Up to this point, the tracks have been dominated with the sound of lively acoustic guitars, but all of those take a break with “Local.” Here, the band goes for a more downbeat sound, singing “You can’t live your life in reverse.”
The triphop trip continues with “What You Want,” with its continued use of drum machine-like beats and rhymes. “Engine Breaker” is what follows next, and it’s as if the band wakes up, surprising us with the heaviest riffs in the album.
“Baguio,” the tenth track of the album, is the most OPM-sounding song of the bunch, with lyrics that will make OPM bands of the 90s proud. With the final triptych of songs, “Eternal,” “One of Three,” and “MRI,” the band takes a more tranquil (but not any less emotional) pace, especially with the last song, which is the most emotional we’ve heard the band in “Travel Advisory.”
The skies are definitely safe for flight with Archipelago’s excellent “Travel Advisory.” And yes, they count their gigs, if you don’t believe us, check their Facebook site.—Gelo Gonzales
