Bleeding December brings together Filipino singer and guitarist Mel Felismino and Canadian bassist Dave Habza. Their self-titled EP has the melodic pull of 90s pop rock, with acoustic warmth running through its heavier moments. Felismino sings with an openness that suits the songs’ melancholy, while the choruses give that feeling somewhere to go.
Frank Ferrer’s drumming brings seasoned force to the arrangements, giving the softer adult contemporary edges a firm rock spine. The five song sequence carries a distinct 90s pull, with acoustic warmth sitting beside alt rock weight. “I Know Now” captures the band’s strengths through its immediate chorus, which plants itself in the memory after a single play.
Melancholy, Melody, Warmth
-PurpleMistress
“We Were Young” brings punk rock Americana into the record and loosens the prevailing melancholy with a rougher, youthful charge. “Simpleng Harana” became my favorite through its natural emotional pull. Its sentiment arrives with ease and stays longer than the grander gestures elsewhere.
A few transitions lean heavily on familiar pop rock architecture, so certain lifts announce themselves early. Bleeding December handle those familiar shapes with strong melodic instinct and genuine affection for the form. The EP reaches its finest moments when acoustic pop softness meets the weight of a full rock chorus. Arriving October 2, “Bleeding December EP” presents a band with a clear identity already in place: melancholic, melodic and proudly sincere.
