Rohan Solomon/ Strung Out To Dry

 

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR 

Rohan Solomon/ Strung Out To Dry

Genre: Symphonic rock

Label: 44G Records

Rating: *****

Against the backdrop of bitter and angst-filled words, a gentle acoustic guitar makes way for dynamic string arrangements and pounding drums. The song over, a brief interlude takes over to maintain continuity.

Released to celebrate two decades of music-making, singer-songwriter Rohan Solomon's new release Strung Out To Dry is a concept album in every sense. Over 52 minutes and 20 tracks, it has a smooth thematic flow, beginning with songs of desire, strained relationships and loss but ending with hope.

Because of the lockdown, the album has taken over four years to complete, with Rohan shuttling between New Delhi, New York and other cities, having multiple recording sessions. As such, some tracks like 'Victoria's Secret', 'We Demand Change', 'Serenity' and 'Keep Holding On' were released earlier as singles with YouTube videos.

What stand out are the stunning arrangements, blending guitars, piano and an occasional ukulele with cinematic and sweeping orchestral textures, co-composed by Rohan and Harshit Verma, and conducted by Andrew T. Mackay. The production and songwriting are handled by Rohan himself, lending a certain consistency. And those drums, played on most tracks by Abhijit Sood, have a class of their own.

For those who've grown up on late 1960s rock, Strung Out To Dry may be reminiscent of the vintage Moody Blues albums, minus the prominent flute parts and Mellotron, but with a contemporary flavour. It begins with an Overture, with strings, horns and woodwinds setting the mood. Quickly, it moves into guitar-driven classic rock territory on 'Hear Your Call', with Rohan singing, "You're so hard to find, you're the only thing on my mind, you're like a needle in the haystack".

Short instrumental snippets appear intermittently, hinting at the way the album progresses. With the titles 'Discovery', 'Crossroads', 'Home', 'Depression', 'Power', 'Connection' and 'Hope', they act as bridges between the vocal numbers.

The songs deal with a variety of subjects. 'Set Me Free' is about a relationship gone sour, with Rohan singing, "Now there's no reason left to stay" and "She goes on and on about a special someone but he's not me". On 'You Are History', he takes the pain even further, singing, "Tell me who do you, do you, think you are". 

After this point, the album changes course, bringing in an assorted set of themes. The 'Crossroads' interlude is followed by 'Without A Trace', an introspective song co-written by Suhasini Mehta. 'Here With You' is about losing a friend to drug addiction, and 'Victoria's Secret' is a hard-hitting tirade against a social climber, who keeps having "just another red carpet thrown under her feet".

There's a stunner in 'We Demand Change', with pounding drums mingling with acoustic guitar and strings, as Rohan sings, "We demand change, we demand acceptance, we demand change, we demand justice." There's a splendid art-rock song in 'Croatia', which talks of falling in love. 'Deja Vu', a duet featuring Siren, provides variety. The ukulele is used melodically on 'Hello Goodbye', which is about a short-term relationship.

The album covers various stages of a person's adult journey, the ups and the downs. Appropriately, it ends on a positive note, with lines like, "There's light at the end of the tunnel" and "There will be tomorrow".

Though the tracks are structured in a manner to make them seamless, there are sudden nano-second breaks to differentiate one from the next. The way the orchestral tunes are placed is commendable.

Rohan has come a long way since his days as frontman of the Delhi alt-rock band Cyanide. His experience in audio engineering gives him a sonic advantage. To add to that, his lyrics are simple and impactful, blending well with the composition. 

If anything, this album requires a few patient listens. After a while, the intricate arrangements grow, and the more you hear the tunes, the more you discover. On headphones, it takes you another level, if you're ready to invest 52 minutes of continuous and focused time, keeping away from WhatsApp  and Instagram.