Cosmic Grooves a.k.a. Pranay Bakshi hasn’t designed the EP to be memorable. The experience of listening to this dense four track body of work is more visceral. ‘liminal.’ is abject in its outlook and doesn’t really fit into any boxes. The songwriting is gentle, dark and heartfelt. The production is ambitious with Bakshi carrying most of the weight with a guest appearance from Toulhouse. Taking after his previous EP ‘One Bad Day’ Bakshi journeys deeper into his sound. The four track EP takes its time to simmer. Each song presents multiple ideas like hope stitched to grief.
Bakshi wastes no time in introducing us to some interesting lyrical choices. He presents himself as someone shy to talk about his emotions directly but comfortable enough to talk in metaphors. Hope reveals itself as a spectrum with there being almost none of it in ‘myth of the modern sisyphus’. The lyrics depict a series of hurried happenings that require an urgent release. Bakshi’s tired vocal delivery also hints at his compromised acceptance that solidifies as the track gains momentum. But on the other hand his voice also feels easy and unshaken. Anoushka Maskey introduces the next song ‘we’re all going to die anyway’. She feels right at home on the production further complimented by her vocal stance. The track marks a change of pace as Maskey sings gently about death. The song is quick to change its appearance as soon as Maskey’s verse comes to an end, descending further.
It’s important to recognise that Bakshi isn’t a vocalist and therefore isn’t governed by any rules. His tone and delivery are honest and are not plagued with the task of impressing the listener. This song is easy enough to digest despite the merging of two different musical ideas, which are fairly straightforward. I was certainly hoping for a more obtuse turn of events, but, they serve their purpose. The instrumental is fairly standard featuring a tambourine and a dreamy guitar. Nothing jumps out of the ordinary other than the use of a saxophone which is played by Bakshi himself. In terms of production I do enjoy the treatment of the composition, with each instrument getting its own space and expanse. This gives his voice enough latitude to showcase his baritone dynamics. A complete opposite to the opener which features a more a upbeat rhythm and heavy guitars. This also makes the first pair of tracks feel like a journey in and off themselves.
The title track ‘liminal’ opens more cheerfully compared to the first half of the EP. The track comprises of three distinct sections with first one featuring a Bossa Nova. The vocals sung and produced by Gaya Tideman are light and bright. Sonically, it breaks away from the established aesthetic up until this point. This time being a bit more refined around the edges. In comparison to the first half of the EP where different musical ideas occupied smaller bits, here, have a significantly larger role to play. Another noticeable difference is the transitions here, feel more natural. It should be noted that all of the songs prioritise movement. Together with Toulhouse who produced the second half of the track, they take advantage of this movement to flow between the sections. The writing also feels a lot less forced and each subsequent section carries over traits of the previous one. These sections are well stitched together as the track is successful in transitioning emotionally from sunny to a lonely overcast atmosphere, bringing us back to the more unguarded instrumentation the EP has already established.
The final track ‘heaven must be a van gogh painting’ explores hope in a fuller sense. That doesn’t translate necessarily to cheerful. Bakshi’s signature melancholic delivery also carries with it a heaviness that works in tandem to the songwriting. Sonically this is also the most approachable song of the four, having a more standard production. The songwriting is also familiarly structured moving between an A and B section. While it makes sense to end the EP on an easier note, the aesthetic feels a little watered down. However, the song still does its job as leaving the listener with a fresher and lighter palette. The track features Anchit Magee on bass.
Bakshi has somehow eluded the scene having produced a significant chunk of Anoushka Maskey’s debut material. This fact puts Bakshis sonic and songwriting choices in perspective. My only gripe is that the songwriting could’ve been weirder and more rooted in his perspective. Also, the production which naturally followed the songwriting into an off beat space, could’ve been even more ridiculous. Having said that, the EP attempts to breaks the association of indie alt pop being a just a sunny genre in the country and that the scene can succumb to more doom and gloom. Eager to here more.
Listen to ‘liminal.’ on Youtube
Buy the EP on bandcamp and engage music
