White Shoes & The Couples Company - 2020 Album Review

Back to mid-2000’s when clumsy teenagers from one of finest art college in Jakarta started to make music as a way to show their love for art and occupy some leisure. But who knows in 2005 they released their debut album which becomes one of the most influential album in Indonesia. The band’s debut self-titled album is filled with breezy, love-struck ballads that showcase a taste for loungy ’60s pop. This album is followed by ‘Vakansi’ 5 years later in 2010.

During the end of 2020, White Shoes & The Couples Company finally announced their first full-length album after 10 years, ‘2020’. The announcement followed after the release of ‘Irama Cita’ which is a promising first taste from the album. ‘2020’ is not only a feast for the ears, it also plays with your visual senses. The band tries to incorporate story and artistic image into each song in this album.

With pop-driven guitars, harmonious melodies, heartfelt lyrics and recognizable vocals, all songs on ‘2020’ create an atmosphere so warm and cozy that you'll probably never want to leave. The songs arrangement is attractive, and the vibe, which one can only describe as sunshine-y and radiant, is accented by '60s-pop era instruments. The opener, ‘Rumah” is kind of song you want to hear in bed while having long rainy day, vocals of Aprilia Apsari are the key to this undeniable comfort of the album, with her effortlessly yet powerful vocal. White Shoes & The Couples Company has spent the past several years honing their craft in pop music with a catchy tune and solid songwriting, their gentle approach is still strong in its execution. Warm and delicate composition in each song emits sophistication and elegance that they previously had on their previous releases. In this album they tried to incorporate musical elements so that listeners could carried over on an imaginary trip to the song itself.

The last song on an album ultimately has the last say and should make the listeners have a sense of closure. “Halaman Ekstra” is the eleventh and final track of the album; it finished the record beautifully leaving the listeners with a hint of sweetness and an overall soothing feeling.

‘2020’ delivering a new maturity to their collective of work, but still has the characteristics of White Shoes and their continuously magic touch in making a good music. It is a pleasant listen with a pleasant musical arrangement, and it will easily carry you into having a very calm day. The album is the band’s third full studio album, after their critically acclaimed self-titled debut album in 2005 and Vakansi (2010). Their two mini albums are Skenario Masa Muda (2007) and Menyanyikan Lagu-Lagu Daerah (2012)

The tracklist of White Shoes & The Couples Company’s album ‘2020’ is:
1. Rumah

2. Irama Cita

3. Folklor
4. Hidup Hanya Sekali

5. Sam dan Mul

6. Portrait of S.A.S

 7. Variasi Barongko
8. Hey Waktu! Kau Kalah!!
9. Oktober
10. Semalam
11. Halaman Ekstra