PlayBack: Apartel – Full Flood

09/15/2020 02:54:58 PM

It was somewhat turn-around from what they did in the past. Not fully, but still. The soul train that is  Apartel just got bigger in 2018, and its Full Flood proved that they don't show any signs of sophomore slump despite going undergoing a lot of changes since the Inner Play-era.

Ely Buendia's crew had gone from the straight-up mix of soul and rock-and-roll to the one that has groove – something would remind you of how disco-funk and Manila Sound (both from the 1970s) used to dominate the airwaves.

While there are still elements of Motown pop, the more-than-just-a-six-piece crew (because God knows I'm not right at counting through my fingers all the time) dabbled more to something rockin' that people can dance to. 

Full Flood comprised of more lively tracks full of experiments – throwing all the funk, neo-soul, acid jazz, and even modern rock they could offer into the already-signature sound of soul, Motown pop, and classic rock. 

They turned out to have more flair from the moment they put That's What She Said first, all the way to the melodramatic closer Why You Gotta Be Like That? It was a bit of a zig-zag, with the head-turner single Pateros, the falsetto-driven See It To Believe It, the slow and mid-burners Mahiwaga, and Sisid, along the way.

The fun never stops, though, with a couple of funky tracks Quack King and Can I Be So High? 

There's a reason why Zia Quizon fits so well in any soul and jazz song. Her part in singing Pre-Loved was one of them. Underboner sounded like a watered-down scoring for any action-packed show, but still good.

Ako Ang Dagat, Ikaw Ang Buwan my hands-down favorite, and next to it were the two songs between this one.

You put this record beside their debut LP (Inner Play) and you would probably realize how far they've grown, creative-wise speaking. Certainly, the group's collaborative effort in song-writing paid off really well, as the gates were open and the flood just flowed in full force.

The verdict: 8.6

Author: slickmaster | © 2020 The SlickMaster's Files