SHREYA BOSE
INDIE
REVIEWS
Sun Kabira frames, in sprightly pop-rock, the possibility
of spontaneous ecstasy emerging from abandoning
attachment. In this land of Gautama Buddha, we are
familiar with the concept, commonly termed Nirvana.
But the song zeroes in on the ineffable, inexplicable
joy that arises from realising that all is impermanent,
illusory and unworthy of too much investment. Famed
spiritual speaker Adyashanti speaks of about a “causeless
happiness” that comes from not taking anything too
seriously. The band echoes the sentiment (as old as time
itself) with “Na tu ispe aasu baha re/ Bas gaata chal aur
haasta ja re”. (Shed no tears over this world/Simply
rejoice and move on)
Sacchai toes the ethos of spiritual seeking, revealing the
elusive nature of Truth that all religious/metaphysical
paths look to make their destination. They double down
on their conception of the human world as claustrophobic,
limiting and entirely based on collective delusion.
Kalkothri si ye duniya, jooth mein kuch uljhi uljhi (This
world resembles a dungeon/ entangled in lies)
Uljhe huye hain log yahaan sab, waise jaise jaal mein
machli (All humans here are trapped/ as if fish in a net)
Aao Khele (Aankh Micholi):
What drives a 23 year old to vocalise “Daldal si hain ye
duniya pyare/Maya mein na tu dhasta jaa re” (This world
is like a marsh/Do not let yourself be mired in illusion)?
Whatever it is, it resonates through a debut album ripe
with existential significance. This quintet is the image
of youth (the oldest one being 26) but they project lyrical
expertise over matters usually experienced much later in
the human experience.
22
The
Score Magazine
highonscore.com
With the likes of “Gali gali main doondh ke aaya/Kaba
Kashi ghum ke aya” (I have wandered everywhere/
Wandered from Kaba to Kashi), this one is a paean to
human failure. Ornamented in exuberant melody, the
words strike a bitter blow to all the pursuits that we keep
ourselves busy with - while forgetting that most of it ends
up being fairly pointless in terms of accruing peace.
Bindiya Tori lack the emotive charge of the previous
two tracks, but it is a charming display of sudden,
unpredictable love. Vocalist Osho Jain sings like a man
with a lifetime of bruises. That usually tends to help