The last of the new romantics: We Are
Imaginary return with an album to learn and sing
by rick olivares
Indie rock band We Are Imaginary’s
third album, “Death to Romanticism” opens with some lines from the Michel
Gondry film, “The Science of Sleep”…
“Now don’t play me. This is never
gonna happen. Are you trying to give me hope?”
“Maybe we should try.”
And well… this is album is your happy
pill to the crumbling world around us.
We Are Imaginary are back with
their third album (after their debut, “One Dreamy Indeterminate Hum” and their
sophomore release, “The Silence is a Villain”) that shimmers with delight and
optimism. Sick and tired of the news of the world? Then press play on “Death to
Romanticism”; an oxymoron of a title. And that’s fine.
If the first album was an ode to
innocence and brimmed with youthful optimism, the second album was edgier, as
the band, in lead singer and guitarist Ahmad Tanji’s words, “was trying to find
our footing”, then “Death to Romanticism” is a combination of both.
“It’s edgy but it retains the
sweetness of youth,” adds Tanji; a sweetener to the angst of line-up changes
and the life and times of an indie band in search of a pop dream. “I describe
the album as hummable noise.”
In writing about this band’s
previous efforts, I’ve oft spoke of the soft-loud dynamics of the Pixies,
Weezer yet with the bittersweet harmony of Fil-Am rockers Versus. We Are
Imaginary feels that way minus the eccentricities and instead waxes poetic and
hopeful. If the Bard were alive today, he’d be also listening to We Are
Imaginary (and perhaps, to Sting and the Verve among others).
The strength in this band is
their songwriting that are deep and emotive. And when you wax that kind of
eloquence, you reel people in. Furthermore, the musicianship, more than ever --
from drummer Eric Po, bassist Vhal Bugtong, and guitarists Ahmad and Khalid
Tanji – is solid. In short, We Are Imaginary have a gift for hooks. Hummable
noise indeed.
The album opens with the rocker, “Press
Play” with some wailing vocals by guest vocalist Mary Whitney and a scrumptious
interplay with Tanji. “I forgot to breathe…” they both sing. And thankfully,
music, allows you to breathe when life sucks.
“Sunny Where You Are” somehow
reminds me of Gondry’s other well-known film “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless
Mind. It’s a yearning as the songs goes, A Woody Allen film, a Jeff Buckley
song – signposts of good days or moments that bring a smile to one’s lips.
“Pencil Me In” is in that vein
too.
Lest you think that it is all
bright and sunny, the band somewhat steps on the breaks with pensive ditties “Danger
Signs”, “Episodes”, and “A Good Kind of Sad” are a reality check. But this isn’t
“We Aren’t Imaginary” if they don’t have this wistful take despite the tough
times.
Life isn’t all sunny weather, the
seasons, as Stevie Nicks once wrote for an entire generation of daydreamers in “Landslide,”
it’s about handling the seasons of our lives. And handle it well is what We Are
Imaginary does. It is what this band is all about. Just because the world
around us sucks, it doesn’t mean we can’t work and hope for a better one.
Au contraire, romanticism is
alive and well.
Now get the album and press play.
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CDs of the new album can be purchased at Satchmi (Megamall), Team Manila (MOA, SM North & Trinoma), Four Strings (Cubao X), and Crazy Katsu (Maginhawa St).
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CDs of the new album can be purchased at Satchmi (Megamall), Team Manila (MOA, SM North & Trinoma), Four Strings (Cubao X), and Crazy Katsu (Maginhawa St).
