Among the rabid exponents of the Indie/Alternative music scene, “Pop” is often seen as a filthy word. Champions of more serious genres often dismiss Pop as the detritus of society’s self-absorbed majority. This music (if you can call it that) lacks any real substance. It is hedonistic. It is self-congratulatory. And, plainly put, it is “wrong.” Even the less bellicose among us will concede that Pop is like a shallow fashion trend. It’s fun while it lasts but, ultimately, it is transitory. Besides, how can something everyone (and their grandmother) likes be possibly hip? As a Pop-Rock band working within the too-tight confines of the Indie circuit, you would expect Soapdish to get a lot of flack. Whereas they first made a name for themselves ripping through Foo Fighters covers, the band’s 2005 self-titled debut is undeniably easy on the ears. It’s catchy. It’s light. But it is also very…VERY…good.

They say that the best art is conceived in exquisite anguish and pleasurable pain. It is obvious that frontman Jeff Bolivar was in (and out of) love when he meticulously crafted these twelve songs. No new thing, right? For centuries, courtly notions of romance and heartbreak have been common thematic concerns for those working in the cultural fields. Indeed, there is a new breed of Pinoy pseudo-coffeehouse troubadours who have built entire careers by lifting lyrics straight out of their diaries. Yet for all their corporate-sponsored success, these wannabe Jeff Buckleys fail to strike a chord (pardon the pun) with non-yuppie crowds. With us. Why? Because their idea of love is, at best, lukewarm. It’s too slick. Too clean. Everything is just a little TOO polite. But not so with Soapdish.

Anyone who has truly known the feeling understands that love is sloppy. It is imperfect. It is prone to jealousy. You conscientiously work on it every day and, when it dies, it hurts like hell. Like a failed romance viewed in hindsight, Soapdish’s songs are all the more poignant BECAUSE you are aware of the little flaws. This composer genuinely understands that love can be pathetic. Conversely, he is also aware that it can be heroically tragic. This is not to say that the album has all the dolefulness of a funeral dirge. On the contrary, the band plays a style that I can only describe as “upbeat melancholia.” Bolivar is an effective songwriter because he has somehow managed to express what he felt about an ex-girlfriend within a cheery and well-structured Pop framework. A remarkable achievement, to be sure, considering the group’s relative youth and inexperience.

Originally formed in late 2001 by drummer Kurt Floresca, the initial incarnation of Soapdish recruited Bolivar in order to compete at a local contest. Predictably, they lost. But through some fortuitous connections, they managed to bag a regular gig at Mayric’s (a minor miracle for any neophyte). A frequent opening act for Parokya Ni Edgar, the fledgling band seemed destined for success until certain undisclosed reasons brought it all to a screeching halt. Thankfully, it wasn’t to be the end of THIS particular Rock & Roll dream. In 2004, Floresca and Bolivar reunited with a view to resurrecting Soapdish. Aided by bassist Cesar Bendoy and lead guitarist Terence Teves, this new lineup quickly recorded an ambitious demo…later to be repackaged as an Independent E.P. Now a highly collectible rarity, “The New Beautiful” would hint at the group’s eventual mass-appeal. On the potency of this original material, these four musicians were soon signing contracts with a major record label.

Despite the obvious influence of The Eraserheads, Teeth, The Cure and Dashboard Confessional, listening to the full-length album may bring other names to mind. You get hints of The Gin Blossoms. Coldplay. Travis. Ash. Duncan Sheik. Elvis Costello. Even vintage Apo Hiking Society. Floresca is a drummer straight out of the 60s. Much like Raimund Marasigan, his steady beat is reminiscent of Ringo Starr, Charlie Watts and Ginger Baker. Bendoy’s heart-thumping basslines reference anything from Paul McCartney to Adam Clayton. Lead guitarist Teves, although admittedly a fan of Soundgarden’s shrieking Kim Thayill, is actually quite controlled. He is tasteful. Mellow. Even jazzy. Which leaves singer/rhythm guitarist Bolivar. Part of an entire generation of Filipino artists (myself included) who grew up watching Steve O’Neal’s “Remembering The Beatles” on local television, everything about this guy screams “early John Lennon.” While he doesn’t possess the most technically perfect voice, the beauty of his delivery is in its sincerity. It works. And you never doubt a single word he sings.

The album boasts some of the most well-written songs we have heard in recent years…several of which would give even the great Ely Buendia and Ebe Dancel a run for their money. There is the catchy and highly danceable “Ewan Ko,” an ode to hidden crushes. “Tensionado” is a robust torch song that would melt even the coldest of hearts. Whereas it could have easily strayed to pompous “showband” corniness, the band pulls this one off with delicate chord changes. My personal favorite, though, is the superb “Sana Sinabi.” Listening to this powerful piece of poetry, I sometimes have to remind myself to breathe. THIS, my friends, is what a broken heart sounds like.

Soapdish plays Pop-Rock. This is indisputable. And they really shouldn’t be surprised when those noontime variety shows come calling. However, they ALSO have one foot firmly planted in the Indie/Alternative scene based, in large part, on the strength of their music. It is music that means something. It is music that will last. The question, then, is what this band will do when the mainstream catches on. Will they abandon their core audience? Will we, in turn, begrudge them their success? Will they be labeled “sell-outs” like so many others? I’d like to think that it won’t come to that. The thing about music…and I mean REALLY good music…is that it SHOULD be accessible. And when genuinely unassuming artists cross over, we should be proud of them. Because they were ours first. Who knows? If Soapdish play their cards right, they might very well be the much-anticipated Second Coming of that 90s Pinoy foursome that started it all. We can only hope.

-C.C.-