With first album, Deanery further stamps place in musical ‘biome’

By Tiny Diapana

RELEASED five years after the launch of their EP, “And What We Are Now,” Deanery’s first album “Wallow in Mud” is, to many extents, a solid contribution to the post-punk revivalist scene in Cebu.

In an age of pop, EDM, and a pleasantly surprising appreciation for Visayan pop (Vispop), Deanery forges its own path as one of the forerunners in the current local new wave/indie rock scene and through “Wallow in Mud,” the band stamps its place in the musical “biome” even deeper.

Polished and cohesive, Deanery’s instrumentals draws in listeners with the detailed weaving of its texture. In the album, prominent riffs and synths are buttressed by a reliable drum beat and an engaging bass line throughout each of its eight tracks.

Despite the crestfallen imagery of its lyrics, “Wallow in Mud” starts off strong and upbeat with its first few tracks like “Solitary Hearts,” and “Alter Memoirs.” Though the dissonance between lyric and melodic texture may seem a bit troubling, the songs still work as an energetic but wistful ode to solitude and lost loves.

The album then moves on to the edgier “Monthlong Sunday”- a track with sharp, pressing riffs and playful bass lines. The song jolts listeners and serves as a divider for when “Wallow in Mud” mellows down with tracks like “Seven,” “Mist” and “Mirrors.” All three songs are laced with steady, melodic spikes as the middle segment of the collection echoes melancholia.

The album later on brings energy levels back up with the crisp “She’s out of Control” and the agitated “Fall Between Cracks.”

Playing Deanery’s compilation, one is slightly reminded of post-punk band influences like Interpol and Joy Division. However, the overall ensemble of the album proves Deanery’s sound is surely its own.

Like the title of the album, the tracks in “Wallow in Mud” resonate with the static feeling of immobility resulting from loss of love, the staunching hold of solitude, and the despair that comes from the mundane. Though the lyrics may seem a bit contrived at times as the songs strain to execute poetic substance, Deanery’s vocals are tasteful and the band’s mastery of its craft makes the acquisition of its second album an obvious decision. “Wallow in Mud” is an EP definitely worth listening to.