that somehow resemble that of The Naked and Famous creation. The clapping effect incorporated somewhere in the middle of the song which is accompanied by subtle drumbeats is also quite a unique idea. It is a smooth rhythm that makes you want to bob your head and take in the beat entirely. Dreamer and Guitarman on the other hand, which are a little mellower compared to the previous songs, and are mostly just accompanied by guitar shows off Jad’s unruffled and cool vocals.
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Jad Montenegro's second EP, Detours |
The fourth track off the EP is called Invincible which is a personal favorite. The soft balance between Jad’s singing and guitar plucking especially in the verses makes the song not only lyrically strong but also well-furnished in terms of musicality. It’s like you can actually hear the pain out of her voice when she sings “We thought we had it all and that we were invincible but you’re a liar.” Jad is indubitably a very good writer but I can’t help but fall in love with how she is able to do the wordplay in her lyrics so flawlessly which in turn retains the honesty and sincerity upon each song. The sixth and final track from this EP is A Heavy Heart. This is also another favorite! It starts with a solemn guitar plucking where Jad’s somber voice slowly sinks in. This earthly folk-pop track is also somehow a reminder Mazzy Star’s work (which gives me an idea, maybe Jad could earn the tag name “Mazzy Star of Mindanao”). The overall upshot of her voice, a barren musical accompaniment and worn-out self conveyed by the simple but emotionally significant choice of words are just so melancholic that I can actually imagine this song being used as a musical score for some tragic film.
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| Photo by: Kirvy Waga |
Overall, I think the band did a fantastic job with their Detours EP. It definitely shows the indie-folk while inputting drama out of a guitar’s ability to uplift the emotions within the song. It is an EP that every acoustic/indie folk lover out there should get their hands on and listen to.
