Retrospect has nine members, including four vocalists, which include two females and two males, and five musicians. The band’s music encompasses several styles, including dance, pop, touches of rhythm & blues, as well as straightforward love ballads. In 1998, they released their self-titled debut album.
The pulsating dance beat, however, seems to characterize the album, as heard in such songs as “Chika Doo” (no translation), “Shout!!!,” “More 2Day,” “Party Time,” “Na Na Na Na,” “Buzhalan (Wala Lang!)” (Buzhalan [Nothing]), as well as the remix of “Chika Doo.” The upbeat “Buzhalan (Wala Lang!)” is rhythm & blues-inflected and features tantalizing horn lines.
The album’s overall sound is very good, and the album could be considered for international release. The straightforward love songs have substance due to the strong melodies and heartfelt performances, as heard on the emotive and soulful “It’s All Over,” which features the two female vocalists trading lines, and “Mahal Kita,” which has the two male vocalists trading lines.
The songwriting is strong throughout the album, and for that much of the credit goes to talented songwriter J. Martin Cruz, one of the vocalists. The instrumentation throughout the album is also tight and well-performed, and each song has something to offer.
“More 2Day” borrows more than a little from 1960s group Spiral Starecase’s “More Today Than Yesterday,” but the authorship is credited to Retrospect’s J. Martin Cruz. Nonetheless, Retrospect is a fine album. – David Gonzales