Rating: 4.0
Up Dharma Down’s third album takes us to a familiar destination, but with an unexpected detour. So it’s best to buckle up, as the band takes us through an emotional roller coaster ride.
From the first single Turn it well, it’s clear we’re now being treated to a whole different UDD sound. Unlike previous album openers, banging pulses and crashing riffs demand the listener’s immediate attention, quite unlike like the reluctant rhythms we’ve come to know and love. But while you ponder on this surprising new sound, take a moment to realize that you are now unable to stop yourself from moving like crazy to UDD’s new found artistic swagger.
Yes, gone – or at least radically reduced – is the band’s old hesitant voice, with walls of complex at times-hard-to-follow rhythms now transformed into a confident and vibrant sound that harks back to an old-school 80’s atmosphere, wrapped in revitalizing beats and synths designed to delight the ear.
Growth was an important part and concept of this album, and it is definitely breathtaking to hear the refreshing style from a band that puts OPM back on the map. Each track pops out with every listen. And with each distinct sound, every song finds its way to work together smoothly so as to give fans, both the present and the many upcoming ones, a whole new earshot experience.
With a crisp nine-track limit, the album leaves no room for fillers. And after four years in the making, every track was worth the wait. If anything, the album certainly lives up to its name, giving listeners a rare glimpse of UDD-human talent stretched to its limits.
The song Luna demonstrates the band’s much-loved knack for squeezing out the best from the Filipino language, transforming mere letters into living, raw emotion. Songs like Parks and Kulang, with their poignant lyrics and punching beats, are emo dreams come true. But what truly captivates is the straight-hit trio of Indak, Feelings, and Thinker, proving that really great tracks can be placed anywhere in the album and still find a way of keeping you hitting the replay button.
But Indak is that part of Capacities that douses all fears that UDD has become too flashy or techno by delivering a track that goes back to its roots. It provides a reminiscent vibe of UDD’s unique storytelling style with relatable lines, with mood setting tones that mix seamlessly in one emotional palayok – with holes just enough to let it breeze out smoothly.
But Feelings finally gives an anticipated duet that UDD fans have probably been waiting for their whole life. Sharing the microphone with the band’s personal idol Paul Buchanan of Blue Nile, the track is a musical breakthrough. The song shines in moments where diverse voices find strong harmony that leaves listeners awestruck in emotional limbo.
Thinker is what brings us back down to reality. A calm tempo and playful melody leave one wondering just how catchy the last song’s chorus was. Finally – and abruptly – capping the album off is Night Drops, which gives a farewell ring resounding even after the synthesizers fade away, drum beats diminishing pulse, and by then you’d have wiped that smile – or tears – off your face.
The nostalgia brings all things UDD back to the right place. Even though it’s still not clear whether the style will keep moving or eventually burn the band out, Capacities proves to be a sound that not only listeners, but Up Dharma Down itself, would love to call home.
