Reviews

Listen: Mahesh Releases Come Find Me Off Upcoming EP

8.0

album Reviews Jun 14, 11:24am

The Bangalore based singer-songwriter's bluesy effort from his upcoming EP 'Accept’ sees him expanding from his guitar-and-vocals roots, adding more instrumentation and studio-crafted lush production.

Madhusudan Raman

Mahesh’s solo music and live act has largely been just that - solo; just him and his guitar. His previous releases were sparse, intimate and quiet (Listen to his song 'Sleep’, if you haven't yet). This time, however, the addition of a studio setup and a skilled set of musicians providing extra instrumentation (which he says brought in a whole range of influences) gives his composition a whole lot of body and personality. Mahesh himself has influences ranging from the old school to the new (John Mayer's 'Gravity’ started him off on his songwriting journey) and he wears them on his sleeve throughout 'Come Find Me’, but they're never intrusive, serving only as a base that he constantly builds on.

The choruses for 'Come Find Me' are smooth, the verses have that snap and space characterized by Blues music, and the bridge is decidedly moody and spacey, taking its time to build up to what comes next. But that's not all. The song, while having swagger and attitude in good measure, is at the same time not afraid to make the listener wait for resolution. There's a tinge of melancholy that runs throughout the track, most noticeably in Mahesh’s vocals. They're not in your face by any means, but you can't ignore it. The song also never wants to shove parts down your throat; it takes its own time and builds up to moments of beauty in its own pace. Mahesh and co. are not interested in impressing you every second of the way; they'd rather you listen.

Mahesh informs that the EP 'Accept' will feature songs that have been written over a long period of time; there's an eight-year-old song in here, sitting right next to more recent material. The upcoming studio effort will include sounds (funk and pop among others) from a variety of genres; choosing to showcase his versatility instead of sticking to a single approach. If anything is going to tie it together, it will be his studio collaborators, whose performances merit far more than a mention. 'Come Find Me’ is greatly elevated by fantastic performances from his band, who are all people he collaborated with regularly. Prabhu Muraleedharan’s drums are groovy, Leslie Charles (who Mahesh says brought a wealth of sounds and ideas into the studio) is responsible for supremely tight and interesting basslines, Ramanan Chandramouli’s guitars provide tasty fills and chords for days and V Noel Aiyar’s organ and piano parts are full and charismatic. It is these performances that take 'Come Find Me’ and really push it forward to earworm territory. A couple of notes here: Mahesh’s vocals in the last chorus are the kind that make you rewind to the beginning just to hear it again, and the last part of the song is where all the musicians really let loose with big chords, big fills and big everything. A treat.

But at the end of the day, what does shine through is Mahesh himself. All expansiveness aside, it is still at its core a song written by a songwriter. Mahesh adds that he wrote the song as he always does; just him and a guitar. And this is what makes 'Come Find Me’ work. If you strip everything away, it is a solid song from a confident songwriter. With a base this strong, it is no surprise that the final product is such a fun listen.

This song could very well complete the transition of Mahesh Raghunandan from a frontman of an exciting rock band to a responsible solo act with personal stories to tell. The EP 'Accept' is scheduled to release in the second half of August.

Listen 'Come Find Me' here: