Jackie Dosmanos

<div><strong>The Buildings<br/>&quot;Cell-O-Phane&quot;</strong></div><div style="width:30%;background:#cccccc;margin:5px;padding:5px;float:left"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2016/entertainment2/04/25/the-buildings_042516.jpg" width="100%"/></div>Somewhere near the crossroads between Ramones punk and ‘60s girl group panache lies The Buildings, whose fuzz-pop frames Mariah Reodica’s sometimes cool, sometimes angelic voice. With enough exuberance to illuminate even the darkest corners of the soul, the band crafts its own radiant brand of pop. You can name-check its antecedents but all critical musings sail out of the window each time The Buildings uncage their shimmering indie pop.<div><span style="line-height:1.6">Hit the play button and “A Modest Proposal” easily gets under your skin via the unbridled buzz of ‘70s punk topped by Reodica’s dainty presence. Next comes “Different Shades of Blue” in which she warbles in the wake of classic shoegaze atmospherics. Forward to “The Doom Squad” and she’s got surf rock twanging along. Then off to the psychedelic wonderland that’s “Peppermint &amp; Sage.”</span></div><p>In &quot;The Buildings,&quot; the usual tension of premium rock gives way to assimilation and accommodation. Their debut album showcases a confident, evolving voice that sounds familiar and new at the same time.</p><p>*****</p><div><strong>Veil Of Maya<br/>&quot;Matriarch&quot;</strong></div><div style="width:30%;background:#cccccc;margin:5px;padding:5px;float:left"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2016/entertainment2/04/25/veilofmayamatriarchcd_042516.jpg" width="100%"/></div><p>They started out as primal progenitors of technical deathcore — one spiked by prog-rock guitar runs that drill holes in your speakers. The technical wizardry almost akin to jazz made one forgive the growls and shrieks that’s part and parcel of the whole package.</p><p>On their latest album, &quot;Veil of Maya&quot; continues to traffic in brilliant guitar riffage and odd time changes that wouldn’t be out of place in a Mahavishnu Orchestra album in the ‘70s. But unlike previous Maya outings, the death howls this time around work things out in tandem with clean singing.</p><p>A Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde fixation envelops the vocal execution even if the clean singing unveils mundane lyrics. The words still explore the edges of bitterness and grief but they’re delivered in the fury of hardcore punk and heavy metal.</p><p>There are no wasted notes in the muscular music that reveals new subtleties with every listen. “Mikasa” hits hardest, its guttural and clean vocals charade gouged out a bed of majestic djent guitar progression. “Three-fifty” features amplified progressive rock chords circling around fractured backbeats. Titular track “Matriarch” even draws out its sonic hailstorm from the bare bones of a jewelry box tune.</p><p>It’s nonstop devil horns when Veil of Maya work the stage at Pulp Summer Slam 16 on April 30 at the Amoranto Stadium, QC.</p><p>*****</p><div><strong>Lukas Graham<br/>&quot;Lukas Graham&quot;</strong></div><div style="width:30%;background:#cccccc;margin:5px;padding:5px;float:left"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2016/entertainment2/04/25/lukas-graham_042516.jpg" width="100%"/></div><p>The hooky debut from this tuneful Danish artist offers sincere meditations on growing up, perfect love and funeral arrangements conveyed in Maroon 5’s light touch. Each track, cooed by Lukas Graham in a high sincere tenor not unlike that of Sam Smith, is a snapshot of a young man’s diary entry.</p><p>Current radio staple “7 Years” paints a poignant picture of a troubled relationship between father and son. Combined with lounge piano and Graham’s soulful voice, the song becomes haunting and substantive to draw you in.</p><p>Lukas uses the same soul treatment to prop up the fun message behind “Playtime” and to stir up the pure pop confection in “You’re Not There.” “When I Woke Up” reminds of Bruno Mars and “Take The World By Storm” sounds like Sam Smith aping Beck Hansen.</p><p>In lesser hands, the album’s themes would be tired topics tied to rehashed beats and rhythms. Thanks to Lukas Graham’s distinctive voice, he manages to convincingly impart the depth of his pain and the transience of his joys.</p><p>*****</p><div><strong>Prince<br/>&quot;Hitnrun Phase Two&quot;</strong></div><div style="width:30%;background:#cccccc;margin:5px;padding:5px;float:left"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2016/entertainment2/04/25/prince-2_042516.jpg" width="100%"/></div><p>Prince aka Prince Rogers Nelson, the man behind “When Doves Cry” and “Nothing Compares 2 U,” was found dead in his home in Minneapolis. He leaves behind a legacy that ranks him among pop music’s geniuses.</p><p>His last studio album released unexpectedly in December last year is one more proof of Prince’s immense talents. After a spate of spotty albums in the ‘00s including Hitnrun Phase One in mid-2015, Hitnrun Phase Two is a return to form, reminiscent of his heady years with former ‘90s band The Revolution.</p><p>Prince moves exquisitely among James Brown funk (“Xtraloveable,” “2 Y. 2 D”), rock and roll (“Screwdriver”) and ballads that drip with foreplay and wild sex (“When She Comes”, “Look at Me, Look at U”). In “RocknRoll Love Affair,” a Dylanequeque quality pervades his vocal delivery.</p><p>The album’s finest moment comes in “Stare”, a party starter in which rock shares equally billing with funk and R&amp;B.</p><p>Beyond a seeming preoccupation with sex, &quot;Hitnrun Phase Two&quot; opens “Baltimore” takes on the politicized accusation of police brutality against blacks. Prince preaches “peace is more than the absence of war” and invokes “No justice, no peace.”</p><p>Prince is finally at peace and the heavens gains one more shining star in its glittery firmament.</p>

With enough exuberance to illuminate even the darkest corners of the soul, The Buildings crafts its own radiant brand of pop. 

Music reviews: The Buildings, Prince, Lukas Graham, Veil of Maya

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Traffic

Manila

Horoscope

Showbiz

Music reviews: The Buildings, Prince, Lukas Graham, Veil of Maya

Jackie Dosmanos

Published Apr 25, 2016 08:26 AM PHT

Read More:

album review

The Buildings

Prince

Lukas Graham

Veil of Maya

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.