In 1997, Philippine rock band Glue released its debut album, Automatik. The band's sound is an eclectic mix, and includes the ska-styled "Skalabog," the soulful, horn-fueled "Giliw" (trans: My Love) (the horns are presumably played on synthesizer), the country/roots rock-oriented "Coweeh," and the pop-rock pieces "Ikaw Lang" (trans: Only You) and "Package." The album's ambience is relaxed and loose -- particularly the singing, which is too loose in some instances. For example, in "Ikaw Lang" and "I Want U, Be Free," the vocals sound sloppy and become off-key at points. Conversely, one of the album's better songs, "Package," contains sharper, more focused vocals. "Coweeh" moves on a laid-back country/roots-rock groove, reminding one, remarkably enough, of the wonderful 1970s roots-oriented group, the Band. The relaxed singing of Glue doesn't stray out of bounds here, and their graceful harmonies surely invoke the splendid tones often purveyed by the Band. There is a '60s feel to some songs, including "Coweeh," whose lyrics include the line: "Keep on shining/Flower girl." Another song, "Tao" (trans: People), recalls the famed 1960s group, Buffalo Springfield, and their legendary hit "For What It's Worth." A line from "Tao," "Why don't you stop/And look what's going down" (and the break in which it's presented) certainly echoes the famous chorus of "For What's It's Worth": "I think it's time we stopped, children/What's that sound?/Everybody look what's going down." While Automatik is uneven in parts ("I Want U, Be Free" and "I'm a UFO" are throwaways), the band certainly deserves a follow-up.
