read this review from toolucy42.multiply.com:
Less Moodier, but still catchy as hell
Every Urbandub album is an exhibit in undergoing change. In Embrace, it was about having a new drummer and getting signed to a major label and all that pressure to outdo a classic that was Influence. Though Embrace got a lot of mixed reviews from fans and critics alike, it was the album that catapulted the band to the stream of national consciousness. For all the flak it got, it did spawn a lot of great singles(and videos as well), as well as their biggest “hit” to date, “First of Summer”.
As for their new album, “Under Southern Lights”, it was about trying something new and recording the album in a different setting and environment. For this record, they did the almost-unthinkable but completely inevitable: recording the whole album away from home; recording was at Tracks Studios using the traditional analog way. For their past three albums(and even their major label debut), Urbandub recorded, mixed and mastered their whole album at Backyard Studios in Cebu City. To leave your comfort zone and do the entire process again in a new setting with new people might be a big compromise to a band’s sound, but Urbandub, as brazen as they are, took the chance, as this is a great opportunity to widen their horizons, much more work with Angee Rozul, one of the country’s top sound engineers.
If you may ask, is there really any difference? Yes, there definitely was. I think the bite of their performance has been taken out, especially with the guitars and the drums. I was expecting more from their foray into a “more professional” setup. The sonic output still leaves a lot to be desired. But heck, as a consolation, I’m glad that the music wasn’t compromised on this release.
As vocalist Gabby Alipe puts it, Under Southern Lights is somewhere in the middle of Embrace and Influence, since it’s not as pop as Influence, nor as dark and moody as Embrace. Lyrically, it’s more straightforward and honest. While their previous album talked about falling in and out of a relationship, Under Southern Lights tackles healing and starting anew as its main theme. Their song, “Evidence” speaks about it directly, “Time has a way of healing / So why am I left here to cry?”
If you naysayers would complain that Udub has “sold out”, you’re in for a shock. This is still Urbandub in top form. Though they may not spawn another “First of Summer” with this record, there are a lot of solid songs in this one. Their first single, “Guillotine”, has been met with a lot of positive responses and it even peaked at the charts. But I must admit, this is one of the weaker songs on the album. That’s already a compliment in itself, since it speaks volumes of the depth of the whole album.
Though they didn’t steer too far away with their comfort zone, these lads from Cebu continue to impress with their seamless fusion of different genres. But in this one they let this influences really show. “Life is Easy” is a very enjoyable reggae track, much more Sublime than Bob Marley, while “Evidence” pays homage to Jeff Buckley, very smooth, jazzy and sweet. These two are the more surprising tracks on the album, as in the tradition of Urbandub having fun and doing something a little bit different from the rest.
Album openers “An Invitation” and “Anthem” rock quite well and have really great hooks, as they still demonstrate the sound of Urbandub that everyone is more familiar with. Listeners will be drawn instantly to “An invitation” right from the opening strains of the song. The only more prominent double-kick work of drummer Janjan Mendoza is evident here, and this is nowhere evident as the album progresses. I wish he’d demonstrate more of his prowess the next time around.
Guitarist John Dinopols’s complementing guitar work is still suits the mood of the songs, as he lays tasteful guitar passages over the songs. They don’t instantly stand out at the first listen, but listen to the tracks carefully, and you will be amazed at the precision, the timing and the appropriateness of these licks. Nothing super flashy, but the passages fits each verse like a glove. Exhibits one, two and three: check out the slower stuff like “The Fight is Over”, “Cebuana” and “The Evidence”. The bass lines of Lalay Lim still hits the spot, and more prominent on tracks such as “Cebuana” and “Life is Easy”. On other songs, though, it seems to be buried in the mix.
“Inside The Mind of a Killer”, which features Kat Agarrado from SinoSiKat? on vocals, has a lot of allusions to “A City of Sleeping Hearts”, but it’s way so much better. It perfectly displays the tension within the Urbandub sound – haunting yet beautiful, heavy yet very fragile, powerful yet sensitive. Kat’s vocal interplay with Gabby is pure gold right from the very start. Just listen to the song’s opening lines and be enthralled:
My mind can't take it
So what am I to do
When you find out the alcohol can't
Numb the pain like it used to?
I replay the scenes of endless dreams
That once was yours and mine
When'd you find out
You didn't love me anymore?
“The Fight is Over” is vintage Urbandub, with more allusions to “A new Tattoo” and “Endless, A Silent Whisper” than “First of Summer”. It’s hook-laden, but it’s still edgy and unconventional pop. The band dabbles in keyboards to complement the song, and once again, it doesn’t really stand out, but it just suits the whole song just fine. “Cebuana” somehow revisits the territory of “The Arsonist” from Embrace, but this is much more a “feel good” song. These two songs, along with “The Evidence” and “Inside the Mind of a Killer”, are the best songs in the album.
Though this is nothing groundbreaking for Urbandub, Under Southern Lights cements them as one of the Philippines’ premiere bands. This band is the epitome of cool, as they are one of pinoy rock’s untainted by corporate branding. They’ve still managed to make a name for themselves using their music as their weapon, instead of some bigbucks media machine manning them. It doesn’t matter if you’re a longtime fan of the band or just new to their music; This is a very good album by all means. So better grab a copy before it runs out.
