Right from the beginning, with chirping birds, ambient sounds and classical-like vocal stretching in the title track, Sanoli encapsulates the whole mood of this EP in under a minute. ‘A Distant Meadow’ is singer-songwriter Sanoli Chowdhury’s sophomore EP having 5 slow-placed tracks constructed over trip-hop beats and natural soundscapes. For those who bury themselves under the never-ending exhausting responsibilities without taking enough breaks, this EP might just be the thing they need to hear out while doing the everyday chores to lighten up the mood. I came across this realisation while listening to it for the 1st time when I was indulged in some weary tasks and the calm approach towards production that Sanoli has taken spoke for itself out loud.
Each and every track gives the listeners time to explore the emotional arcs that the songstress is trying to portray through her evolving personality. Without rushing in with singing the lyrical part, Sanoli rather paves in a way to comfort the wanderer minds and grabs their attention eventually.
As I have mentioned, starting off the record with a poignantly written number with an exquisite sound of waves that continues till the end and on to the 2nd track, is why this EP is meant to cool off the hot nerves. ‘Mediocre Movements’ is about surrendering the love that is not meant to grow & last. Since I’m a sucker for guitar solos, the slow distorted riff coupled with gentle Sax played by Gautam David towards the outro made this an instant favourite(not to mention Sanoli’s poised vocals throughout). 3rd on the list, ‘Sculptured Failures’ has a spacey tone and carefully planted synth notes that go well with Gautam’s Saxophone which is at the forefront this time.
Remember Joy Division’s ‘Love will tear us Apart‘ that had an almost groovy hook & baritone vocals by Ian Curtis? Sanoli has created a different rendition for that track giving it her own touch that merges seamlessly with the whole EP & doesn’t even sound like a cover song. The decisive ‘Yep’ at the end is an affirmation from a millennial dwelling in love in this modern era.
Sanoli wraps it up with the track ‘Halfway Home’, mainly coordinated on drums & spiralled around an optimistic yet somewhat disarray thought about what home feels like. The EP shows Chowdhury’s two sides that are poles apart, at times she sounds broken and close to giving up but then smoothly transitions into an astute youthful girl who has a much wider perspective than what meets the eye.
Vinod Gadher’s United Sound Records has distributed this EP co-produced by Oskar Vizan, exclusively on Spotify and helped Sanoli carve out her vision & put it out for a diverse audience.
