White Shoes rekindles that Seventies' spirit

White Shoes rekindles that Seventies' spirit

Tari Danawidjaja, Contributor/Jakarta

If you have listened to the original soundtrack for Janji
Joni, then you are definitely familiar with this band. Even those
who have never heard the soundtrack would recognize their song in
a soap commercial that stars Mariana, the famous Indonesian model
who lives in France.

White Shoes & the Couples Company is not a newborn band among
Jakarta Arts Institute (IKJ) students and graduates. The band --
Sari (vocals), Mela (keyboard/piano/violin), Ricky (bass), Rio
(guitar), Saleh (guitar) and John (drum) -- has been around for
almost three years now, but releasing an album was not a priority
back then.

"We didn't think of becoming a band, because we were still
studying at that time. So, we just hung out together," says
Ricky, who is also a talented cellist.

It took the six friends about one year to finally release
their self-titled debut album. According to Ricky, the album was
started during Ramadhan last year, and they finished recording
nine months later.

"Some of us work (at other jobs), so it's kind of hard to
finish the album," he added.

Think of the band as a reincarnated 1970's band, because that
is how they present their music and in how they dress. Ricky said
White Shoes is heavily influenced by this distinct decade.

Their music has a pop-romantic atmosphere with a little bit of
jazz, fusion and classical touches that add character and power
to the music.

"We love Seventies' music and movies, and we call our music
pop-romantic," Ricky said.

The album also emphasizes the fresh, happy spirit of hippies,
and is sure to make you go la-la-la all the way.

With seven songs in English and four in Bahasa Indonesia, the
band tries to keep it simple and sweet.

Just listen to single Senandung Maaf that was featured in the
Janji Joni soundtrack. It's simple, sweet and very catchy.

And don't miss their current single, Windu & Defrina, which
takes the same beat as the other tracks, but slowly lodges into
your psyche.

More upbeat tracks like Sunday Memory Lane, Topstar and
Runaway Song have great sing-along potential. If you get tired of
listening to these, just switch to the mellow, lullaby-like Senja
or Nothing to Fear.

In keeping with their 1970s' spirit, the band launched the
album at the Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI) hall on Wednesday,
performing for a crowd of over 300 comprising mostly friends,
family and fans.

They gave a big shot for the performance, but it was not their
best, like a previous one at the Goethe House that was exciting
and groovy. Yes, the crowd was cheering, but the band was not
successful in getting them to sing along.

Let's hope for a more cheery and harmonious live performance
next time, because the album is refreshingly good.

Rating: *** out of *****

Album info:

Title: White Shoes & the Couples Company
Band: White Shoes & the Couples Company
Recording Company: Aksara Records
Featured singles: Senandung Malam, Windu & Defrina