"Chop Suey": A Musical Adobo

This week I was fortunate enough to be contacted by Michael Sutton, a producer, songwriter, and head of his own record label (Sutton Records, oddly enough), all of which I believe makes him an “impresario”. But even if it didn’t, he should still use that title, because it’s just a cool thing to call oneself.

Anyway, Mr. Sutton promised to send me some of his label’s releases, and the first one I received was the one I was most interested in: Chop Suey by Prettier Than Pink. Based on their song samples at CDBaby, it sounded like PTP was going to be another solid retro-Pop girl band, and indeed, the full album did not disappoint.

As an aside, I would just like to point out, once again, what an astoundingly good 12 months it's been for Indie Pop fans. Just look through some of the previous entries in this blog to learn about some of the fantastic artists I've come across in the past year. There hasn't been such a flood of good pop since that Coca-Cola factory got blown-up in The Killing Fields. (See what I did there? Flood of...good...pop? *ahem*)

Prettier Than Pink was originally formed in the Philippines by lead vocalist/guitarist Lei Bautista. They had a smash hit in 1995 with "Cool Ka Lang" ("Just Stay Cool" -- which inspired a Filipino film of the same name, if I'm not mistaken) and released two albums, the first of which went gold. After that, Bautista emigrated to the USA, where she reformed Prettier Than Pink a few years later.

The result is Chop Suey, a very fun collection of Pop tunes displaying a variety of influences. The band lineup consists of three Filipina expats -- the now-married Lei Bautista-Sutton, lead guitarist/vocalist Pamela Aquino, and bassist/vocalist Melody del Mundo -- along with drummer Ann Connolly, representin' for Ireland.

Ostensibly, PTP is an 80's Pop/New Wave-style band, but in fact their influences run much wider and deeper. Sure, there are a few tracks in which they display that classic Go-Go's sound, and there's nothing wrong with that. But there are plenty of surprises, too: Some tracks, such as "Hair" and "Baby", have a 60's Bubblegum tinge to them, sounds that were made famous by bands like The Ronettes or The Archies. I even detected a bit of Supremes-style Motown in there.

Meanwhile, the song "Kryptonite" is a full-on blast from the 80's, but it also features a brilliant little guitar riff by Ms Aquino, which results in a Bangles/Beatles mashup sound. I wish such a band actually existed, because then they could call themselves "The Beagles" (go ahead, you can use that idea for free).

And the unexpected doesn't end there: "Johnny Blaze" is a classic torch song in the vein of...Peggy Lee?! Well, that's what it sounded like to me, but then I am a bit rusty on my Cold War-era American torch singers. Finally, the album closer "Irish Rose" is a solid U2 tribute, with Ms Connolly going at the drums with an enthusiasm that would make her countryman Larry Mullen proud. And through it all, Mrs. Bautista-Sutton keeps the vocals simple, but knowing; evoking the source material without ever parodying it.

It turns out that Chop Suey is a rather appropriate title for a simple album that combines many different elements to make an appealing platter. Why not pick up a copy -- just in time for Chinese New Year!