I’m pretty sure by now that we’ve all heard of the song “Magbalik” by Callalily. It struck a chord in the hearts of millions of Filipinos because of its raw, relatable, and heartbreaking lyrics. Not to mention that iconic intro lick that made a lot of us pick up the guitar in the first place.
The all-girl electronic alt-pop band, No Lore, with the help of the songwriter Lem Belaro, created a retelling of the cult classic, Magbalik, as their last single, ending a chapter for the group.
I have to be honest; coming in, I already had a feeling that it would be a hard feat for No Lore because of how beloved and replayed “Magbalik” is, but I was proven wrong. Let’s deconstruct the song and see what made No Lore’s version of “Magbalik” special.
The band wasted no time in the intro and hit the first verse at the 5-second mark of the song, leaving no room for people to anticipate the “lick.” Tita Halaman’s voice is perfectly suited for that synthy electronic sound. The bass sound in the refrain/pre-chorus part is just tasty. You can hear that they emphasized that tad bit of crunch in the bass mix.
I love Carole’s “loud” ghost notes in the second verse. They created depth in the overall track, and honestly, it’s refreshing to hear ghost notes in today’s songs. The synth lines used in the track give this magical, coming-of-age feel to the song.
And to my surprise, just to make it more memorable, Tita Halaman added a spoken word section in the latter part of the song, which for me is the cream of the crop of this track.
I’m not a fan of cover songs. For how many years of reviewing and critiquing music, I always frowned upon covers that didn’t hit that mark, but No Lore’s version of “Magbalik” wowed me in ways I can’t imagine. It’s not even a cover anymore. No Lore ate it and left no crumbs.
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About the Author
He has been in the music industry for two and a half decades. Currently, he plays bass guitar for a rock-reggae band called EnjointPh and a funk-fusion trio called Banky. He also hosts a podcast titled Usapang Musiko with Ervin Besana, which explores topics such as music, arts, and philosophy.
