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Popularly known for their messianic hooks, anthemic-feel and powerful stage presence, Bamboo surprised us when they released the all-covers album, We Stand Alone Together a few weeks ago. Although fellow arena rockers Rivermaya and 6 Cycle Mind did the same tribute modus which scopes on influences and major label intrusion, Nobody else thought Bamboo would do the same thing injecting personal touches on classics and pop gems – while mixed reactions from critics and fans continue to storm mailing lists, music forums and classroom discussions. It's like a make or break for them, since we are expecting an all-original repertoire on their third album.

Please don't be thrilled in case you realized that it's a two-disc album: the first disc is for the revival luggage and the other is for the CD extra (minus Vic, minus Ira, minus Nathan WTF?). The first disc, which is at least tolerable – contains the band's take on OPM classics, cult rock archives, and solo pop icons with Grammy degrees. There are a lot of garnishing and embroidering when it comes to their sonic makeover with the tracks, while they still stalwartly marginalize it on anthemic stance and same old Bamboo histrionics.

The result is almost good: neatly arranged, well formulated into orchestral and jazzy pop-rock to exude something stadium-sized, charismatic and gospel-oriented. But that doesn't certify that it's good within bounds of a good album. A true good album seeks for the impossible, the daring and the sincere – and not for making an album for the sake expanding the discography or strategizing on commercial value with record companies as masterminds. It also attributes on how the songs should be strategically laid on the album (final track, "Tatsulok" contains scattering bonus tracks) and how they'd patch it into sounding consistently terrific and bearable at the same time. In We Stand Alone Together, the notes above are some of the concerns, but don't totally devalue its major strengths.

The tagalog tracks are the strongest points of We Stand Alone Together, creating a room for moving themes and mainstream acceptance which is akin to their early hits "Noypi," "Masaya" and "Hallelujah." The first track "Probinsyana" is all-out funky and heavy, the energy's splashed into utmost level with all the shoving horns, Vic's drumwork wits and the lethal guitar-bass intermarriage courtesy of Ira and Nathan. The 1979 Metropop winning piece, "Umagang Kay Ganda" is Bamboo in its most positive and non-aggressive shape. Backed by a children's choir, a tight rhythm section and an uplifting pop chorus, it is by far Bamboo's most affecting rendition in the album. The current radio hit "Tatsulok," a Buklod original also strikes a chord with its definitive statement against social pyramid and Bamboo's commanding interpretation which soars with conviction and sincerity.

I don't really enjoyed some of the reworked tracks, particularly Sting's "Englishman in New York," a hidden track, Pearl Jam's "Alive" and Seal's "Prayer for the Dying," not because of the song itself, but because of Bamboo's lackluster interpretation. It's soulful rock without the signature spank the song's known for. Also it's bland and derivative of what they've done before that's overly anthemic and imposing. 

I must say though that Bamboo did a great job with their cover of the Carole King ballad, "So Far Away." With its lilting piano and poignant melody, it brings to mind Bamboo's early hit, "Much has been said." Among the English tracks, their intense performance of Paul Simon's "50 ways to leave your lover" is one of the album's major highlights. Tiptoeing on jazzy chords, pumping keyboards, choral singing and pure seduction, Bamboo triumphantly nailed the song with suave lyrical interpretations and the over-all feel of the rhythm is just scorching and solid as the original. It's like U2 with gospel choir at the annual Live 8 fests, only that they're up for soul and the seething funk than grandiose anthems.

We Stand Alone Together might be disappointing, dreary or just pure lackluster, but what we have here are old songs interpreted the way Bamboo would do on their future releases. I'm glad that they didn't shrink too much on copying the melody note by note. Instead, they make the songs their posséder. Their tenencia. Their proprio. Their own. Maybe that's the reason why I still have a tinge of respect with the band's working ethics. They are always up for expanding their creativity whether on doing originals or revivals. And for me, that's so enough.