Pantayo are a group of Filipina-Canadian women whose unique merging of kulintang music with lo-fi punk, electronic, R&B, and other facets of pop creates a powerful and truly original sound. In the Southern Philippines, indigenous Maguindanaon and T'boli peoples -- particularly women -- have traditionally played in kulintang ensembles, named for the primary instrument that consists of a series of knobbed gong-chimes laid out in a manner similar to a marimba or xylophone. There are other instruments involved as well, including different types of metallophones like the sarunay and a drum called a dabak. While none of Pantayo's members claim to be indigenous, they filter their experiences as queer women of the Filipina diaspora through this strangely affecting musical tradition while updating it with the vibrant urban sounds from their home base in Toronto. Released by eclectic Canadian indie Telephone Explosion, the quintet's eponymous debut sounds unlike anything else on the modern musical landscape. Refreshingly guitar-less and resonating with the unfamiliar -- to Western ears, at least -- frequencies of hammered metal, there is an eerie and deeply resonant quality to these eight songs that sway peculiarly from soulful odes like "Divine" to the icy synth pop hooks of the defiant "V V V (They Lie)" or the frenetic hip-hop of "Taranta." With the addition of modern drums, bass guitar, and synths, the overall instrumentation creates a unique sense of mass and gravity as overtones collide, drawing power from the earth and somehow centering the music. Feminist themes and sociopolitical commentaries mingle with love songs, the group's celestial harmonies creating a strange dichotomy with the dark-toned clamor of the kulintang. While their offbeat cultural melting pot of styles goes a long way, fortunately Pantayo are also skilled songwriters with a strong melodic sense, hooks, and interesting lyrical ideas, all conveyed with a fiery attitude and confidence to spare.