IV of Spades | Songs to listen to

Here in the Philippines, one band has been making a lot of buzz recently. Armed with 70’s inspired thrift shop outfits and love for old school pop, IV of Spades provides a unique brand of pop rock which has been well received by young people. Essentially OPM (Original Pilipino Music) infused with funk and disco, this four-piece outfit is one of the most talked about bands in the country, especially impressive considering they only have four studio tracks as of the making of this article.

Oh, and did I mention their pretty young? Their ages range from 17-23. Now you understand why they’re such a hit with the Filipino youth.

As I’ve mentioned, IV of Spades has only released four studio tracks, so I included a song that has yet to been given a studio version, but the quality is still pretty good.

1. Hey Barbara. This song was released as single on 2017. It was the first song I heard from them as it was their highest ranked song on Spotify at the time. A catchy, groovy number, this track showcases how funky the two guitarists Blaster and Unique (also, they have awesome names. Blaster? Seriously?) can be, of course it’s Zild’s bass work that’s really going to get your body moving. The lyrics are pretty meaningless—the whole bridge is literally just “Hey I don’t care!” repeated over and over—but Unique’s uhm, unique voice (sorry, I couldn’t resist the pun) really carries the song. Also, watch out for Zild on that bridge.

2. Where Have You Been, My Disco? Another single from 2017, and another groovy track. Blaster—again, his name is awesome!—starts of the song funky, and the whole band comes in, with Zild’s grooviest bassline taking center stage. This number is about an old guy talking to the “children of the future” about the lost days of disco, ”Children of the Future, let me tell you somethin’. Boogie is my life that I’ve never shown yet. Why have you forsaken all the things we know?” Also, the synths in this song are awesome.

3. Sentimental. This is the one that hasn’t been given the studio treatment. I’m crossing my fingers that this will be the next one, though I highly doubt they’ll release another single before their album. The disco stuff not working for you? No problem, this one’s a funk rock track (finally!) reminiscent of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I love the guitars on this one (that main riff man!), and Zild does some cool slap bass, that funky little bass part on the second verse will make your face sour. It’s also nice to see Badjao on real drums. The chorus is simple but catchy as fuck, just like all their songs, ”Oh, Oh, so sentimental!” Warning though, this song contains Blaster’s best solo. You have been warned.

4. Mundo. Literally, ”World”, this is the first tagalog song on this list, but don’t let that discourage you from listening to this song. Here’s my attempt on translating the lyrics. This track was released on Valentines Day 2018, and has since been the band’s most played song and one of the most popular songs in the country at the moment. Its simplicity is really its strength. It lets the lyrics really shine through. This song is about two young lovers. “These words that we’re saying, where will they go if you leave me.” By my understanding, the girl decides to leave the guy and now he’s promising to make her his world when she returns to him, “My world will become you.” It’s a really sweet song, and the vocals are heavenly. By now you should now how sweet Zild and Unique’s falsettos are. For the version with the extended guitar solo, click here.

5.Ilaw sa Daan. Roughly, ”Lights along the road”. This one is a bit tougher to decipher. This was their first release back in 2016. It’s their best work lyrically. I’ll update this post when I’ve translated the lyrics. I think it’s about seizing the moment and making the most of our time. I still have to squeeze the message out. Nonetheless, the song’s still pretty cool. This was released before they decided to become a 70’s inspired band, but you can still hear the funk influence with the guitars. Blaster does a really nice, kinda dissonant riff during the pre-chorus. As usual, the vocals are amazing, Unique and Zild’s voices blend very well.

Thanks for taking the time to read! Hope you liked it! Feel free to reply if you have any comments or artist/song recommendations. This is all about sharing music. Upvote and resteem to support Filipino Music!