From our side of the world

MANILA, Philippines - The two CDs today may have lyrics in English, but the musicians are from this side of the globe! Taken By Cars is a Philippine band that took the alternative scene by storm a few years back, and its new CD is a true winner. Brooke Fraser is a Kiwi, and her take on folk music is a joy to listen to.

Taken By Cars — Dualist (Pony Bear Records). If you have any preconceived notions about Taken By Cars and its dance rock/indie music, thanks to the group’s first CD, you can throw that out the window with the sophomore effort. Maybe they’ve been listening to bands like Yeah Yeah Yeahs or Gossip; but there’s definitely a more muscular, harder-edged rock approach to its post-punk music this time out. I really loved the song Considerate, where it has an ’80s electro-feel intro; and the carrier single This Is Our City scores high marks. There is a maturity in the CD, and much more consistent audio quality. As to where the band is heading, one can’t tell; but I do like the fact that this is not a mere rehash of its old sound, and the band is taking risks as it evolves and matures.

Brooke Fraser — Flags (Sony Music/Ivory). Brooke hails from New Zealand; but her music has direct lines to the likes of Joni Mitchell, Sarah McLachlan, and even Paul Simon (will explain later). Known in the alternative scene for her introspective ballads, the new CD has Brooke spreading her wings and doing more upbeat tunes and collaborations. The opener, Something In the Water is a bouncy alt/folk tune, while the song Betty has a Switchfoot member helping out. I loved Jack Kerouac — with the loopy African guitar play ala Paul Simon’s Graceland days; and the real stunning number here is her emo duet with Aqualung’s Matt Hales, Who Are We Fooling. A very consistent bunch of songs, for those who want to hear what contemporary folk music can sound like.