Given how much shine Bangalore singer-songwriter Frizzell D'Souza has been getting in the indie scene this decade, it might be something of a surprise to listeners not in the know that 'In My Asymmetry’, her new EP, is only her second; especially when you also find out that she does not have a full-length album to her name yet. So, why does this release further cement her place as a strong voice in an already congested singer-songwriter space? One word: quality. 

Frizzell and her team understand the importance of production and songwriting fundamentals, and most often, most of us don't really understand their value until seeing it in action. Every sound on this EP is well-crafted; while an obvious step up from ‘The Hills Know of You', her previous offering, what you will hear here is not particularly extravagant or experimental. But it does the job really well. This is aided by near-flawless instrumental choices and a clear, warm mix. So even before jumping into the songs themselves, this thing is already a fulfilling experience.

Let's talk about the six tunes on offer, then. 'Paintbrushes On The Ground' is an indie-pop opener through-and-through, combining cinematic (that word is used deliberately) strings and guitars with a vocal delivery that alternates between hushed and mildly anthemic. 'Long To Be' takes this forward into gig-sing-along termitory with a dangerously addictive hook and an arrangement that somehow uses very pop-y motifs without sounding corny. The song's second half definitely has an 90s/2000s pop-rock ballad aesthetic to it, but it goes over well. That being said, ‘Mum's Lullaby' is easily the EP's standout track. This is a quiet, personal tune sung with intimacy and feeling. In spite of there being nothing but a guitar, some piano and some vocal layering in the mix for the most part, there's a quality to this song that lets you fill up the rest of the space with your feelings and memories. That's a hallmark of great writing.

However, it's debatable if the same can be said about the next song, 'Symmetries', which does have a bunch of instrumental flourishes but goes down the road of standard peppy commercial pop perhaps a bit too far. It's still plenty catchy, though. ‘When Dawn Breaks Again' is presented as a short interlude but really functions as a lush, evocative (also used deliberately) intro to the closer, ‘Keep Me In Meadows’. This one does what 'Symmetries' does in essence, but ends up far more compelling due to the presence of a strong emotional centre and a hell of a vocal melody.

The phrase that can be best used to describe 'In My Asymmetry' in particular and Frizzell D'souza's work in general is “quality control". An artist does not necessarily have to change the world's musical landscape with every release. The chosen path here is to take a comfortable sound and write good songs with it. No, the EP is not going to blow your face off or make you run around shouting about the musical genres of the future from the rooftops, but it is going to give you a complete, enjoyable listen every time it comes on. And that's important too.