SHREYA BOSE
Say Your Prayers
(INALAB):
Gaurav Balani has been
swimming in the waters
of independent music
making for quite a while
now. He has been part
of iconic ensembles
such as Parikrama
and Shubha Mudgal’s
Koshish. Now he is taking
lead with Inalab, his
own project support by equally iconic figures - Saurabh
Chaudhry(Guitars, Parikrama), Tuheen Chakravorty (Tabla
, Indian Ocean), Vishal Mehra (Drums, Euphoria). The piece
has been mixed & mastered by Keshav Dhar (Skyharbour).
Balani certainly tries to bring to the song the same
idiosyncraticity that led him to use a palindrome of his
surname as his project moniker. It is easy to be drawn into
the anticipatory percussive progression, courtesy the tabla
of Tuheen Chakravorty. There are no major surprises, but
the craftsmanship cannot be questioned. The guitars’ glossy
shimmer is the perfect foil to the cautious and whispering
cymbals. A precarious balance of pitch and persona is
introduced early on, and maintained unfailingly.
My only complaint would be that the track seems
abruptly shortened. Balani indubitably has solid
reasons to end his piece where it does, but whatever
story was being spun by the track seems unfinished.
One is most definitely left with a taste for more.
Moonglasses
(Man.Goes Human):
The music of this four
member group is the
very definition of indie.
Now, I certainly do
not mean that they
are generic ; they are
not. However, they
exemplify the qualities
traditionally associated
with "indie" music
(outside the quality of simply being independently produced).
Their second EP is incredibly pleasant, even when they
are broaching themes that are not. Each song is invested
with its personal dreamscape, contrived by instrumental
arrangements that do not exceed a breath over what is
necessary. Their songs play with the unique quality of
creating ambience rather than compulsive focus. Each
track is an invitation to drift. The sound is something
akin to what would wander in through a window in
faraway lands. Even in their heaviest moments, they
exhibit a lilting cadence that calls to be lost in. Personal
truths are revealed in a vortex of unwavering comfort.
Even the proclamations of violent, reluctant intimacy in
“Crush Before Use” are tempered by deep personalisation.
It is impossible to distance oneself from the charm with
which these guys communicate stress, struggle and
consequent revelations. Every track offers the quiet
assurance of understanding, the message that your
personal demons are being heard and responded to.
Stories from a Bottle
(Bjorn Surrao):
This Chennai-based
composer and singer has
already done his rounds
of film, documentary
and the indie band
circuit. Consequently,
at the painfully young
age of 25, he is able
to make an album
that is simultaneously accessible and aesthetic.
For the most part, Surrao’s strength lies in songwriting
and arrangement. I cannot say his voice does much for
me. However, he structures his songs for seamless good
listening. “Walls” is unabashedly upfront about uplifting
the listener. To the beat of capricious drums, a piano and
a guitar create a space for repose. The lyrics’ push carpe
diem, but you don’t feel any hurry to stop listening.
“Sunset Boulevard” and “Crystal Skies” did not strike me as
too memorable. They are pleasant, and the latter experiments
with muted electronic beats that are a welcome change from
the garish use of the same in radio-friendly dance numbers.
It is in “Stellar” and “Kaadhal Neeye” that the album gives
up the gold. “Stellar” incorporates a hint of techno in a
classically dominated headspace - Carnatic violin, tabla and
the trained vocals of Suchith Suresan. In “Kaadhal Neeye”,
Suresan is joined by Shakthisree Gopalan. This one feels
more aligned with cinema, focusing on orchestral buildup
and adeptly creating imagery in the listener’s head. It is a
superb piece, evocative and precisely artful at the same time.
The
Score Magazine
highonscore.com
19