IV of Spades Brings Back 'Manila Sound' With New Song ‘Suliranin’

The resurging Filipino indie rock-band IV of Spades continue to build on their piping-hot cascade of sonically diverse tracks after their time apart with a more retro-sounding track called “Suliranin."

We are getting a melancholic slow jam that sounds like a throwback to the days of the 1970s , or the “Manila Sound” era.

Ever since their comeback, the boys have shown their growth in melodic songwriting and fleshing out their chemistry through their progressive rock stylings that have resulted in hit singles and their return to top local music charts.

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“Suliranin” is an easy breezy folk/soft rock feel good song that begs you to sit back and listen to the reassurance brought by Unique Salonga’s crooning and the simple premise of all problems eventually destined to fade away.

Despite the slow tempo, Zild Benitez’ bass work drives the funk in the track complemented by Blaster Silonga’s recurring phase and chorus-driven guitar lead lines, and Badjao de Castro’s subtle rim click drum syncopation that keeps things understated.

Frontman Salonga is once again front and center in the vocal department with vocals that would be a shoo-in for Filipino easy listening rock jams from that monumental era in local music.

An ode to Manila Sound?

Think of the painful and lovestruck songs by Hotdog, Cinderella, and the legendary Juan Dela Cruz Band.

“Suliranin” captures the essence of the dreaminess of the appropriately titled “Panaginip” with the haunting qualities of “Bato sa Buhangin,” which literally translates to “pebbles in the sand” and the killer guitar work in zeitgeist-defining track “Himig Natin,” by the Juan Dela Cruz Band.

We get drum work and guitar lines in this new IV of Spades track that blend into a dead ringer for songs from this era. The new direction the band seems to be going toward is giving not-so-subtle nods to bands that inspired them.

The four-piece rock outfit that recently reunited is not wasting any time after dropping their surprise single “Aura.”

Blaster also leans into favoring playing fewer notes in his lead guitar work, but with the emphasis on tone and feel much like Wally Gonzales of the Juan Dela Cruz band. Just listen to their similar tasteful string bends, haunting tone, and harmonies.

This type of sound is a cool turnaround for the band and a welcome change of pace from their usual upbeat, groovy, dreampop, and alt-rock style preferences.

We also hear a tinge of a wah-wah pedal being used with Unique’s now favored Beatles-inspired Rickenbacker guitar that he uses for rhythm guitar duties alongside his extraordinary singing.

The rhythm guitar work also favors minor seventh and dissonant chord changes to keep with the gloomy yet reassuring tone of the song.

And if you squint your eyes and really listen in on the finer details of the track, you can hear a bit of “Ikaw Ang Miss Universe Ng Buhay Ko" by Hotdog in the track. You could mash both songs together for a really fascinating fusion of both eras. The tracks seem to be in the same key if you try to sing one song over the other for a cool musical tidbit that we happened upon.

“Araw-gabi (Araw-gabi) Sumisindi (Sumisindi) Lahat ng suliranin ay lilipas din,” Unique croons almost like a reliable friend, accompanied by harmonies sung by Blaster and Zild.

Manila Sound is often described as having that “marshmellowey” quality when you listen to songs from that era because of that dreamy sonic texture and the endearing, quirky metaphors used in these tracks.

We have so much to be grateful for to the artists such as Hotdog, Cinderella, and Juan Dela Cruz Band for paving the way and providing these creative references for current music acts who have the potential to put out these compelling and fresh records while drawing from the legends.

Bands from the Manila sound era also helped jumpstart the meteoric rise and appeal of the country’s recording industry thanks to the unapologetic and honest songwriting, and even campy tones of their projects.

Whether or not IV of Spades intentionally went for this laidback and unpretentious artistic direction for “Suliranin," it is still one heck of a song to hear on local airwaves and streaming lists at this point in time during a time of a rather oversaturated local music scene.

We have heard other artists trying to capitalize on that nostalgia factor when it comes to songwriting and even sonic structure, but they are usually done as cheap impressions and even caricatures of those classic eras, not specifically the Manila Sound era.

The alternative rock sensation is doing it in a way that showcases their virtuosity in minimalism and relaying a simple message that every Filipino can resonate with.

What’s in the cards for IV of Spades?

In case you missed it, the band landed on Esquire Philippines’ September cover following their warm and emotional comeback single that continues to top streaming charts even as of this month.

The boys sat down to have a chat with no less than Mike Hanopol, a Philippine rock icon known for his work with the aforementioned Juan Dela Cruz band and Hagibis for a collision of the old school and the next generation of local musicians.

Their conversation tackled the inner workings of pursuing music as a means of expression, a livelihood, and a tool to say things you otherwise couldn’t have without the medium.

The four-piece alternative rock sensation is also set to drop their much anticipated comeback album next month entitled “Andalucia.” With four diverse and multi-layered tracks from the album already out in the world, we are expecting a cohesive comeback culminating in a thematically compelling and sonically intriguing LP. The boys are also slated to headline a massive solo show at the Mall of Asia Arena in December.

Their three distinct releases of “Aura,” “Nanaman,” and “Konsyensya” seem to hit home at every turn with thematic and tonal pursuits involving topics such as emotional turmoil and infidelity.

We have been closely watching their resurgence and they are without a doubt showing us local music fans what we’ve been missing and that they are destined to take over once again.