They say that it’s only a matter of time before scars heal, resentments fade, and even the deepest conflicts are forgotten, allowing people to move on or even reunite. Such is the case with the Gallagher brothers, Neil and Liam, of the band Oasis, who have set aside their 15-year feud and are now on a reunion tour, dominating summer concerts and festivals this year. Coincidentally, a major band in the Philippines, IV OF SPADES, has also decided to reunite. Like Oasis, will they reclaim the spotlight on stages across the country when they perform live again?
On July 16, the 4-piece Pinoy rock band IV OF SPADES surprised the OPM world with social media posts, a new single upload on music streaming platforms, and a fresh music video uploaded on YouTube. There have already been talks in the grapevine about the band’s reconciliation one or two years ago, and so they proceeded to record, produce, and shoot the MV of a new single, without clear prior promotions.
IV OF SPADES was formed in 2014 when most of the members were still in high school. They began performing gigs in Metro Manila and releasing independent tracks. To further promote the band, two of its members, bass and guitar virtuosos Zild Benitez and Blaster Silonga, joined the noon-time show Eat Bulaga’s Music Hero contest, where Blaster emerged as the champion.
In a short time between 2017 and 2018, IV OF SPADES became the most sought-after band in the country, filling bars and bigger venues such as malls. Their song “Mundo,” became the number one hit across radio stations, even until several months after vocalist Unique Salonga left the band in 2018 to pursue a solo career. The rest of the band continued performing and released an album in 2019, before announcing their hiatus in 2020. Zild and Blaster focused on their solo endeavors while drummer Badjao de Castro got busy with his new band Party Pace and on other projects. Hence, their fans never expected this reunion.
IV OF SPADES Aura Review
The ingenious songwriting duo (Unique and Zild) along with their equally talented accompanists Blaster and Badjao are back together for another masterpiece that’s mellow, intimate, and profound.
At the onset of Aura, the Mellotron takes center stage, embodying The Beatles’ Mellotron Mark II flute sound on their track, Strawberry Fields Forever. Among all the songs by IV OF SPADES, “Aura” is the track that highlights the band’s 60s Beatles influences.
Right before Salonga’s vocals strike, a combination of the rhythm guitar’s downstrokes and upstrokes and the prominent bassline struck me. I then recognized that it had the same patterns that my favorite, the late Jeff Buckley, swept his fingers (in tracks such as Lover, You Should’ve Come Over, Last Goodbye, and Grace) after the captivating intro and before entering the first melodic line.
The Mellotron (albeit emitting Blaster’s lead guitar at other times) and Jeff Buckley guitars continue throughout the song. But after the intro, IV OF SPADES has created a sound that most people are familiar with—their very own. The syllabic pauses or caesuras emanated from the band’s most popular track, Mundo, as a true-blue alternative OPM track. During the bridge part, it derives from Rico Blanco’s style of vocals and instrumentation.
Lyric-wise, Aura’s core message revolves around the unwavering love for someone, and that person asking another to observe and understand the other. Despite all the chaos, misunderstandings, and imperfections that may arise, the person reassures their partner that, at the end of the day, their love will remain steadfast. This message somehow resonates with IV OF SPADES’ reconciliation and reconnection.
Aura is an unassuming and modest but profound track that illustrates how IV OF SPADES can evoke deep emotion and leave a lasting impression and understated brilliance.TPB
NeP-C Ledesma is a millennial writer and entrepreneur full of curiosity about our abstract world. She devours Psychology, food, Philosophy, and prefer cats as her all-time company. Pop Culture is her kryptonite.