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Gray Sky Manila is a majestic debut for shoegaze band Monochrome

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Rick Olivares

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Monochrome recently released its debut album " Gray="" Sky="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/entertainment/06/11/06112023-gray-sky-manila.jpg"/><figcaption>Monochrome recently released its debut album &#x27;Gray Sky Manila.&#x27; Handout</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA — Every now and then, there’s this debut album that comes out of nowhere that grabs your attention and becomes this pleasurable listening experience.One such is Monochrome’s debut album, Gray Sky Manila.Thirteen years in the making, I will go on a limb and declare that this is one of the year’s best new releases that isn’t a reissue.Gray Sky Manila, a full-length album despite containing only five long tracks, will be out this mid-July from independent record label Eikon Records.When one talks about shoegaze, the first thought is the ethereal and effects-laden music with dreamy wisps of vocals.Monochrome’s band of shoegaze is none of that. For one, it’s purely instrumental – a soundtrack if you will -- and they lay down a wall of sound with a cinematic feel that tugs on your heartstrings. There is a dichotomy to the music as you feel the warmth and at the same time, a chill, and in between, you will appreciate the spaces it affords you. It has the depth of Slowdive’s fourth and self-titled debut. It has haunts like a Mogwai tune. It has the edge of Swervedriver and Ride. Speaking of space, I like the fact that you can hear all the instruments. I thought back to Thomas Dolby’s production (along with Phil Thornally and Mike Shipley) of Prefab Sprout’s masterpiece, Steve McQueen (or Two Wheels Good in the United States). Superb mixing and sound engineering.Every time you listen to it, you hear something in the mix that makes you smile. Music like this makes you appreciate the finer points of sound recording and production.It helps that the band – Donna Grimaldo on bass; DM Abanes, Paolo Valenzuela, Sonia Mendiola, and Wesley Valenzuela on guitar; and Domeng Grimaldo on drums – all have ties that bind them.The Grimaldos and Abanes were Wesley Valenzuela’s students in UST (of which he is also an alumnus), Mendiola was his student at Holy Spirit as well. Paolo is Valenzuela’s brother. The Grimaldos were college sweethearts and have since been married.That’s a synergy and relationship that dates back to years of teacher-student, counselor, bandmate, a friend, and a brother that counts for something. Between thesis defenses, classes, and counseling are hours of dissertations on a love for the Smashing Pumpkins, alternative rock, and shoegaze music. This is all that distilled into the majestic debut album of Monochrome that is Gray Sky Manila.The album is currently available on pre-sale on the Facebook page of Eikon Records. The band will formally launch their album this July. They will also perform with Sugar Hiccup at 19 East later this October.

Music like this makes you appreciate the finer points of sound recording and production.