Music review: Things we do need - Ciudad's Follow the Leader

The lonely road to Sunday night passed through a quiet art gallery somewhere near Cubao.

 

It was where I first heard Mikey Amistoso play a few songs, including a song which he sent to a conservatory in the States for which he was accepted. This was not the kind of stuff which Ciudad used to play. 

 

In fact, one of the most memorable performances I can recall from their early days was a cover of R.E.M. anthem “It's The End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine),” with guest vocals from Quark Henares. That was in 1996.

 

That stuff was from his solo project Hannah+Gabi. It was two years after Ciudad released Bring Your Friends, and around the time the album was released, guitarist Jeff Cabal left for the US.

 

That night at Green Papaya, Mikey's new songs had a sound that, in places, was more closely influenced by the band whose song lent its name to the project, the Nineties indie-pop group Lemonheads. The lyrics were in some places more reflective and minimalist in their poetry. Hannah+Gabi's EP Haha Yes, still one of the best local indie records of 2011, includes what I consider one of Amistoso's best songs ever, “Lost Together,” which he wrote with girlfriend Marian Hernandez.

 

The opening track of Haha Yes, “City,” was what came to mind when I heard “There's A Lonely Road to Sunday Night,” the first single from Follow the Leader (self-released, 2012). The song is proving to be a favorite among fans. 

 

I would agree with them. If there was something Amistoso learned, and learned very well from his experience with Hannah+Gabi, it was how to build a sound that was textured and harmonious. This is the clearest example, with the layered vocals playing over a well-balanced blend of keyboard, guitar, and drums. (He is credited with writing all but one of the songs on this album, and almost all of the lyrics, some in collaboration with Hernandez.)

 

The album has tracks that do hark back to previous work—the bouncy number “Things I Don't Need” is a good example, with its wry dismissal of everything from “soggy fries” to “classic rock.” 

 

But there are songs which would surprise those who are familiar with the band, including the song “Johnny,” a keyboard-driven ballad with the same minimal poetry one could find on Haha Yes. This is a transitional album to a sound that those familiar with them would find “mature,” though I would hesitate to use the term.  The last song, “Justin in New York,” which was a collaborative effort between all the band's members, is proof that in some ways they have figured out how to evolve.

 

Follow the Leader features some interesting cameos, including "Ang Nawawala" director and fellow Blast Ople member Marie Jamora on “You Know the Answer, Just Follow the Leader” and +/- drummer Chris Deaner on “Things I Don't Need.” Jazz Nicolas of the Itchyworms plays on several of the tracks and in fact joins Ciudad when they play live. 

 

More importantly, Nicolas is responsible for the liner art, which was drawn on an iPad. There are some speculations as to which were done on the popular drawing game application Draw Something. Whatever the truth may be, buyers at the album launch were able to obtain postcard versions of the art, some of which are quite beautiful.

 

It is a good thing when musicians one has known for quite some time take their sound in interesting new directions, and produce new material every now and then. This is the case with Kjwan, another band from that same generation, with their yet-to-be-completed trilogy of EP records called Kjwan IV, the first of which was released in March. 

 

What Ciudad has managed to achieve in this process is an album that could draw a new generation of fans with a sound that draws from the best of their influences while keeping their capacity for both mirth and reflection intact. –DVM, GMA News

Cover art illustrations by Jazz Nicolas and layout/design by CJ de Silva. Courtesy of the Ciudad website.  

Ren Aguila writes about music, film, and health for GMA News Online. He was in high school when he first heard Ciudad. The album is available on the band's Bandcamp page  or at their gigs.