If this rock band Solace were to become title of a book, it would certainly be “The importance of being earnest.”
Composed of singer-songwriter Chad Canares, guitarist Sam Codilla, bass player Rodney Vidanes and drummer Herson Fremista, the quartet hawks sincerity in the 10 tracks of its debut album “Never Easy” under Paragon Music Corporation. Unlike most new bands that claim the same but conjure exact opposite, Solace is eloquent lyricism and sparse-but-sophisticated-arrangement befitting musical ideas that go beyond the “I-love-you-you-love-me-and-all-lived-happily-ever-after” type.
The title track first single, already picked up by such trend-setting radio stations as JAM 88.3, DWTM 89.9, RX 93.1, LS 97.1, RT 99.5, K-Lite 103.5 and NU 107.5 long before the studio album is put on shelves, clues us in on Solace’s modus operandi. In making sense of the final days of one rocky relationship, the band hits the nail in the head albeit too painfully that there are worlds simply too different from each other to even hope to meet in the same emotional plane.
Sounds heavy? It is! As with other tracks as “Riding With Angels” (inspired by losing a loved one), “Bridging The Gap” (making sense of starting over maybe belatedly), “Bang” (seeing ones self again after a long time), etc. Now if profundity of such confessions tends suspicion that all redound from true-to-life experiences, then speculate no more. Solace affirms.
In fact, the band’s name (which loosely means a place where refuge resides) hints on therapy--the healing-- they find in their confessions. Dark these may be on first sight, all point to reprieve in redemption on hindsight. It’s this same factor that makes the snobbish subject matters and musicality still commercially appealing as the band’s heroes live, Sting and Dave Matthews Band. Indeed, who doesn’t want salvation? Salvation sells.
Solace was formed no more than six months ago. Members sound masterful in what they do because all came from different Cebu bands of varying musical inclinations prior to conversion. Members learned how to sound like a unit so fast because they truly believe in what they do and they don’t care if the outside world shares in the faith. “We’re not going to beg people to like us,” they say. “When you strip down to your soul in front of everyone, the last thing you’re thinking of is mass acceptance. What is there is what is.”
This honesty is what convinced Cueshe’ manager Myke Sarthou to take them in. “I have heard of and even met Solace several times but was never interested,” he says. “It was only when I heard their music did I realize that I was looking at a musical elite; a band bound for prestige because they dare do things musically that no one until now has been brave enough to with passion and integrity. Conveying truths about imperfections of human relationships can be painful to both source and recipient. Solace, however, turns it into something liberating.”
Sourcing from sincerity steeped in sophistication maybe an uphill battle in terms of selling. But then again, they know, and are sound in the knowledge, that doing so is never easy. Other tracks in “Never Easy” are “Healing,” “Ed,” “Dream Maker,” “Borrowed Time,” “Radio” and “Hideaway.”
