Bipolar (Up Dharma Down album)

After releasing their debut album Fragmented, Up Dharma Down had been called "band most likely to cross over to North American shores" by the BBC and was featured by Time Asia. "Sana", and "Taya". Music videos were released for "Taya" and "Sana"; the former used still photography instead of a video camera, while the latter was shot in sepia tone giving it an "old school" look. ==Composition==

Bipolar features three tracks in Filipino: "Sana", "Silid", and "Taya". It also features four instrumental songs: "The Cold is Warmth", "Delayed Breathing", "Furnace", and "Return, Saturn, Return". Lyrical themes for the album are inspired by painful experiences and "growth", according to Millare. The band did not give the album a specific genre, saying "We don’t really try to think of a name for the music." The Philippine Star called the band "rock, neo-soul, acid jazz and electronic all rolled into one". Millare called the closing 15-minute track "Sugarcoats & Heartbeats" the song "that best defines the album". The song Sugarcoats and Heartbeats clocks in at 15 minutes because after 4 minutes of silence, two bonus tracks can be heard, the first one is "A Purse of Stories", and the second is an instrumental track called "Clarity". ==Reception==

Bipolar received positive reviews from critics. Mark Angelo Ching of the Philippine Entertainment Portal called "Taya" the song "could match Up Dharma Down's first breakaway hit 'Oo' three years ago". He called the track "Sana" "unforgettable" due to Millare's vocals on the track and wrote that "Sugarcoats & Heartbeats" "is a combination of two mellow songs in one." He concluded his review by saying "With Bipolar, Up Dharma Down truly does not disappoint." ==Track listing==

;Up Dharma Down • Armi Millare – vocals, keys, synthesizers, lyrics on "Clockwork", "Tayâ", "Unspoken Definites", "Two", "Sana", and "Every First Second" • Paul Yap – bass, effects arrangements, words on "Blessed", "All Year Round", "Silíd", and "Sugarcoats & Heartbeats" • Carlos Tañada – lead guitars, keys, synthesizers, effects arrangements • Ean Mayor – drums, glitches, keys, synthesizers, effects, sample arrangements, design and layout ;Extra personnel • Toti Dalmacion – executive producer, manager • Noel de Brackinghe – engineering, mixing, mastering • Pal Jalbuena – recording of guitars and beats • Fran Lorenzo of the band Sleepwalk Circus – whispering on "Blessed" • Everywhere We Shoot! and Ean Mayor – photos, concept • Sherwin de Guzman – assistant manager ==References==