The Bloomfields – The Bloomfields
EMI
Tracks:
1. At The Hop
2. Girl from Ipanema
3. Alam Mo Na Yun*
4. If I Fell
5. Ale
6. Never Let Her Slip Away
7. You’re Gonna Lose That Girl
8. Wala Nang Iba*
9. Wouldn’t It Be Nice
10. The Way I Care*
11. Surfer Girl
12. Iskul Bukol
13. Say You Do*
14. King Creole
15. Little Honda
16. Walk On By
17. Please Don’t Go*
* composed by Jayjay Lozano and Rocky Collado
I don’t listen to radio that much. If I do, it must be Sunday – Sunday morning. You know what that means.
Yes, I like “daddy music”.
I dunno. Maybe because they are easier to the ears. Maybe because the focus is more on the vocals than the noise. Maybe because they are simpler.
That’s why I like The Bloomfields.
I was aware of this band back when I was still working at Eastwood. I saw tarpaulins along Eastwood announcing the bands who would perform at Fuente Circle. When I saw The Bloomfields, the first thought that came to me was “Beatles wannabees”. So they faded into memory.
Fast forward a year later. I saw them perform at an early morning show. They were singing “Ale”. The first thought that came to my mind was “cool!” And then I told myself that this band warrants a review.
So Friday last week I went to SM Megamall to get a copy of their album (plus that of Miguel Escueta). Incidentally, my one-year-old Altec Lansing earphones went bust (the right side, to be exact), so I bought this Philips in-ear headphones.
So the earphones being the primary purchase target, I made comparison shopping first, and to my surprise, The Bloomfields was performing at Building A for their mall tour. I took a peep.
And I was surprised to see myself enjoying the performance.
Anyway, their first album has 17 songs, five of them original compositions. The choice of covers were eclectic, from Elvis Presley to The Beatles. Iskul Bukol was an odd choice, but it’s a rock and roll tune, after all.
It is hard to review this album, because I like all the songs. Heck, it’s on my iPod, and it’s the current playlist, accompanying me to and from work. It is rather embarassing to see yourself singing along while at the MRT, and I am afraid that one day I might just do that unconsciously! That’s how much I like this album.
The album started with a bang, a veritable 60s rock and roll staple, “At the Hop”. Very catchy, and unfortunately this my LSS song. Everyday. Can’t help myself singing “Let’s go do the hop”. Promise, I was singing this one night on my way home, walking while it was raining. (Now I am embarassed.)
The next song was the videoke staple “Girl from Ipanema”, which is really not one of my favorites. But the band did this song with justice.
“Alam Mo Na Yun” follows, and is the first among the original compositions for this album. The lyrics were simple, repetitive, with the odd English-Filipino lines combined. You know, “alam mo na yun/you know what I mean”. They followed it up with The Beatles classic “If I Fell”, and somehow, the acoustic guitar is missing in this version.
Somehow, I am surprised by “Ale”. The original did not impress me much when it was first released, but somehow the band was able to put a new (old) spin to this song. And imagine the drummer as the lead vocals in this song performing live. “Never Let Her Slip Away” was played in 60s mode.
Another Beatles classic, “You’re Gonna Lose That Girl”, was played almost exactly as how it was originally played (except that the bongo-like percussion is missing in the cover version), although a bit faster. “Wala Nang Iba” is another Collado-Lozano collaboration. This is a nice song, vocals wise.
One criteria that I use when I gauge a song is simple: if I can easily catch the lyrics, it must be OK. However, I just can’t do that with “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”. The fact that this song has higher vocal range does not help; it must be a challenge for the band to sing, specially live.
Among the original songs, “The Way I Care” is the best, vocals-wise. You know, “And I———— will take you hand”. It has simple lyrics, simple melody, simple message – which makes this one LSS prone for me.
I’ll skip “Surfer Girl” – it’s the least likeable song in the mix (I just don’t like the song). As for “Iskul Bukol”, someone among them sounds uncannily like Joey de Leon. “Say You Do” is another original, simple and easy to the ears.
Two powerhouse covers follow – “King Creole” and “Little Honda”. The latter is a very fun song, specially if you are travelling. I wonder why Honda is not using this song for their motorcycle ads.
“Walk on By”, a Bacharach classic, is another surprise. This is the kind of song that bitter, broken-hearted people can relate to (most specially if you the other person regularly).
“Please Don’t Go” is in Filipino. Odd title, no? I think this is the weakest among the original compositions. The ending vocals sounded as if they lost power. I wish they put a much better song at the end.
Overall I really like their rookie outing. What I don’t like is the CD case. The outer casing is cardboard, light-colored, thus susceptible to dirt. Mine has several on it.
WHAT I LIKE:
What is there not to like?
WHAT I DON’T LIKE:
The CD case.
Online Reviews:
* Daddy music from The Bloomfields
* The Bloomfields: Stepping Out of the 60’s
* GOOD VIBRATIONS: THE BLOOMFIELDS MAKE MUSIC FOR EVERYONE
PS: Any fan of the band out there? Sound out, leave a comment!