There is an oft-recounted anecdote that tells the story of how B5 came to be B5. Basically, each of the group's members -- Suwira "Q" Boonrod, Mariam Grey, Saksit "Tor" Vejsupaporn, Chalatit "Ben" Tantiwut and Uthai "Cake" Poonyamund -- was slated to pursue a solo career as part of Bakery Music's new crop of artists. But that was before they shared the stage for Boyd Kosiyabong's Million Ways To Love: Part I concert, subsequently leading fans to believe that they were an actual, single-unit group. The label, apparently subscribing to the "there's no such thing as bad publicity" ethos, decided to market them as a quintet called B5. And what a decision that was, for their 2004 debut Event became a huge success, giving Bakery Music, whose popularity had been waning during the country's 1997 economic crisis, a much-needed boost.
B5's flair for five-part harmonies, sung to Tor's piano backdrop, and their ability to reinterpret the label's past hits and turn them into their own possess the kind of pop appeal that was lacking from the local music scene. Following the success of their debut, however, the band was somehow put on the back burner as each member has gone and done their own thing. Nothing was to come out of the B5 camp for the next 15 years -- until now.
Simply titled Now15, their comeback LP strictly adheres to the band's MO, further breathing new life into pop classics from the Noughties. Naturally, the quintet excel when it comes to their signature five-part harmonies which are on full display on tracks like Crescendo's Venus, Soul After Six's Hen Chan Mai, and Yokee Playboy's Plae Pen. Elsewhere, each member takes turns showing off their vocal prowess -- Mariam and Ben bringing the house down with their piano ballads take on Kidnappers' Ploi and Crescendo's Kae Piang Khao Mai Keuy; Tor getting cute with his rework of Niece's Beeb Mee while Cake adding a serious Calypso flavour to Nadia Suttikulpanich's Happy Anniversary.
The verdict: Yes, 14 years is a long time and if you fell out of love with B5 (or completely forgotten that they'd existed) along the way, Now15 will remind you just how remarkable these fab five are. Truly worth the wait.
Listen to this: Venus, Plae Pen, Beeb Mee, Hen Chan Mai
The Playlist
Tape / Aad Ja Dee Laew
Spicy Disc's latest signing Duangporn "Tape" Karnchanasatit has just dropped her debut single Aad Ja Dee Laew [Better Off This Way] under the mononym Tape. The track, penned by singer-songwriter Trai Bhumiratna and produced by Notapol Srichomkwan, is a mid-tempo soul-pop number that showcases Tape's vocal chops in full effect. "Perhaps it's better off this way/ That our love's come to an end/ Maybe it's just meant to be," she sings, coolly coming to terms with the dissolution of her relationship. "Let's not dwell on it, baby/ What was given and received just wasn't even/ Let's just now rescue our hearts." Props for Tape and all those involved for giving us a glass-half-full approach to a break-up song -- the world needs more of those!
Anna Calvi / As A Man
It looks like indie music is going through the re-emergence of sexual revolution of late with Ca Power's empowering anthem Woman and now with Calvi's latest As A Man. A follow-up to the equally ferocious Don't Beat The Girl Out Of My Boy and Hunter, the mid-tempo track glistens with rhythmic electric guitars and Phil Collins' In The Air Tonight-esque drum break. "If I was a man in all but my body/ Oh, would I now understand you completely/ If I was a man in all but my body/ If I was walking and talking/ As a man," she intones on behalf of those considered by the society as "the weaker sex". In her own words, the song is "about finding freedom in the non-binary world", which is the essence that underpins her just-released third album, Hunter.
Tune-Yards / Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
The very idea of someone doing a cover of Eurythmics' much-loved classic Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) may send shivers down some purists' spine. And for good reason, because we all know that song is a masterpiece. Art-pop duo Tune-Yards, however, step up to the challenge with their impressive rendition of the 1983 hit, recorded as part of Spotify's Single Sessions. Here, frontwoman Merrill Garbus and her musical partner Nate Brenner serve up a rare combo of equal parts quirky and reverent -- a kind of cover that pays tribute to the original while offering a glimpse into the covering band's personality (also, it doesn't hurt that Garbus' voice bears a striking resemblance to Annie Lennox's).
Roosevelt (Feat. Washed Out) / Forgive
German producer Marius Lauber, aka Roosevelt, links up with Washed Out's Ernest Greene on the former's new cut Forgive and let's just say that this is a collaboration we never knew we needed. The track, a lead cut from Roosevelt's imminent LP Young Romance, finds Lauber swapping his club-oriented synth-pop for something a little more laid-back which is perfectly aligned with Washed Out's overall chillwave aesthetics. "It's too late to turn around/ Your mistakes keep coming back/ It's too late this time," Greene croons, his hazy vocals wrapped in sepia-hued nostalgia.
Mac DeMarco / Honey Moon
After giving Bangkokians the second taste of his legendary live gig early last month, the self-styled king of "jizz jazz" drops a new single called Honey Moon. And before calling us out on our editing skills, yes, it's actually "honey moon" as opposed to "honeymoon" -- thank you very much. Now, the track is a cover of Japanese singer-songwriter Haruomi Hosono's 1975 classic of the same name, which means that DeMarco sings entirely in Japanese. If that doesn't sound like a promising prospect, we're happy to report that he does pull it off with full swagger intact. As for the production itself, he keeps it largely faithful to the original save for a few moments of his trademark wonky lo-fi inclinations.
