"Esok Masih Ada....."

Suspect: Butterfingers
Exhibit: Selamat Tinggal Dunia
Price To Pay: RM 39.90
Crime Scene: Horizon Music Centre, Central Market


Since drawing up the blueprint for "Malaysian Urban Rock Grandiose 101" with the critically-acclaimed Malayneum, fans and critics alike has been kept wondering what's the next move for these shape-shifting musical visionaries. After 3 years of pondering (and countless setbacks and delays), they bid the world selamat tinggal.

Judging by their many performances prior to the release of Selamat Tinggal Dunia, it's quite uncertain of what's the agenda this time around. But upon first listen, I was flummoxed. Alt.-folk rock? Highly likely. But then again, pigeonholing a band of this credible is a big no-no. Emphasizing Selamat Tinggal Dunia as a senja period of the bands musical career, the dusk-inflicted concept of the album itself is a testament of a band that has accepted the harsh consequences of reality in the real world but on the other hand, has chosen not to abide by its abrasive means. Before you accuse the band of being bandwagon-jumpers by switching its language medium from English to the national lingo, Bahasa Malaysia -like in the veins of Flop Poppy and O@G-, run through your Kamus Dewan this instant. Instead of opting for cheesy (Flop Poppy), or inventive (O@G) use of the national language, Butterfingers utilizes the simplicity of it with dashes of age-old Bahasa Istana and effortlessly coupling it with heartfelt melodies resulting in a successful upshot.

Ngilu (hidup makan tidur mati muzik), acts like an apologetic excuse to everyone for the niggling holdup that has been bugging this album's release. With Emmett hopelessly singing "maafkan lah hamba/hamba pun hamba wang/pada zahirnya", you just can't help but feel sorry for the man. The first 3-minutes of Daulat Tuanku signaled the bands definitive departure from their famed Seattle-inspired sonic attacks swapping it with Marilyn Manson-ish industrial rock march before morphing itself into a sprawling 9-minute epic. Anyone who've heard Loque's rendition of Cuai may be taken aback by the album version of it where Emmett, with unflappable ease, proved why he is often regarded as a charismatic frontman with a presence. His subtle, whisper-like vocal take on the song echoed a lullaby that instead of whisking you away into slumber, puts you firmly on your feet in adulation of it. When Emmett chanted "untuk seketika/ku hilang kawalan diri" it exerts an eerie analogy with Radiohead's Karma Police when Thom Yorke squealed "and for a minute there/I lost myself". A twist of fate? Definitely maybe.

The sole instrumental track, Urusan Seri Paduka Baginda is beyond doubt; a brilliant oddball. Made up of haunting, poignant, ghoulish-choir and chiming gamelans, it would've found itself firmly tucked between the songs in Bjork's Medulla without sounding dubious. And not to mention a deserving soundtrack slot for an avant-garde horror/ghost flick. The obvious standout track is noneother than the album's title-track, an ode to self-righteous suicide which saw the song altering from hopeful to ambiguous obscurity without a great deal of hesitancy. Such beauty. Merpati Sejoli proved that Butterfingers can rock out like there's no tomorrow and also being brilliant at it. The unimaginative use of the la-la-la-las somehow blends with the song's quirky sleaziness but the band has better ideas by ending the song with brief, bleak gorgeousness done the best Butter way possible. Hanyut, which is perhaps the band's most funky tune to date and potentialy an unlikely radio hit is executed with such swagger that it will have you subconsciously humming along to the catchy chorus. Batak did a fab job at handling extra guitar duties giving Hanyut the much-needed edginess it lacks. Some might say that the manipulation of track-reversing technique employed by the band might be repetitious but it did serve a vital purpose. It's highly danceable! Tentang Tentang -with flourishes of horns, accordion, harmonica and violin pluckings- made its way as the album's fitting end as a (forlorn) last cry for us to wake up, and fight for a cause together.

Apart from the exclusion of Siaran Tergendala and Pancasona, the only letdown of this album is the final mix of Kabus Ribut which could've been better compared to the non-album version that has been circulating for a while. On the contrary, it still retains the sense of radio-friendliness that made it so amiable. However, one distinct facet of this album shouldn't be left unnoticed. Every single track on this album -regardless of the lyrics- astoundingly sounds like a sad parting.

Selamat Tinggal Dunia -as the name itself may imply- might impose the notion of the band bowing its way out of the limelight indefinitely. With Emmett now away in Canada, nothing is certain but the enigmatic frontman was quoted saying, "I don't know how frequent albums are going to be out, but the band will still be there."

Well, esok masih ada.