Heres a great review of my debut album The Prize on Amazon. ________________________ India hasnt typically been known in the Western World as being particularly gifted at producing rock music, but things have been changing at a leisurely pace, and India is now home to many a homegrown rock festival (some more prone to highlighting real talent than others). Spearheading this revived rock music movement, and evolving a whole new genre of music, is Indias gifted Arjun Kaul, a 31 year old rock musician who now releases his first full length debut album, The Prize. While independent rock music lovers will find much to appreciate on this one, it also bears enough variety to appeal to a very diverse cross-section of listeners - ranging from alternative to gothic all within the space of sixteen tracks. The Prize works in large part not only due to its production (which is an immediate standout), but the superb instrumentation. The artist is a singer/songwriter, but is someone who works with elements of rock from the 1970s & 1990s, bringing an old school ambience to so many of these songs that theyre bound to work their way into your subliminal. The guitar riffs and hooks are noticeably memorable, and theres an evident homage to some of the great work of the past thats inspired this record. Through it all however, Kaul retains an individual identity that is rarely observed in many a debut solo artist - and more so on an independent record of this sort. Its also a long record, one that requires a certain investment of time to pay back rich dividends, but is immensely listenable. It also avoids that most off-putting curse of most albums - filler tracks. There are virtually no filler tracks here, and even the shorter songs work in the context of how they are placed. Song sequencing seems to be a dying art amongst musicians, but on The Prize, every song flows into the next with a conspicuous narrative in mind; in that respect, this is very much a concept record. And while there are flashes of the fusion in the background, and a tinge of the Eastern oriented flair that permeates many an experimental debut record, the fact remains that this is a very direct and crystal clear attempt at a solid rock album. And on that level, it more than succeeds. The album opener, Also Sprach Arjuna is an ambient opening piece, which has touches of the operatic to it. Its a stark reminder that most rock albums these days immediately open with either the first single or a song that is attention-seeking; but here this sets the tone for a more involved listening experience. It brings to mind the American Idiot album by Green Day where the opening tracks are an indication of how the rest of the album is going to be. Things do not disappoint on Coronation, where Kaul reaches back to the late 1980s and whips out an inspired guitar riff that is immediately memorable. This is the sort of song that has sorely been missing from many a western rock music album, and stands out in a sea of Indian rock albums that are more or less covers of well-known rock songs. Its interesting to note that this album is a collection of original songs devised and produced for the purpose of this record alone, and that is never more evident than on the luminous Born Again, my personal favorite off the record, where Kaul sings in an interesting lower register (it initially reminded me of Vanessa Paradis vocal double turn on Chet Baker off her 2007 record), before a light, feathery, airy vocal appears out of nowhere, Evanescence-style, and transforms the song entirely. The creativity on display is fascinating; and the music is more often than not paired with equally impressive songwriting. On Summertime and Soul on Fire, I was reminded of some of the best of the 1990s alternative rock scene; when Saigon Kick and Ugly Kid Joe ruled the airwaves and crafted simple songs that still stand the test of time. These two tracks in particular are straight-up rock songs that do a great job of embracing the past while straddling the present. Summertime especially has a very early Def Leppard sensibility to it (in the best sense of the term), while Soul on Fire evokes the best of Whitesnake and Queensryche. Its interesting that while none of these songs strive to sound like any specific artist or band in the past, they lovingly pay homage to the rich musical heritage from which they were birthed. Take for example, Going Down, an inspired piece of music with excellent playing on it, that at once harkened back to the very first Guns N Roses album. This sort of thing is hard to witness anymore, and to witness so many standout musical references on ones first album is a feat in itself. And then there are the slower jams. These songs give Kaul a chance to shine with his songwriting, and they more than live up to the task. First up is Sometimes, a direct lyric about a person and the roles they play in day to day life - simple, clean, and effective, but the emotional resonance in the singers vocal make the song transcend the plane in which it aims to exist in. Truly beautiful; possibly only outdone by the equally touching The Princess. These songs were made to steer the listener toward hearing and comprehending the lyrics. Kauls singing voice is pristine; he vacillates between being a hardcore rocker, in a mould of perhaps Frank Zappa (although at times he reminds me of Jeff Buckley, or even Zappas own son Ahmet Zappa); and at times he sounds like a soulful lounge singer who can place a guitar on his lap and belt out the soft-rock ballads. Luckily for him, he scores on both accounts, and the only regret for me, if any at all, is that the album doesnt have more of these softer-edged songs as its on them that Kauls true personality shines beautifully through. I would rate Sometimes as the reason to get this record, but there are so many more. Take for example, the rock arena vibe of Come Alive, a sparkling confection that is equal parts Aerosmith and Bon Jovi, in the sense that you can imagine this being played in a large arena and people singing along with great gusto. The arena tracks are something that Bon Jovi and Meatloaf, to an extent, perfected back in the day, and Kaul does a terrific job in carrying on this tradition, but with more emotional resonance as these lyrics seem to be more heartfelt than the usual angst-ridden lyrics rock musicians normally come up with. And special mention must be made of album closer Headshrinker, which neatly ties up the songs that came before it in epic fashion. Note that many of these songs are close to seven minutes long - which make this literally an album to immerse oneself in on a quiet evening indoors to truly appreciate. Listen, theres a huge market out there and its easy to get lost in the mix. This year for example has been interesting both in the mainstream and commercial music markets, as well as the independent music markets, because its evident that the indie scene is throwing up many more gripping pieces of work than any other sub-industry. Take for example the work of Devendra Banhart, whose records Cripple Crow and Smokey Rolls down Thunder Canyon are living masterpieces, all because of Banharts single minded dedication to crafting the record exactly how he wanted to. Possible other points of reference are Brody Bond and his solo record, Joanna Newsom and her Ys, as well as LAventure by Frances Ben Ricour. All of these albums are glorious records where every track is essential, and yet they remain largely unknown due to the commercial nature of todays marketplace. The point being, when a new album comes along that fulfils all of your musical needs and inspires you to discover more of the artist behind the work, thats when you know you have something special on your hands. The Prize is a resounding example of this - both the artist and the album deserve recognition because it does something no other Indian album has done before - it transcends the Indian Rock tag and cements its place as the first truly international rock album that just happens to be made in India. A commendable feat, but the hard work and toil behind it is evident. Also, from a purely listener perspective, I found that so many of these songs have immense repeat value - a huge decision making factor when you are buying an album. Why would you want to buy an album whose songs you could listen to only once? Thats a problem you wont be having on this one. Finally, while The Prize does evoke the memory of so many artists - as diverse as Ozzy Osbourne, Pearl Jam, Eddie Vedders solo work (Sometimes, especially), Genesis Underground, Rooney, Warrant, and even Silverchair; it remain a beast of its own; a living, breathing work of art that is destined for much bigger things. Five Stars. An essential addition to your growing rock music collection. amazon/review/RNUNTVZ71M93K/ref=cm_cr_pr_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B004V8B2WC&linkCode=&nodeID=&tag=
Posted on: Wed, 13 Nov 2013 14:50:21 +0000
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