Look at the album cover. Looks like an Alternative Band.
Look at the name of the band. Looks Alternative.
Look at the song titles. Looks Alternative.
Well…they are Progressive.
So what we got here, with Alternative looks and Progressive sounds? A completely original band with songs which will grip you and will not let go. The jams in each of the four songs in the EP will remind anyone of the Allman Brothers Band…but the beginning and the ends will remind you: that its more than a “southern jam”.
Sodium Trail is a fully developed EP which has little space of improvement in any department. With roping in almost 25 minutes…the songs show the band’s strengths, ideas, ambitions and weaknesses.
Ananth Menon’s guitar work is like an explorer. On beautiful soundscapes, the guitar walks slowly, sometimes run, sometimes wobble, sometimes stammer but all the while…going forward. Without his guitar, simply, cant imagine this EP. His voice though, sounds familiar. You have heard that voice and vocal delivery before in other bands (like “Galeej Gurus”? 
). But again, who cares?
Ganesh K’s bass riffs are easier to spot and far more groovier than its allowed to be in a progressive band. Which is good…no…great actually. The boringness which the progressive bands brought in the 70s which led to birth of punk and hard rock, is easily cured here by the riffs. The “Krptos” experience helped.
And the drums. Will a jam ever be energetic without the drums? Sachin Moogi knows it. He shows it. Whats amazing is the way the drums share the same urgency with the guitars. It simply amazing.
“Walk : Rewind” starts with a bang…goes on showing promise and ends with leaving you wanting more. “60 Watt Sun” picks up on your thirst, takes you on an optimistic joyride with subtle hints that not everything is alright. “05/04″ is a slow tempo number. Midway, it picks up pace. (Which was weirdly predictable..not a good thing!). “Mobius Trip” is exactly what it says. A trip. Listen to it with the lights out. You will be seeing things.
Apart from the voice, the only other concern is the words. Though the outlook is way different than the rest..the words are not strong enough as the music.
Like I said in the beginning, the Alternative outlook helped. They have kept the experimental factor alive, mixed it with southern rock and chose the channel of progressive. And gave us a stunning debut EP.
Rating: 3.9/5
You can download the album for free from their website. You can check them out on myspace too.
The Power of Press
Tags: india, music magazines, personal comment, suede
1992.
American Grunge was sweeping all over the world. Seattle was World’s Rock Headquarters. Bands who were not grunge, were not considered bands at all.
Understandably…some bands were pissed. Especially British bands.
Suede was formed in 1991, and they were supported by the press…Melody Maker, NME and Select to name a few.
When NME found out that Suede was left off the nominations at Brit Awards, 1992, they started a weekly campaign. The theme of the campaign being: Fuck the old Phil Collins, Rod Stewart and their cronies. We need new blood to perform at the Awards. And it should be Suede.
Their relentless campaign worked. Brit Awards organizers decided to let Suede perform. The song “Animal Nitrate” with its hidden sexual messages was performed. The sea of tuxedos looked uncomfortable in their chairs.
Brit Pop had its birth!
The song was released as single and it went to the Top Ten. People started noticing Blur, Oasis and countless other good bands.
And we, the listeners, got a chance to listen to absolutely amazing songs.
The moral of the story: Music magazines in our country should be more open about their support. They should try things which may not have done before. They need to convince the non believers..so that the bands in our country gets the attention.
Music Magazines….Are you listening? Do you have the power and the will to change the scene?