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AlbumReviews: 'Kita Sama-sama Suka Hujan' by Various Artists
Kita Sama-Sama Suka Hujan (We Like Rain) is a live album recorded over two separate shows in Bandung and Jakarta by indie-folk band Banda Neira, electronic artist Layur, pianist Gardika Gigih and violinists Suta Suma and Jeremia Kimosabe
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Kita Sama-Sama Suka Hujan (We Like Rain) is a live album recorded over two separate shows in Bandung and Jakarta by indie-folk band Banda Neira, electronic artist Layur, pianist Gardika Gigih and violinists Suta Suma and Jeremia Kimosabe. And if there's a word that best encapsulates this gorgeous album, it's the first word of the title.
Never to this day has an Indonesian live album been so textured and so impeccably recorded; never has a collaborative record sounded so collaborative. The piano never overpowers the vocals nor does it threaten the strings or the guitar.
Quality aside, this album also is testament to their friendship. As Rara Sekar, Banda Neira's vocalist, tells you at some point, these talented musicians met via Soundcloud and these shows were actually the second time they ever played together.
Timing is key: On the song 'Dawn' the violin appears during the chorus, emphasizing the emotional weight of the song. Most songs are guitar-based dirges that recall the serenity of rain (hence, the title). I mean, some of the titles share the same water-based theme: Hujan di Mimpi (Rain in a Dream), Ocean Whisper, Langit & Laut (The Sky and the Sea), Dan Hujan (And Rain), Tenggelam (Drowning) and Di Atas Kapal Kertas (On the Paper Ship).
It is also an album that makes use of length and sequencing to great effect (except for one element, which I'll get back to later). Split into two CDs, it's a very long album. It's also brave to start the record with two songs that use all the instruments and Rara's vocal harmony.
Listen to Kereta Senja (Evening Train), which starts with a gorgeous harmony courtesy of Gardika, Suta and Jeremia and ends with Banda Neira's usual schtick. Tenggelam also boasts Rara's great vocals and lulling piano.
It's odd the album barely has any fillers (Okay maybe 'Derai-Derai Cemara', adapted from a Chairil Anwar poem). For a 19-track record, this is a flooring feat.
Favorite songs on this record are the aforementioned 'Langit & Laut', which starts with the ambient sound of an ocean roar, and the piano-led 'I'll Take You Home'. If there's any noticeable fault, it might be on the second CD; the songs never go beyond the exciting music that renders the first CD incredible. At least it's earnestly made though.
The album ends with the three-minute Di Atas Kapal Kertas jacked up to 11 minutes. In the coda, Rara interjects the song to joke about Ananda, the guitarist. Later, each musician is introduced and once their name is called, they boast about their instruments, half-jokingly. This is a moment of pure joy, the sound of musicians realizing who they're with and how lucky they are to be on that stage.
