AKHIL SOOD

Four songs, in Mindflew's case, seem to constitute too small a subset to form a reasonable judgement of the music, which is a glaring flaw on The Happy Sad EP – it seems incomplete. It's a shame because there's a lot happening musically here, right from the very emotive introductory passage to opener 'No Space to Laugh'. Nonetheless, it's a debut that's sort of promising in parts, with a typically guitar-rock sound and some savvy treatment of the vocals. The clangy production, especially on the drums, gives the album a somewhat raw feel – I kept expecting an indie chorus somewhere in there thanks to the sound of the guitars and drums, but it never came. Oh well.

Another thing that stands out about the album is that, while it stretches its scope in many directions, especially instrumentally, it still falls in that vague-ish bracket of 'Indian Rock', with the guitar-and-voice interplay and the odd flamboyant guitar solo being typically symptomatic of the made-up genre. It can be either a good or a bad thing, depending on which side of the fence you're on, but some clever songwriting quirks and dynamic shifts (as on 'Wakeup/Porno') allow Mindflew the space to explore territories a little more daring than similar-sounding bands of yore, which is always a positive thing. But then, the lack of obvious hooks requires some getting used to, and the fact that the record ends with 'Happy Sad Eat a Rat Love Song (Part I)' further establishes its unfinished-sounding nature. Where's Part II, guys?
 

The Happy Sad EP is available for streaming at http://mindflewmusic.bandcamp.com/