Gig review/ Easy Wanderlings

 

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR

Easy Wanderlings/ Ten Years On The Map tour

Genre: Soul-folk

Details: NMACC Studio, October 3

Rating: *****

All we need  is a dream to keep us going, this is all we need, is a dream to keep us going.

These lines are not simply part of one of their most popular songs. They also define the approach of Pune soul-folk collective Easy Wanderlings over the years.

They're now towards the end of their multi-city 10th anniversary tour, and I caught them at the NMACC Studio on Saturday, October 3. Imagine, Swedish prog-metal giants Opeth were playing in Mumbai the same evening, and G5A was having an indie-themed event too. But I was seeing the Wanderlings after a long time, maybe three years after my AntiSocial experience. No regrets for my choice, for this was pure gold.

Oooo، ooooo, doesn't it feel good, oooo, ooooo, enjoy it while it lasts.

It lasted 90 minutes, with Sanyanth Naroth, Pratika Gopinath and guitarist Sharad Rao switching lead vocals, and sharing brilliantly structured harmonies. Bassist Malay Vadalkar, violinist Shardul Bapat, keyboardist Nitin Muralikrishna and what-a-drummer Abraham Zachariah were a treat to hear. Flautist Siya Ragade wasn't part of this gig, but there was a perfect replacement in the brilliant guest saxophonist Jarryd Rodrigues.

Easy Wanderlings has a very pleasant sound, and the arrangements meander smoothly like a graceful river. The solos come at the right time, and never try to dominate the song. There's clockwork precision throughout. Obviously plenty of rehearsal has gone into every note and beat, and there's a wonderful onstage camaraderie between the musicians. I never use the word 'organic' in my reviews, but I'll use it here. Though I'm allergic to the word 'immersive', the whole experience made me escape to a land of:

Green grass, tall oaks and fishy seas, where sharks swim, heads spin, I can't see the wheels that make the world go round.

Naturally, the set list had a fair chunk of songs from the 2017 album As Written In The Stars. Fans were familiar with the melodic 'Here's To You', poetic 'Faces' and catchy 'Dream To Keep Us Going', and they listened with rapt attention when Pratika sang 'Enjoy It While It Lasts'. The enjoyment lingered much after the show ended.

The 2022 EP Caught In A Parade was represented by 'Center Of The Universe' and catchy 'Makin' My Move'. There was the gorgeous 'Mellow', a single they recorded this year with Mali, and the still-to-be-released 'Heroes Of The Way'. For the encore, they chose 'Chiqita', dedicated to pricey people. 

When I saw them at AntiSocial three years ago, I knew only a handful of their songs. That was a different vibe، with some folks singing louder than the band, and others chatting away. It was fun in its own way, but this show was more intimate. The flawless sound was an asset. And considering I'd heard them more closely over the past couple of years, it was pure nostalgia. Makes me sing:

Let's go places together, re-live all the days forever, dance away like the good times, remember? All night long, here's to you

Bad luck, Opeth!


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