If you like long drives and staring into the shifting colors of sunsets or looking across crowded streets from a shop’s window, the music of Turncoats is for you. If you haven’t yet listened to the band, then it is time you do. The onomatopoeic name the band represents tells of the roots and themes of their music. Consisting of a trio, Turncoats’ music influences anchor deep within the indie music community they belong to.
From their hometown in Baguio City, the sound of Turncoats relays that they have been in the indie rock and alternative music scene for years. Their tracks are a must for a playlist that takes you into meditative drives. The instrumental preludes are the perfect soundtrack to a montage of urban, street life. Or it can also be yours. Their originals are tracks that set you in the mood. If not, their dreamy, fuzzy sound will be your source of comfort in your melancholy and somber soliloquies.
The moment you listen to “People Watcher”, their first single, you’ll want to play it on a loop; allowing the tune to echo in your rooms. It leads on with opening riffs of loose guitar chords. The subtle nods to the sustained strumming of the song are a common response to their music. The song hooks you with “I love watching worlds pass by…” behind is the vocalist of the group Alain Lim. He’s also the lead guitar and rhythm. He creates glides and overdrives, which are styles deep-seated in the alt-rock subgenre, shoegaze.
The song’s certainty of replaying in your mind would not fail. It would go on for a long time. (Don’t tell me I didn’t warn you.) Not all ears are used to the style of grunge and shoegaze. But when you do, Turncoats will be a regular on your playlist. The long howls of distorted guitars topped with low, delayed blows of the bass feel chaotic. Almost noise. So enter the in-sync placements of drum beats underscored with pop-rock influence, glues the entire sound.
The lady on percussions, Lorraine ‘En’ Baniago, knits together all the escaping reverbs and delayed effects. In ‘Future Fossils’, you can hear her sustain her kicks. The snares never miss a beat. Then, the consistent ride on the cymbals uplifts the hazy stringed melodies. Now you know why if you ever see female drummers, they will stun you with beautifully toned arm muscles. Kidding aside, the charming flex of drums, adds beauty to the grungy style of shoegaze.
Turncoats’ music combines the dreamy with the depressive. And we love it.
Are you someone who sees art in a bruised soul, and finds solace in sadness? Or you are into girl power rocking on tom toms and snares. This pinoy indie-alt-rock-trio got you! Turncoats is your kind of band.
You must have seen them live and covered Wheatus’ “Teenage Dirtbag”. The high-pitched vocals and electrified guitars were replaced by the sentimental signature of shoegaze. But what keeps their sound refreshing is the complex work of bassist Troy Esperanza. Considered as the “Alchemist” of the group. You will wonder how he can create textures and add shape to the hazy harmonies of distorted electric guitars. With only four strings to play with his pedals do the trick. You can hear him do detailed work on “The Sum of All Love Songs”. His bass lines offered a pulse to the song. Each tap lands in perfect places across the song. The tremolos echoed simultaneously with the beating heart. Troy does not undermine the power of a four-stringed instrument. His bass lines are audible harmonies to the walled sound of their genre.
Aside from terse tuning gears and the melodic accent of pedals, the band has a knack for writing about the mundane with mysteries. That perfectly mirrors ordinary life. Their third single, The Sum of all Love Songs offers a pleasantly brief depiction of a person’s commitment to love. It does not need to elaborate on how one portrays the deep feelings for someone. The title is as straightforward as the composition of the song. It consists of three verses, then it hooks with a pre-chorus with only two words in repetition. “Everything Always. Everything, always.”
The song cadences with the three instruments doing climatic riffs, and it perfectly accompanies the conclusion, which pretty much sums up literally all love songs. “Your scars made you into the person you are. In a strange way, they’re my favorite part”.
And we love it! Listen to Turncoats now and you will know what I mean.
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About the Author
From Marikina City to Baguio, Bien embraces two cities teeming with art and music. Passionate about #supportinglocalartists, she gives back to her inspiring community. By day, she’s a freelance writer, but at night, she immerses in music, crafting melodies. As she crafts stories for others, hers evolves, influenced by her eclectic musical background, from classical and gospel to Mathrock and Experimental Jazz, favoring emerging Indie OPM artists.
Turncoats, always.