narenmusic

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Film and OST: Summer Of Soul (... Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) Director: Ahmir 'Questlove' Thompson  Streaming on: Disney+ Hotstar Duration: 1 hour 58 minutes Rating: ***** (both film and OST) It was 1969, the year of Woodstock and the historic moon landing. Around the same time, over six Sundays in July and August, a similar music festival took place not too far away. And though the Harlem Cultural Festival attracted thousands of blacks, it was quickly forgotten. Footage of the concert lay in the cupboards for 50 years. Held at the Mount Morris Park (now Marcus Garvey) in Harlem, New York, the festival attracted the biggest names in black music. There were people of the calibre of BB King, Nina Simone, Mahalia Jackson and the 19-year-old Stevie Wonder. It was shot by television producer Hal Tulchin but after a couple of relays, it disappeared till filmmaker Ahmir 'Questlove' Thompson decided to convert it into a documentary. Summe...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Jethro Tull/ The Zealot Gene Genre: Rock Label: InsideOut Music Rating: *** 1/2 There has been plenty of debate whether Ian Anderson's latest record should have been clubbed in the solo category or given the Jethro Tull moniker. A large section of the British band's followers felt Tull ceased to exist after long-time guitarist Martin Barre's departure, with Anderson releasing only solo albums. The frontman's opinion is that this music was created with the band in mind, and thus it is a band album. Either way, it doesn't matter. Anderson has been the brawn and brain behind the band since its debut album This Was in 1968. As such, the songs on the new album The Zealot Gene  sound like vintage Tull, and yet aren't too different from the ones appearing on the solo albums The Secret Language Of Birds and  Homo Erraticus.  In many ways, this album could have been written in the aftermath of 1979's Stormwatch, retaining the classic sound without...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR Anand Bhaskar Collective/ Ufaq Label: Self-released  Rating: **** After the catchy and popular 'Jaadoogari' last year, Anand Bhaskar Collective get into full-on Hindi-rock mode on 'Ufaq' (meaning, horizon). Driven by marvellous guitar riffs and motivational lyrics by Anand Bhaskar and Nidhi Sethia, they come up with a winner. The song has great concert appeal, and audiences can sing along to the line, "Jeetna hai tujhe apne hi dam pe". In these trying times, the theme is inspirational, and the guitars, violin interlude and back-up solo lend a raw feel. Besides Anand on vocals, the band comprises guitarist Hrishi Giridhar, bassist Neelkanth Patel and drummer Shishir Tao. The animated lyrics video by Mukund Sincro adds to the effect. This is killer stuff. Shadow And Light/ Raahein Label: Self-released  Rating: *** 1/2 Comprising singer-writer Pavithra Chari and producer-keyboardist Anindo Bose, Delhi-based Shadow And Light had released their t...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  John Mellencamp/ Strictly A One-Eyed Jack  Genre: American roots-rock Label: Republic Records-Universal Rating: *** 1/2 When it comes to the American roots-rock sound, John Mellencamp has been one of the most prolific voices, since he came on the scene 46 years ago. His 24th studio album Strictly A One-Eyed Jack comes after a five-year gap, and his voice has just gotten that shade smokier, raspier and rougher. He's 70 now, and the songs thus talk about experiences and memories. "But now all has changed, remembering the shame of driving in the rain," he sings on the second song 'Driving In The Rain', before adding "I see myself and laugh, looking at the change of driving in the rain". To be sure, the album may take a couple of listens to settle in, and one finds many shades of familiar old Mellencamp. But there are a few killer tracks, with the additional treat of having contemporary Bruce Springsteen guest on three songs. The instrume...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  The Darshan Doshi Trio/ Live On Tour 2021 Label: Self-released  Genre: Jazz fusion Rating: **** One of the most prolific drummers in India, Darshan Doshi has played regularly with the main music directors in Hindi films. He's also been parallelly involved in jazz fusion, heading The Darshan Doshi Trio. The group, also comprising guitarist Rhythm Shaw and bassist Avishek Dey, has recently released a collection of live performances that took place in October last year. Two songs have guest vocalists. The result is a set of fantastic improvisational pieces, with each musician complementing each other brilliantly. The opening track 'Insrhy Master' begins with a drum passage after which Shaw and Dey get into jazz-funk mode, with a fantastic interchange with Doshi. A highlight is an adaptation of Dizzy Gillespie's iconic piece 'Night In Tunisia', played with a different feel. This is one of the two covers here, the other being 'The Shadow',...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Armaan Malik/ You Label: Self-released, licensed to SME/ Arista Rating: **** We know him for his Bollywood songs, but Armaan Malik is proficient at English pop too. Check out his work on 'You', a love song that impresses with its melody and hook. Malik teams up with Jack Edwards on composition, creating an acoustic guitar based tune. The lyrics, credited to Jack, Natania Lalwani and Felicia Ferraro, have relatable lines like, "I've never been the one for sounding clichéd but it's true, all I do is think about you". The song has a global appeal, and definitely needs to be pushed abroad. The video, starring Armaan and Emma Declercq, complements the tune perfectly. -- Kabuki Khanna/ Shadows  Label: Self-released  Rating: *** On 'Shadows', singer-songwriter Kabuki Khanna uses a progressive house sound to talk of peace and unity. Like many songs in the genre, this has a club vibe, regular tempo changes and lyrics to sing along to. The wo...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Cyrano/ Motion Picture Soundtrack  Music: Bryce Dessner and Aaron Dessner Label: Universal Music Rating: ***** To begin with, an introduction to the Dessner brothers is in order. Twins Aaron and Bryce are part of the American alt-rock band The National, playing multiple roles including guitarist, keyboardist and composer. A part of the group Big Red Machine, Aaron has also produced the Taylor Swift albums Folklore and  Evermore, whereas Bryce has collaborated with  many A-list musicians. In 2018, they worked on Erica Schmidt's stage musical Cyrano, with lyrics written by The National frontman Matt Berninger and his wife Carin Besser. Last year, British filmmaker Joe Wright adapted that into a movie, and the Dessners worked on the music. Both these are adaptations of the Edmond Dostand's 1897 play Cyrano De Bengerac , written in poetry form and staged by many, with Christopher Plummer also playing the lead role in the 1973 stage musical. Cyrano...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Adam Avil/ Father Label: Self-released  Rating: *** 1/2 Singer and guitarist Adam Avil has been on the Mumbai rock scene since the 1990s, and was part of the band Pralay. He's now released his new EP Doomed, containing four tracks. The set opens with 'Father', written in memory of his father Justes Avil. It's an eight-minute song - which is rare these days. Beginning like a power ballad, it changes mood and tempo, with the guitars getting edgier. After a melodic interlude, Adam changes the pace again, singing "I'm just a little boy with dreams in my eyes", with back-up vocals done smartly. The song has a prog metal vibe, aided by tight playing on bass and drums. Neat stuff. Glenn Fernandes ft Sheldon Pereira/ Wouldn't You Label: Self-released  Rating: *** On his new single 'Wouldn't You', composer Glenn Fernandes is assisted by vocalist Sheldon Pereira. It's a simple love song, with a pop-rock feel and singalong vibe...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  The Weeknd/ Dawn FM Genre: Alternative RnB/ electro-pop  Label: Republic Records/ Universal  Rating: ***** After winning three Grammys for his earlier efforts, Canadian singer-producer Abel Tesfaye aka The Weeknd was snubbed by the awards committee last year for his album After Hours . His song 'Blinding Lights', however, was crowned in November as the all-time number one on the Billboard singles charts. The Weeknd aura only grew after the Grammy rejection, and by being 'spotted' with Angelina Jolie, he was in the news for both his music and otherwise. Fans greeted last year's single 'Take My Breath' with delight. A dance number having multiple influences like Daft Punk, Michael Jackson, French disco, funk and 1990s electro-pop, the song has the main line repeated as a build-up, before the words "I saw the fire in your eyes" come in like a bolt out of nowhere. With its dance-till-you-drop vibe, 'Take My Breath' is one of...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Corner Cafe Chronicles/ DIY Generation  Label: Self-released  Rating: *** 1/2 Last July, Mumbai experimental rock band Corner Cafe Chronicles released its album Renaissance. They've now put out 'DIY Generation', the first single from the 'part 2' album. This song falls very much in the punk-rock space, with lots of distortion, skin-tight rhythms and a fabulous guitar coda. Chinmay Patkar's vocals are raw and incisive, as he sings, "I'm a conflict without cause" and "You have messed around too much". The song has been co-written by Chinmay and bassist Soumitra Vichare. The lyrics advise people to find their own identity. One finds influences of Green Day and The Offspring but the boys have their own touch in the end. -- Anushka Jag/ Love You Like You Never Left Label: Self-released  Rating: *** With her natural style, Anushka Jag has regularly come out with good material in the pop-rock sphere. Her new single 'Love ...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Menage A Trois/ Menage A Trois Genre: Fusion-jazz Label  Inkk Audio Rating: **** 1/2 Barely a minute into the self-titled album of Menage A Trois, you're hooked. It begins with a blend of old-school bebop and vintage soundtrack score, before trumpet phrases and scat vocals take over. Clearly, this is hi-energy, eclectic fusion-jazz. The basic line-up consists of German-American guitarist-pianist Ed DeGenaro, multi-genre vocalist Ujjayinee Roy and seasoned Mumbai trumpeter Kishore Sodha. But there are many others in the arena, including saxophonist Raj Sodha, and different drummers and bassists. Indrajit Sharma 'Tubby' handles string arrangements. Beginning with 'Dancing In The Rain In Gangtok', the coordination between the three main musicians is perfect. On the title track, Ujjayinee's vocal phrases alternate with Kishore's intense solo phrases, before Ed chips in with a brief guitar part and Raj's saxophone teases along in the backd...