Pinoy rock of the romantic kind

The name still reminds me of something icky from a school science project like worms or insects. But no matter what the origins of its name, Imago is one of the most prolific and versatile among the local bands of today. These guys do almost anything. A variety of rhythms can be found in their recordings. They rock and play pop, blues and other types that they often spice up with amusing classical and Celtic influences. Check out their earlier releases Probably Not but Most Definitely and Take 2 for more samples of these.

Their new album Blush features more of the same. Hard-driving rock alternates with wistful ballads softened by the dreamy lyrics and vocals by Aia de Leon, Imago head poet and lead vocalist. Aia’s sound and sensibility is what makes Imago different. This is Pinoy rock but of the frothy, romantic sort. The music playing by Tim Cacho on guitars, Myrene Academia on bass, Zach Lucero on drums is generally competent but it is Aia’s feminine touch that enables a band like Imago to get away with an album title like Blush.

The first single release is the catchy Taralets. Some listeners out of touch with the times might ask, what on earth does Taralets mean? I believe that the word is a clever combination of two words. One is the Tagalog colloquial for let’s go, or tera na. The other one, lets comes from basically the same source, let’s go. So while people from a generation or two ago would have said, tera na or let’s go, by way of invitation, the kids these days are saying taralets, sama ka na.

The song has grown into Imago’s most popular single to date and should bode well for the other cuts it created for Blush. I believe that the more infectious Closer would make a very good next single, while Last Dance and Lights Out bring a hint of sensuality into Aia’s wholesome delivery. The other songs included are Zelo, Lula, Sundo, Under Repair, Highway, Walang Mysterio, So Be It and S.R.O.

Top 20 videos

Time now to take stock of the hits. Imago’s Taralets continues to ride high in the Pinoy MYX Countdown after several weeks on the air. The top 20 videos in the list are: Doobidoo by Kamikazee from the Kami nAPO Muna tribute to the Apo Hiking Society album; Bitiw by Sponge Cola; Stars by Callalily; Taralets by Imago; Waltz by Hale; Bakit by Rachelle Ann Go; She Could Be by Christian Bautista; Pa’no Nangyari Yun? by Mayonnaise; Yakap Sa Dilim by Orange & Lemons; Gitara by Parokya ni Edgar; Isang Bandila by Rivermaya; Batang-bata Ka Pa by Sugarfree; Peace Man by Bamboo; I Still Believe in Loving You by Sarah Geronimo; Beautiful Days by Kyla; I Do by Nina; Back to Me by Cueshé; Alive by Frio; Nene by Manomano; and Hawak Kamay by Yeng.

Take note that aside from Doobidoo by Kamikazee, the videos of Yakap sa Dilim by Orange & Lemons and Batang-bata Ka Pa by Sugarfree also come from cuts in the Kami nAPO Muna album. This hit-powered collection turned 2006 into another great year in the three-decade career of the Apo. Imago is of course among the participants in the project. The band performs Louie Ocampo’s Ewan, which was one of the Apo’s early hits.

Incidentally, a cleverly packaged special two-CD edition of Kami nAPO Muna is now available. It features the tribute album side by side with a compilation of the Apo’s original recordings. Think you can now compare the work of Jim, Danny and Buboy with the new covers? Try, if you want to, but this is another case where verdicts of good or better turn instead to the simply odious.

All I can say is that two things happened after listening to these songs. One is that it made me appreciate the music of the Apo more. These guys are really good, despite occasional grammatical lapses like magkasunduan in Nakapagtataka. The other is that I came to truly admire how talented our new bands today are. No inept garage groupings here. What we have instead are creative musicians who can take any song and turn it into their own.