Album Review: Fossils- Fossils 1

Hi,
   My name is Surjo, and I'm a professional musician. The songs you're hearing (hopefully) are from my debut album 'The Key Has Turned', which you can buy here.


   The album up for review today is one of the most landmark albums in Bangla music. Fossils 1 was a massive statement at the time, and cemented the reputation of Fossils as a major player for the new millenium. Rock in Bangla music had never been so mainstream before, and the audience lapped it up with quite the thirst. Should be a very interesting listen.

 

'Aaro Ekbaar' opens out the album with an almost Floydish soundscape, ala 'Coming Back To Life'. While it's customary to hear the vocal front-and-centre, this is pre-autotune, so there are slight mistakes in the lines, but that's only to my ears, and overall, his voice and the presentation had me smiling big. The pace is just perfect to sway your arms to at a rock concert, and the feeling is strong. Sure, some of the music sounds derived, but the vocals are strong enough to take away from that. Long guitar solo at the end, lot of cool points for the straightforward face-melt. 

'Ekla Ghor' starts off with quite a long musical intro before settling into the vocal line. The chorus has a really good mix of chords and vocal melody to create a real intriguing feeling. The programmed drums, and the basic mix quality takes away from the product for sure, but again, the vocals more than overshadow all these shortcomings. The words do tell a specific story of loss and efforts at recovering one's poise. Good stuff. 

'Nemesis' starts off with almost game show music, and then something which closely resembles the drum sample of Savage Garden's 'Animal'. The words are about some sort of addict I'd say, and a very interesting take on it too. The writing is more about the change that occurs in a person due to addiction. The musical interlude is poorly executed, with the guitars not sounding tough enough, and the keys not spooky enough, and the programmed drums really taking away from the output. Also, the word nemesis is pronounced with a thick accent, which is a slight disconnect, but not the biggest problem. Cool guitar solo at the end, almost Deep Purple like cadenza to finish. 

'Hasnuhana' might be the most epic song in the album, and the most epic love song for a whole decade of Bengali college goers. Large melodies to start, a really wrenching vocal line, wonderful metaphorical language and the big reverb, all of which add to make the song the monster it is. It is one of the songs where you don't even have to focus to connect, the vibe is strong enough to grab your heartstrings. Listen and enjoy. 

'Dekho Manashi' starts off with a riff that sounds familiar but I can't quite place it. The buildup to the chorus is well-structured, and the burst of energy into the chorus is quite gripping and it really lifts the energy a few notches. The words are some of the most compulsive lyrics about loss in love. There is a certain thirst and desperation in Rupam Islam's voice as he goes about making his plea for love. Very well created. 

'Bishakto Manush' is one of the most uptempo songs in the album with some vicious lyrics. The title of the song means venomous person, and Rupam does lay deep into it, talking about how he loves a venomous person, who has spun a web around him and he can't break free. Lot of aggression in the music here, but again, the programmed drums and the mix do take away some of the edge. Damn good though, I am beginning to see why this album was such a breakthrough. 

'Nishkraman' starts off with more hair-metal ballad style arpeggios. The story continues the theme of lost love through the album, and some of the edgier bits in the music definitely bring the boom, which was lacking earlier on in the album. The language is throwing me for a toss since my Bangla is awful, so google translate is helping me get the meanings of the words, and I must say good job in writing fearlessly. 

'Millenium' finishes off the album with one the better choruses. These guys are an in-demand live act, and singable choruses like this explains why. Continues the trend of using a strong vocal line and big words to get the point across. The words have a strong message about the new millenium (the album was released at that time), and it tackles it from a personal to a wordly point of view. 

Listening to it, and paying attention to it, there's no denying that it's a pathbreaking album. The lack of production values is understandable, as it was rare for Bangla rock bands to exist at that time, but the passage of time has led to greater production values, but the songs lack the fire that this album does. 

Album Review: The Winery Dogs- The Winery Dogs

Hi,
    My name is Surjo, and I'm a professional musician. The songs you're hearing (hopefully) are from my debut album 'The Key Has Turned' which you can buy here.

   The album up for review is the self-titled album of 'The Winery Dogs'. The Dogs are a supergroup with Mike Portnoy (ex- DreamTheater), Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big, David Lee Roth Band, Steve Vai) and Richie Kotzen (ex Poison, ex Mr. Big) filling out the slots for drums, bass and guitars respectively. Richie sings lead vocals and everyone else backs him up.

   The first thing that comes to mind is that Billy and Richie have already played together in Mr. Big, and I wanted to see how much of that quick riff style comes into play here.

'Elevate' starts off the album with a really uptempo riff, and it's really loud, and by the end of the line my Mr. Big question is answered. There's going to be a whole lot of unnecessary pyro in the riffs, but it's going to be a treat for guys who love pyro riffs. Oh, and a most commercial chorus kicks in, which makes me believe this might be the blueprint for what's to come. Nothing spectacular in the words, the mix of the song definitely helps. Big drum fill to end. 

'Desire' starts off with a cool riff. The vocal melody has a lot of influences, with different sections sounding like different styles of RnB and pop. The way the music dominates makes it very tough to focus on the words, and that definitely takes away from the message if it is a good one. Never quite understood why a band would do that, in case they happened to write a good lyric, Also, a lot of pyro in the instrumental break. 

'We Are One' starts off with a pretty cool riff and a vocal melody that could have been from Alice In Chains. Being a 3-piece, they make use of a whole lot of guitar and bass effects to cover the soundscape, which is an effective tool. Singable chorus, but again, the words are so cookie-cutter, it's just flat. And of course, the mix will always favour the instruments, never is the vocal treated as the lead instrument. Blitzkrieg solo, and that's how the vocal should be treated to cut through the mix too. 

'I'm No Angel' has a super cool guitar riff to start off, which morphs into quite a slinky verse. The need for a commercial chorus hurts this song, since the verse outshines the chorus with a lot of X-factor. 

'The Other Side' starts with MP on hyperdrive, and Billy joins him there. The riff follows the vocal melody, and the last line of the chorus has any element of cool in it. Have to wait till the bridge and the guitar solo for a cool melody in the song. Why isn't the same effort put into the vocal melody as is clearly put into the instrumental breaks? Long jam at the end, that had more value than all the lines of lyrics written for the song, really says something. 

'You Saved Me' starts off with Billy Sheehan tapping away on his bass. Almost could have been a Baba O'Reilly there, but not quite that involved. The vocal melody is just a rehash of so many ballads from so many bands. The message of the song is clouded in the conflicting lyrics of the verse and chorus. 

'

'Not Hopeless' starts off with such a rush, that I thought it was going to be 'Addicted To That Rush' or 'Colorado Bulldog' from Mr. Big. The chorus delves into a half-time groove, I guess there was no other move to make to keep up the tempo of the song. Why have they written this album? I'm sure they're not going to list this as their best creation. Maybe because it's 'Not Hopeless', but man it sure runs it close. Supergroup with a super dud of an album. 

'One More Time' is the next song in the album. The chorus melody movement is a lift from somewhere, but I can't remember where. I'm really not enjoying listening to any of this closely. 

'Damaged' is a slower track, and like with almost the previous songs, has Richie singing in a higher register which is just slightly out of his comfort zone and it results in a pitchy effort. The lyrics are the best they've been in the album so far, with a cohesive storyline and strong words used to communicate strong emotions. 

'Six Feet Deeper' has a lot of Mr. Big in it, which is a sad statement in and off it itself. The lyrics go back to being disjointed and without any cohesiveness. 

'Time Machine' starts off with a pretty cool riff. I think the people who're already fans of the three guys will be positive to these songs, and of course, those who like chop fests in their songs. 

'The Dying' starts off with an almost Hendrix-type clean riff. The words make a few attempts at metaphors and intricacies, but just don't finish off properly, but it's still a better attempt at the words than most of the album. There is one story being told, and it doesn't confuse too much. 

'Regret' finishes off the album with a piano riff, ala Elton John. Nothing special jumps out here, except that, I can't honestly believe that 40 plus folks are going to write the love songs that 20 plus folks write. There is a lack of honesty that comes across rather blatantly. 

I wouldn't hear the album again. I don't know why people would make this album, other than just that, let's get together and bang out an album. There is a lack of thought with regards to almost everything in the album, other than the cheesy chorus lines and the instrumental breaks. Just a sad state of affairs when you consider the personnel involved in the process. 

Album Review: The Derek Trucks Band- Already Free

Hi all,
     My name is Surjo and I'm a professional musician. The music you're hearing (hopefully) is from my debut album 'The Key Has Turned' which you can buy here.

    The album up for review is 'Already Free' by The Derek Trucks Band. Ever since I've discovered Derek Trucks through the Crossroads Guitar Festival he has always featured really high on my list of favourite guitar players. I haven't yet really heard The Derek Trucks band yet, having heard more of The Tedeschi Trucks Band, so, this has all the potential to be a good time.

   

'Maybe This Time' starts off the album with a easy-going feel-good vibe. The vocal melody feels a little flat to me, and a lot of the words are generic. There seems to be a distinct old school RnB flavour in the track, without the X-factor and flash that's the USP of that style of music. A trademark Trucks solo to finish it out. 

'Our Love' starts off with an acoustic riff that has come Led Zep hidden in the tall grass, well disguised by the straight bass drum pattern. Both songs so far have Doyle Bramhall Jr co-writing, and somehow I can feel some of his vocal choices making their way through to the songs, and that's never been my taste. Certain albums have a penchant for being incredibly creative, without necessarily being melodic in the sense of flow, and somehow this is falling in that category to me. The songs have a lot of musical parts flying around, but not enough cohesiveness to really pull me in. 

'Something To Make You Happy' starts off with a really involved riff, uptempo and staccato. The words are fairly generic, but the chorus definitely is catchy. Trademark Derek Trucks brilliance on all songs so far with the solos. 

'Get What You Deserve' has Doyle Bramhall's signature hurried feel and guitar style over it, and again, not to my taste. The mix is such that the vocals get hidden in the vast guitar jungle, and then the words are mostly generic, which results in a major disconnect for me with the song. 

'Sweet Inspiration' has a major gospel vibe to it, with a more precise riff than anything else so far, with the lack of overdub guitars serving to make the picture clearer. The fact that the drum pattern has head-bob written all over it definitely helps the cause. 

'Down In The Flood' starts off with an acoustic guitar riff, that has some Led Zep 3 qualities, with the 12 string and what not. When the drums kick in, the concoction has reached a really heady point and really kicks it on from there. The words in the song, do tell a story, and I'm a big fan of that. Actually the lyrics have a similar story with Led Zep's 'When The Levee Breaks' with an additional twist in the tale. Cool points. 

'I Know' has some of Derek's Hindustani Classical influences showing through, with the tanpura strains and the particular choice of slide work he does. That quickly morphs into a really involved 6/8 riff. The rest of the song carries through in the same flow. The words don't have much of an impact. 

'Down Don't Bother Me' has an intro that got me thinking about the overall harsh tonality that the album has. It's definitely not a polished sound, and it's almost throwback to the old RnB sound, and an old country sound, and they're mixed in equal measure, and therefore the sound definitely takes getting used to. Plus the lead instrument is a slide guitar, which definitely doesn't hold pride of place like it used to back in the day. Like I said, creative but not compelling. 

'Day Is Almost Gone' starts off with the most easy-going riff so far. But the vocal melody doesn't grab the attention, partly to do with the melody itself, and partly to do with the mixes being so instrument heavy. The words in themselves aren't compelling enough to make up for the lack of melody and mix. Although, all of this is subjective, and just because it doesn't suit my tastes, doesn't mean it will be bad for everyone. 

'Don't Miss Me' has the most sleazy riff so far, and shows early promise. A small key change and the doubling up of the tempo does offer a creative change, and the music is strong enough to carry the vocals. I'm not talking about the singer being ordinary, because the singer is great, just that the material he's singing isn't. This whole non-reverb sound is just taking the edge off of the songs, whereas it should be the other way around. 

'Back Where I Started' sounds like Susan Tedeschi on vocals, and she cuts through the mix just fine. The minimal nature of the song is really lending itself to some good definition. Just the improved vocal makes it easier to listen and analyze the words being said and being patient in trying to get it's meaning. 

'Already Free' closes out the album, and has the same minimal arrangement as the previous song. The vocal effect used on the song is bizarre, and the words don't really tell a story, so nothing there. 

I wouldn't listen to the album in it's entirety again, maybe choose one or two songs to listen to again. The poor writing wasn't salvaged by Derek Truck's slide brilliance, and again, it's a subjective thing, it isn't to my taste, I know they're a big enough band to be appealing to quite a few people. The whole situation where blues influenced music has to have really generic words just baffles me, it's almost lazy. Nevertheless, maybe some of their other albums might strike me better. 

Album Review- Thermal And A Quarter- The Scene

Hi,
    My name is Surjo and I'm a professional musician. The songs you're hearing (hopefully) are from my debut album 'The Key Has Turned' which you can buy here.

 The album up for review is brand spanking new,
which I never really do,
and you might be asking who,
but these guys aren't two plus two,
they're three malayalis and a quarter malayali, or at least they were till the lineup went askew.

Ladies and gentlemen, presenting 'The Scene', by Thermal And A Quarter. You can buy it here.

                                       

 For those who don't understand the album title, TAAQ have set up a whole website here just to answer your questions. My personal favourite was the FAQ from TAAQ.. Wow, if you just pronounce that without spelling it out it gets kinda dirty. I'm almost certain they'd seen that bit too.

I must say, as a struggling musician from a small city, (whose first album, despite being the top seller in the country for 2 weeks, failed to gain any major traction with the powers that be) this album just looks like something to drown all my sorrows in, just the song titles are enough to take me on a ride here. I hope Bruce Lee gets his guitar and vocal chops in along with his karate ones. If the previous sentence turns out to be unintelligible for first timers to TAAQ, their guitarist, singer, writer's name is Bruce Lee Mani. (Sorry Bruce, my first and last karate joke, you know I respect you a great deal)

'Like Me' starts off the album with the kind of busy prog-blues riff that have become TAAQ's signature over the years. The words are just hilarious, narrating the dilemma of the young artist to get more people to 'like' their creations. And no mercy either, Bruce clearly pulls out the punk card for those musicians who're more interested in getting likes on their pics than chords in their songs. Bravo Bruce, bravo. (Please imagine me going 'Whoo' from the sidelines in support, just like all girls do for just about everything now). Oh and btw, massive cool points for the bridge and the solo, and not for using the neck or bridge pickup, them boys just don't do regular do they. Also, the lyrical undercurrent of how artists perceive their fans is super interesting too.


'I'm Endorsed Are You', starts off with an almost UB40ish riff. I don't think I've ever said that sentence in my life before, so cool points to TAAQ. The lyrics are again super edgy, with the victim being those whose noses are up in the air as a result of landing an undeserved endorsement. I am completely regretting that TAAQ have never really played in and around my city, it's actually my resolution for 2015 to watch these guys live before the year is up. You know what, whichever song has a solo, just assume cool points on the solo from here on out, Bruce knows what he's doing with a guitar.


'MED' is a big knock to the EDM movement that has swept all the dirt out of musical closets and floors everywhere, has given them a laptop, and put them on stage, and called them musicians. Yo Bruce, if you read this, I don't know why, but EDM crowds suddenly reminded me of the 'Another Brick In The Wall' video, where everyone walks uniformly to their slaughter. A lot of vitriol in the words on this one. Sample the outro refrain, 'You Make Me Sick, I Make Music'. You know I had the same thoughts about a song when I was listening to electronic act after act at NH7 this year, but my approach and choice of words was quite different, but this warmed the cockles of my heart. That outro refrain, Ha ha ha, they programmed it. Ha ha ha. And extra long, extra musical outro for added effect.


'Godrocker', first of all, cool points for all song titles so far. This is a thinking man's band boss, and I'm loving doing my thinking with this in the background. The riff rakes in a whole lot of cool points, for reminding me of Elvis' Jailhouse Rock's staccato and the urban blues that I'm a big fan of. The words are another major hit to the bookers with the messiah complex who don't think twice to exploit bands for the sake of their profit. Super head-bob. The song contains one of the best bits of wordplay I've heard so far, "I'll take you to a broad", that ain't a girl reference, that's just how people say it in India sometimes, going to abroad. Trust TAAQ to broaden that reference up. Oh man, so many knocks Bruce, bugger prog-blues, this is becoming true rock really quickly. Anti-establishment at it's angry peak.

'Flok Rock', the first strains of the music hit me, and I had the words open in front of me, and I burst out laughing. Oh man, more knocks to come. These guys must have been angry writing this album, love it. The reality is enticing. The guitar riff scores real high on the cool points meter. The chorus is infinitely singable. Lyrics bashing the tendency of bands to follow fads or fuse Indian music with rock to get more people listening for their 15 minutes of fame. Btw, Floyd reference with 'Another Brick In The Wall', guys I'm running out of cool points to give you'll. Oh ho, self reference with Paper Puli. What joy.


'Dig The Chicks' talks about the changing audience in the Indian rock 'scene' (jeez Bruce, don't hate me for saying that word). No hits here, so a nice change of pace, and the words just draw you into the story, maybe because girls at shows is just such an interesting story. A palate cleanser.

'Going To Abroad'. Oh wow, they made a whole song on that one phrase. This promises to be good. The story speaks of how more than 20 years ago when someone we knew returned from abroad and how they became objects of morbid curiosity and attention. Bruce channels his inner Bee Gee for the chorus. These guys have a real expertise in straightforward narration, they don't deal in too many metaphors, and the ones they use aren't so complicated as to pause the flow of the music.


'My Funny Turpentine' obviously borrows from jazz classic 'My Funny Valentine' for the name, and has a real uptempo bluegrass style riff. This is a song about getting high off of turpentine? Is that possible? I'm a bad judge for this boss, I'm completely clean. The story goes real well in the song till the point where he'd rather watch the paint dry on his walls rather than go for wine or a needle. Real short and involved guitar solo.

'The Scene' is next, and the moment I read 'folk fusion gimmicks' a particular band sprung to mind, wonder if they had the same thought too, and this obviously means that it's hunting season again and TAAQ have equipped their pens with bullets. Two lines in and I'm already salivating. Did they deliberately simplify the music to draw more attention to the words with this one? Highly likely. Wow, that's 2 uses of the F-word in the album, TAAQ is angry. Oh damn, the song also speaks of performing at places where people are more involved with eating than with listening and what it does to the confidence of the musician. Bravo again.


'The Sponsors Backed Out' closes the album, and cool points for the song title again. I don't really need to explain what the song is about do I? I must say this, the riff is wicked, a lot more wicked than a lot of 'rock' bands manage. A lot more menace in the voice and guitars bring in a different colour. A different kind of head-bob.


I had heard Dhruv Ghanekar say that the Indian music industry is obsessed with creating hits, and not enough focus is put on creating. With that being said, this is one of the most honest, creative albums put out by anyone, and it holds the kind of intensity, finesse and character that will find recognition sooner rather than later.  Well done TAAQ, what a wonderful bit of creation this is.

    

Album Review- John Mayer- Paradise Valley

Hi,
    My name is Surjo and I'm a professional musician. The songs you're hearing (hopefully) are from my debut album 'The Key Has Turned' which you can buy here.

   The album I'm reviewing today is John Mayer's 'Paradise Valley'. It's his 6th studio album, and is named after a major river valley in Montana, where John is a resident. It's an effective follow-up to 'Born And Raised' and maintains the changing direction of John's musical compass.

 

'Wildfire' starts off the album with a country-style riff with simple clapping as the accompanying rhythm. The sound is so happy-go-lucky and the words are just the passage of everyday time, and the casual confidence of looking for love. The chorus has nothing much other than the claps behind it, which is of course interesting songwriting. There are voices in conversation in the background just to raise that casual feel even more. Cool points all through and cool solo to top it all of. 

'Dear Marie' strikes me close to the heart man, just the words and the feeling that I get from it. Solid, just rock solid, and his voice has changed after the operations, he's singing a lot lower. Thinking about his first love from when he was 15 is what the song is about. 

'Waiting On The Day' hammers a thought in my head which was just surfacing with the previous two songs. The content of his words, and the content of his music has changed drastically over the course of the 6 albums. No longer does he feel the need to show off his excessive melodic talent, or his ability to write love in a way that you can't express. He's content to play his guitar and sing his heart now, and he's good at that too, as in really good. 

'Paper Doll' is apparently written for Taylor Swift. That single bit of celeb gossip changes the whole way I view the song, since I'm constantly trying to formulate the story on the basis of the words, and also that nugget of wisdom regarding who it was written for, and I  must say, that the process has a certain magnetism to it, when you have a face associated with the words. Good song John, good song. 

'Call Me The Breeze' sound like a typical 12-bar blues number from the 50s. Super generic. By the numbers kinda deal. 

'Who You Love' is his duet with Katy Perry, and of course now they've been dating on and off for a few years. Damn John, you get around. Cool points for the drum intro with the delay. The lyrics revolve around accepting who you wind up falling in love with, irrespective of whether they meet your criterion of perfection. Cool. 

'I Will Be Found (Lost At Sea)' is his one piano song per album, and I got to say again, his piano songs sound like Elton John. The song is a metaphor, with John talking about his massive journey in music and comparing it to being lost at sea. But he's not frantic in his statement or comparison, just really calm and confident in his ability to turn it all back should the need arise. Cool. 

'Wildfire (Interlude)' has Frank Ocean doing the majority of the singing and quite a story is told in those few lines. A lot of background noise to bring up the Widlfire casual feel again. Better to hear than to write about, will pass by in a blink. 

'You're No One Till Someone Lets You Down' adds to the easy-going nature of the musical narrative, and the words aren't quite that easy-going. Surprisingly the song is short in duration although there are a lot of words said. That has to do with the quick tempo and the lack of instrumental breaks in the song. The song talks about how people hurt after being let down, and how those who've been let down a lot just have a different outlook towards it, and sympathise with those who're naive. 

'Badge And Gun' starts off with a similar melody to 'Waiting On The Day'. It's a cowboy song, or an adventurer's song. Tough to relate, so tough to write about. 

'On The Way Home' caps off the album, with more of the relaxed music that characterizes the album. The lyrics might be talking about him leaving Montana to head back to LA or NY, and he's written it in a sort of metaphor. I must say, very few artists use the minor chord like John does. He just sets you up and then hits you with it when you least expect it, but are super happy to hear that minor third creep in to the melody. 

Well, he's put out a damn good album, without his usual guys helping him out, so that marks a departure for him. The results are good, and the album is very very listenable and easy on the ears. 

Album Review: Fleetwood Mac: Rumours

Hi,
    My name is Surjo and I'm a professional musician. The songs you're hearing (hopefully) are from m debut album 'The Key Has Turned' which you can buy here.

   The album being heard today is Fleetwood Mac's 'Rumours' which holds pride of place in the top 10 highest selling albums of all time, which is quite a feat in every way. It's the follow-up to the band's self-titled album, with new members Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks playing major roles in steering the band away from what had been their traditional hunting ground of strict blues and then rock. Recorded at the legendary Sound City Studios, the album contains a wonderful array of incredible melodies and sounds and thoughts, and a sound which definitely must have been cutting edge for 1975.

The first song in the album is 'Second Hand News' which starts off with a 16th note pounding bassline on a very easy going melody, with Buckingham and Nicks giving us a taste to what their vocal combo sounds like. The snare is panned to the left which is just such a 70s thing. Though I think that's two mics with one of the mics on the right hand side and the louder on the left side, and there are some really distorted guitar sounds being used for some fills. The lyrics talk about being put in the backburner of love with the passage of time. Very easy-going and easy-listening too. 

'Dreams' starts off with way more pump in the kick drum, bass and control in the overall sound. The melody is far more harnessed and I thought that maybe Christine Mcvie might have written this but as soon as 'crystal visions' appeared in the lyrics I knew it was a Stevie Nicks masterpiece. Look, some songs just need to be heard to get to the real quality of it, and 'Dreams' is definitely one of those. It is very very listenable. 

'Never Going Back Again' has Lindsey Buckingham written all over it, what with the signature acoustic tone and all the accompanying guitar work. Almost a lullaby in it's delivery. Since there are 6 lines of words in the whole song, there is just a whole lot of ambiguity in the song but that doesn't take away from the fact that it is an amazing palette cleanser between the two songs it is kept. 

'Don't Stop' is a straightforward rock groove with a slow driving bass line and a shuffle to keep it running. The lyrics sound generic now, with the positivity that our jaded society looks at an aberration rather than the norm, but I'm sure it brought a lot of smiles to the folks listening to the song in the mid 70s, I know that the music is strong enough to bring about positivity now. Pretty killer solo and the way it ends into the chorus is such a smooth yet powerful transition. 

'Go On Your Way' has all the aspect of music which I enjoy, a cool bass line, and driving interesting rhythm, a brilliant vocal melody and a cool guitar solo to top it all off. The song is about a dysfunctional relationship, and given that the entire album was written when there was a lot of personal stresses on all the relationships in the band, it's any one's guess where the words are being directed. One of the gems of the album for me for sure. 

'Songbird' has Christine Mcvie's singing and excellent piano work adorning what is a beautiful song and an incredibly lilting melody. The song is a love song, and a really good one at that. Just listen and absord man, no need for me to spew rhetoric. 

'The Chain' is the only song in the album which was written by all members of the band, and what a song it is, full of haunting melodies and powerful words, almost like a tribal chant in some of it's simplicity and choice of notes. The words are about the uncertainty that some love faces. The breakdown into the bassline and what follows is one of the most enjoyable moments in my career as a listener of music. 

'You Make Loving Fun' starts off with a Clav riff, for a whole lot of cool points, but this album has already overshot the cool point maximum. The lyrics are speaking of good love, which marks a welcome change in direction in the album. There's a lot of musical diversity in the song, and a pretty nasty guitar solo to boot. 

'I Don't Want To Know' has the most straightforward 1-5-4, 4/4 rock progression in the album so far. We come back the undecided love topic that is the undercurrent of the entire album. Probably the most underwhelming song in the album for me, but that's needed too. 

'Oh Daddy' has a pretty haunting melody and the words are definitely metaphorical, or atleast they could be. The slower movement leads to more time for some cool acoustic guitar work to support the main melody. 

'Gold Dust Woman' has Stevie written all over it. Interesting chord choices, and a lot of effects put into the song. It sounds like the song that I just want to soak the music in, and look at the words a whole lot later since I haven't bathed in the feeling of the music enough yet. The lyrics are, well in two words, the lyrics are Stevie Nicks, just embodies her persona. 

A damn good album, and it passes by quicker than a hiccup. Must listen. 

Album Review: Junkyard Groove - 11:11(bootleg)

Hi,
    My name is Surjo and I'm a pro-musician. The songs you're hearing (hopefully) are from my debut album 'The Key Has Turned' and you can buy the album here.

I shall be reviewing Junkyard Groove's album 11:11 today, and for those readers from outside India, JYG might be an unfamiliar name, but I do believe that this review shall help you in uncovering a really good album from a band which has yet to settle in and flex it's creative muscles. The album was released in 2009, although the band was formed in 2005. You can download this album for free by going to http://www.junkyardgroove.in/downloads

The album starts with 'Open', which just sets you up with big lush guitar chords and a lilting vocal in the background. It's only a 2 minute hook and it sets the tone for the rest of the album.

'Imagine' comes in next, with a simple acoustic guitar riff giving way to an electric guitar burst that might be more in place inside a stadium than inside my headphones. Singer Ameeth Thomas talks about a conversation between two people, maybe friends or lovers, with one being troubled by the thoughts inside their head, and the other being concerned about the first. The repeated line in the song is 'Just imagine if it was you, tell me exactly what would you do'. Hmmm..

'Thank you' starts with Ameeth screaming the count, and it finds it's way to a really slithering riff and madness on the drums. The words are quite concise and therefore fall out of favour with me, since they fail to do much more than say thank you with 4 more lines written in there. No real story or anything told in there.

'Been So Long' starts with a lot of different elements before gelling into the riff, which is definitely racks up high points for just being cool and creative. One thing which is permanent through the mixes is that they're clearly pushing the music more than the vocals, which is just a little sad, Ameeth is way too big a personality to not be front and centre in everything. The words are quite cool, delving into his mind, and his desire to find the correct space for his thoughts to dwell in. Not sure if he's talking to himself or questioning the listener. Cool bridge section.

'Folk You', well with a name like that, you know you're in for a fun ride. The riff literally bites, what with the squeals and all. There's quite a bit of Malayalam thrown in the words, so that part is off my radar, but the lyrics there suggest a girl who's got a good grip on Ameeth's mojo. This song is just pure unadulterated fun, just a song for the good times, to jump and bounce. I'm writing fewer lines so you can stop reading and go listen to the song.

'Let You Go' starts off with a riff that wouldn't be out of place in John Mayer's first two albums. The words deal with the common sentiment of being in a relationship and not feeling the relationship enough, and doubting the committment of the other person involved. The words have a real generic feel to them though, wish he'd have pushed it a bit more with the sentiment. The guitar solo is kinda cool, with the generic being kept to a minimum there. 

'Twinkle' has a lot of Dave Matthews stamped on the initial riff, and then as it turns out,  almost a whole verse lifted from them. Huh? Why Ameeth? Oh and they sampled the nursery rhyme 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' for their chorus. 'Grace Is Gone' is the Dave Matthews song that they've lifted part of the chorus from. I would never have known had I not reviewed 'Busted Stuff' previously.  

Next up is JYG's signature song, 'It's Ok', which has one of the cooler acoustic riffs you'll hear. The words speak of a doomed love story with the girl giving all she could and the boy taking all he needed. Cool points for a cool song. 

'Rock n' Roll' has a hilarious entry, probably one of the most creative ways to ever enter a song. The lyrics hype the virtues of rock n' roll almost like articles extolling the virtues of exercise or something. The chorus has the sort of frantic energy that does justice to the song title. There is a cool bridge section with the wanton abandon that rock n' roll personify, and followed by a generic rock n' roll guitar solo. Man, they really went all out to stick to the song title. And of course, the song has one of the most creative ends to it too. 

 

'Feels Like A Knife' starts off with cool points for a cool riff. The lyrics are about people's perception of Ameeth and how doesn't care because he feels alright. Teenage angst? That's what this is about? There is almost a feeling of how his lyrics could get to the next level of cool but it held back by lack of metaphor and personification. Neat little breakdown in the song though with the snare and guitar taking centrestage, before exploding into some wah-laden pentatonic histrionics. Well done Siddharth Srinivasan.

'Hold' starts off with almost classical vocal stylings to a very involved riff, and definitely suffers from the music overshadowing the words. He speaks of his determination to hold on to his life which is given to me. Also he speaks while he is lying down on the floor, is this a song written in a state of hallucination? Or maybe, just the burden of his memories has pushed him to the floor. More likely the latter. There is a sample of another vocal in the guitar solo, which sounds like a chant from a temple, and that's followed by some pyro on the guitar, shreds into sweeps into blues and descends into some more chaos in the end. Siddharth might have exhausted all his 14nps licks in this one. 

The music is definitely the highlight of this album, can definitely run in the car on a long drive on repeat, no doubts there. The lyrics get too generic at times, and that's sad because like I wrote before, it seems just on the edge of being great and then settles back into being generic. Nevertheless, the album is a very enjoyable listen, and contains a lot of fun music. I hope you enjoy the music.