Gracenote makes it to the OPM industry

MANILA, Philippines - Making  a  strong  presence in the OPM alternative/rock field is Gracenote via the debut album, First Movement, produced by Soupstar entertainment and distributed by Universal Records. Composed of singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Eunice Jorge, guitarist Chen Pangan, drummer EJ Pichay and bassist Jazz Jorge, they first jammed as students at St. Scholastica’s College  of Music and later formed Gracenote. They were first noticed as one of the contenders to Nescafe’s Soundskool inter-collegiate band competition.

From that point onwards, Gracenote would play even more shows, including bigger ones, alongside their local musical heroes, many of whom would acknowledge the young band’s skill, enthusiasm and onstage presence. Soon, a loyal following would steadily develop, as more and more fans attended their energetic shows and familiarized themselves with the band’s catchy, but still unrecorded, original tunes.

First Movement is something that the members always looked forward. The CD pens quite aptly with Knock Knock, with Eunice imploring the listener to let her in, and with her vocal charm and the band’s rocking precision, you couldn’t possibly refuse. Gracenote slows it down a notch with the stripped down Pwede Ako, but it nonetheless succeeds in keeping the EP’s momentum going.

Amnesia follows suit, and this is where the band members truly showcase their individual and collective skills, with superb guitar work, soft-loud dynamics and even violin lines courtesy of Eunice. The solemn, sonically gorgeous Faraway assumes the role of the big rock ballad in this collection, and could very well be a highlight of the band’s live sets.

Already released as a radio single and music video months before the EP’s release, Minsan Lang Naman should please longtime fans and make new ones with its innate catchiness and inspired arrangement. Play It Again demonstrates how Eunice’s voice simply soars when backed by a couple of unplugged guitars, while the whole band gets its disco on with the driving Stop Stop! A fine acoustic rendition of Amnesia rounds out this exceptional and enjoyable debut release by the young group whose members are obviously talented beyond their years.