Hale Holy %$&@!

I bought Hale's cd for my best friend who wants to sulk on melancholoneliness over some guy. SOME guy! I never understood why she adores these kids other than the cheesy video, its poster boy lead and the fact that SOME guy played/sang their hit song to her when they were on the phone once. But it's all good business. Their carrier "The Day you said Goodbye" is my theme song everyday when I go to work for the past 4 months. It's literally the 1st song I hear on MYX when I get up and the last song on the FX before it pulls over. Damn. Their song is even a ringtone! These kids are BIG!

Surprisingly, it's the kind of song that grows in you. I usually know that I hate a song or group the 1st time I hear it. And no one can change that. I HATED them in the beginning. Who are these kids anyway? Some Rivermaya spin-off? For me my band/alternative days were long gone when grunge and Seattle bands were the thing. When the boys in my high school were listening to Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Green Day and were never ashamed to collect posters of Axl Rose. Even our Catholic teachers proclaimed that LIVE is EVIL. Get that? LIVE is EVIL spelled backwards! And yes, backmasking became cool again featuring the Eraserheads. Get that? They're the new Beatles! We got Beatles in our shores before UK's Oasis were ever formed!

Going back, Hale's repertoire are pure melancholic Coldplayish sentimental songs indeed. What's even more pathetic are their sulken faces. Seems like Champ (lead/vocalist) is the lone member who was taught to do PR. I guess the others just haven't realized yet that they're faces are in every freaking music video channel, song books, magazines, even my 80-something grandmother probably knows them. Frankly, these guys should get used to fame or maybe responding to the questions at least. I've seen some of their interviews in MTV and MYX seems like Champ's kinda embarassed that their other members can't answer a simple question as "Who's your biggest musical influence?" (In the Philippines this only translates to "Sino idol mo?" It doesn't mean anything more than that, believe me!)

The album has a pretty neat packaging though. Interesting cover, no lame dedication and shout-outs of sorts. The opening bars are catchy. It's too radio-friendly to the point of being easy listening or pop. No doubt, if they play their cards right they'll get very wide acceptance. Not just in album sales and but musically as an artist and with the critics as well. The lyrics are still amateurish though. Reminds me of High school when you just discovered prose, metaphors, analogies and freestyle poetry. Their words give you that youthful girlish feeling all over again. I guess their songwriter whoever it is in the group still needs a bit of maturity and realize that simplicity and being profound is not a crime. He's very promising though, like a teenage Rico Blanco. And another thing I may ask, are the lyrics really meant to be in a handwritten font? The tracing paper could be cutting edge this side of town. But if it's a girl's handwriting there, it looks like a wedding invitation good thing it's not pink and scented!