Taste

In 1996, Philippine alternative rock band Elektrikoolaid released their debut album, Taste. The band's music is an eclectic concoction of funk, psychedelia, rock, and acid jazz, among other styles. On paper, the premise of the band's music is a welcome change from most albums released in the Philippines, which are usually safe and well within musical boundaries. Unfortunately, the sound of the album is quite amateurish, and seems to flounder meaninglessly, without a sense of direction.

"I Got Me" begins with funky guitar rhythms which are soon punctuated by soulful trumpet lines, heightening the sense of funk. All seems fine until the vocalist enters the scene, and spews an incredibly cliched melody line (composed of several nonsense syllables). The rest of the melody is worse, and despite the funky instrumentation, the song is directionless, devoid of substance. "F-Song" features a penetrating guitar line, which outshines the melody of the song itself. Lead singer Anabel Bosch's voice isn't the most versatile of vehicles, and her range is limited; yet, her sincerity makes itself felt. "Bahala Ka (Sa Buhay Mo)" ("It's Up to You [Whatever You Want to Do with Your Life]) and "Black to Gray" contain jazzy, dreamily played trumpet lines, giving the songs an acid-jazz feel. Most of the melodies don't have much to offer, just as the album itself doesn't offer much, although "Bahala Ka (Sa Buhay Mo)" contains a catchy bridge. The Philippines needs more of the adventurousness shown by Elektrikoolaid, but the music needs to be innovative, not just different.