There's something suspicious about a band with a French word thrown into its name (they could have named themselves Oplan Vicente Itim) and vocals with a British accent, even when mentioning local geography like 'Beula-khan' (That's Bulacan in Filipino, girl. How many years do you have to spend living here to say it right) in the song "Wha'a Git" currently receiving airplay. The Vince Noir Project, like most trip-hop bands, exudes an aura of theatricality film noir to be exact, hence the name. But as with any similar effort, such devices risk verging on artifice and pretense.

Trip-hop the musical genre that evokes 1960s film femme fatale through a combination of sexy soulful vocals, acid-jazz beats and distressed electronica music originated in Bristol England in 1991 with such prime exponents as Portishead, Massive Attack and Morcheeba.
This album begs the question: If today's reggae band can do away without Jamaican accents and dreadlocks and locals rappers now can rhyme without posing as Afro-Americans in bling-bling, do trip hoppers require European intonation and seductively deadly auras?

Local exponents such as UpDharma Down and Drip have not only paved the way for the genre locally, they have also shown how to make trip-hop truly Pinoy with their own distinctive takes in the genre.

Vocalist Alessandra Tinio certainly has what it takes to play the part. Born in San Francisco and educated in London, she is many things to many people: posing sexily for men?s magazine FHM, deejaying for rock station NU 107 and even appearing as an exemplary fashionista by Internet gadfly Bryan Boy. Her vocals alone are sexy enough. What she sings about is enough to make you hot and bothered.

With "Wha' a Git," she reveals all the life of a seductress painting the town red as well recollects on her first time. "He was the first, he was the worst," she sings. For their part, Rembrandt Vocalan on synthesizers, Tani Santos on guitars and Wally Contento on drums provide compelling aural textures that complement Tinio vocals, altering it from breathy to robotic with distressed samples. 'Alter Ego' features compelling fat beats. Tracks such as 'Release to the Wild' and 'Taste the Rust' provide multiple layers of lush and edgy sound.

With its maiden self-titled album, the Vince Noir Project boasts an impressive pedigree: punk pioneer Tommy Tanchangco serves as executive producer, Diego Mapa of disco-punk band Pedicab and supergroup Cambio as album producer and collaborations with Mong Alcaraz of emo-rock band Chicosci and post punk exponent Sandwich and Madz Abubakar of Nyco Maca and Playground. However, the album stands on the talents of its own musicians.

The Vince Noir Project has got its act together. However, with so many contrivances and devices up its sleeve, their sound is emotionally distant. I want them to make me feel something and quit being cool all the time.

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