The pop-punk band's LP debut finds the perfect middle ground between ambition & familiarity
RELEASE DATE: 17 NOVEMBER 2020
GENRE: POP PUNK / EMO
'Emo Department' is hands down Pasca Sini's most complete opus of amazing moment-to-moment pop-punk. It goes without saying, maybe, since this is an actual LP, unlike their prior EP releases that felt disjointed while still containing a few highlights. But this fullness doesn't just come in the form of a longer tracklist or a sturdier concept. The dastardly deliciousness is in the details.
From the train announcements in the intro to the robot voice in Damansara City Lights and the trumpets that seem to punctuate so much of the album; Pasca Sini is quintessentially "pop-punk-as-an-ethos-not-a-generic-song-template". It's fun, it's occasionally whiny, but never without the right amount of artistic sincerity to keep you hooked.
Like the vocal layers in DMB where Hyke Nasir of HACKTICK! makes an incredible, yet not overbearing appearance, the core of Emo Department is in strong arrangements that know when to pull you in, make you cry, or prod you to headbang your tears away. When it goes quiet for a moment, like in the AYKM interlude, it's a delicate ride back up to Pop Punk Central, but once you're there, it feels like a soothing, melancholic home. (also note: the horns in AYKM are splendid).
Or they give you a heartfelt acoustic ballad in 'Semula' that ascends into a mini orchestra the moment the lyrics chime: "Luahkan semua yang kau rasa// jangan kau simpan dalam dada// adanya ku yang selalu menunggu"
'Kali Pertama' contains my favourite line from the record, "Kau memenuhkan masa ku, hanya berlari di minda ku sayang//Kau tempat pertama dalam merentas desa". And it still tops itself with a cathartic instrumental solo conclusion.
Every single they've released leading to this album works even better as a whole. The only expectation they've ruined is that it didn't turn out as emotional as I thought it would be, leaning more towards an emo sound rather than substance. Or maybe the lyrics haven't sunk into my soul yet. Maybe all the positivity and comfort Emo Department provides is meant to be a cure for sadness, a companion for your sorrows. Maybe true Emo is the friends you make along the way.
Image: Pasca Sini / Facebook
RATING:
4.5 / 5
FAV TRACK(S):
Semula / Kali Pertama / Pola Fikir Positif / DMB / Fikir Sebelum Bertindak / Overthinking/ Damansara City Lights
LEAST FAV TRACK:
Empat Dinding
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