The Score Magazine - Archive February 2015 issue! | Page 45

Shreya Bose
Superfuzz - Inner City Waster
Their first EP is 7 years. That means expectations are sky high and yet, old school rock isn't
really guaranteed success anymore, thank to the Bieber and the Minaj. At My Home and
What Every Kid Wants are straight up rock - a little AC/DC here, a little touch of Bob Seger
somewhere, perhaps? School is all about that dirty guitar lick and a killer solo with fraying
edges. Manu Is A Dumbass plays on a standard tonal arrangement, but what really takes the
care is the lyrics (We all have the Manu in our lives). Rat in the Dirt is gloriously irreverent
and depends on Aditya's ceaselessly adrenaline-wracking drumming. The guitar strings twang
in thunderous unison, leading into Bunny Epidemic which may be rock's long-sought answer
to absurdist philosophy. Sanchal drops in a little screamo ( don't freak - it fits in ) while what
is probably the most addictive of all the hooks in this album acts like a relentless piston on the
words. Satan's Very Own is actually a but of a let-down after that - the lyrics are standard anti-
establishment and the music doesn't do much to suggest virulent innovation. But its still good
rock n' roll, and that hardly ever misses too badly.
Back to the basics of what is the greatest about rock.
Nothing too mindbendingly innovative, which is what you look for in Superfuzz.
Recommended: What Every Kid Wants, Bunny Epidemic
When The Home is Burning
Imphal Talkies ( 5 stars )
Words serve inadequately to articulate the sheer mastery of this musical venture. And The
Home is Burning is straight-up, in-your-face candid about the varieties of oppression visited
upon the 'have nots' coupled with the pretense enacted in the name of compassion and activism.
Napa Thorai Machi lilts like a ship on a forgotten sea – the unfamiliar lyrics folding themselves
into an identifiable acoustic scheme. Ode to Loktak sings of empathy and tribute, its words
playing in the forefront of a rolling sarangi-like sound. I Wanna Go To Moscow rips apart a
pointlessly, policed existence and meditates upon the possibilities of escape. Ei Seeragay sounds
like a melodic call , complemented with a beautiful, minimalistic profusion of strings. Radha
Leela must be the most interesting rendition of the traditional kirtan that you would come
across. The smattering of English words and repeated references to Radh without a mention of
Krishna makes it intriguing, despite one's ignorance of the language. India I See Blood In Your
Hands is a mellifluous reminder of the civil atrocities that tend to distill themselves into mere
newspaper columns and internet forum debates. The language is harsh, angry but restrained and
unfazed by any need for political correctness. Sarkargi Thabak is the only song with an electric
guitar and discernible drums, catchy and probably bopping along to whatever else is wrong
with this world. Mr President Is Coming doesn't do much in terms of music, but again, the words
deliver shots of guilt and rage to the conscience. Eise Eini Kaorurey sounds “typically” folk, with
a clap-tap-nod sequence that belies the lyrical significance. As it trails off into an end, you either
listen again or never listen because this album will affect you with an inherent authenticity that
you must either commit to or avoid.
Incredible musical formations, inspiring lyrics.
The language may put off less patient listeners.
Recommended: Napa Thorai Machi, Sarkargi Thabak, Eise Eini Kaorurey
Robot Koch & Curtain Blue - Let Me
This one's a bit of a doozy. Robot Koch might be featuring the track on his EP , but not for a
moment does he overpower his Indian counterpart Curtain Blue aka Abhishek Bhatia. Their
characteristic styles merge wondrously, neither compromising nor dominating. A shaved
synth-sound provides background to ghostly vocals and subtly processed beats. A sheath of
uncut melody runs throughout, punctuated by emphatic but softened rhythmic changes. Apt
for both a heady dance under stars at a music festival or a simple roll-back with a glass of
wine, this song is to be grabbed with all possible immediacy.
Immediately catchy and good for a ( metaphorical ) trip.
Predictable.
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