Music Review: The Big Thaw - Illogically blissful

The Morung Express Music Review
Band: Bliss Logic (Mumbai)
Album: The Big Thaw
Genre: Eclectic
Rating: Must Listen

This eminent something Naga lady hands me the album for a review. I go ‘Oh holy Lala, more half-baked, self-important local pretensions to suffer...’ From Mumbai, she says. Mumbai? Hmm, urbane musicians are more unprejudiced to knocks – unlike our lot here who ask for “review” and contract Fever if you say what you really think about their stuff. But all’s fair in war.

As in so. Buddha guy’s back with philosophy: Wander, don’t give a hoot if you’re lost. Second timer Lima Yanger and a bunch of veterans Bliss Logic is out with an album that croons “dude, so what if Emcee ain’t rock.” Man, I realize I’d give 8 outta 10 for this superlative album.
BL announces with the fluid MSV (More Soft Vibes), a song you can gladly go mystic in unabashed doses of Jazz sensibility. Lima Yanger shines – he actually sings like it should be sung. Seductively groovy, impulsive innuendoes in oodles of meaty retro jive and you still swing the rock. It’s Tracy Chapman doing a new-age Camel (or say, a sentimental Kroma). Beauty.

Bad News: Wednesday is a sulking Monday morning that refuses to attend to bathroom duties because TGI Saturday’s at least 4days away. The retro-ish tunes are OK but by virtue of tedium, this song somehow undermines a beautiful soundcraft called MSV. Except for Babu’s speech (garbled, but) interspersed with a rabble of illogical tunes that pass for bridges (or were those choruses?). Babu’s halo saves a highly presumptuous attempt at sounding numinous. Tsk Tsk.

But, here’s the antidote for lousy-Wednesdays-hangovers: If you dislike New Message you probably inherited polio-stricken ears from Sid Vicious. I never had patience for ballads that flirt with jazz rhythms in the name of discovery. But New Message is superb. A painted poem. And Satch would love the Crystal Planet type guitar layers. Me loves.

The hooky joyride continues in Tryin and Window. Gold Awesomes. Exactly any fusion songwriter’s dream. Playful and totally oblivious – that’s the beauty of wandering about just for the heck of it. A bit of India, a spoonful of San Francisco Broadway in TGIF Martini. And if you are a regular Sting with a new fetish for funk and pseudo-jazz, they’re it. The two joins MSV. Exquisite arrangements, cathartic breaks and just the right amount of hints of the Eastern: Delightfully eclectic messes they are, goodness me. Double encore please.

Sadly, Everyday wallows in loneliness. A somewhat mushy item that at times sounds kiddo. But it’s not that bad – leave it playing as you go relieve your suffering bladder.

My first reaction to The Big Thaw: Is it rock because it’s cynical or is it cynical because it’s rock? But I figured, who cares. Wow, Extreme ought to be penning The Big Thaw than dishing out weak funk innuendoes to wallow in the faded glory of ‘Pornograffiti’ or ‘III Sides to Every Story.’ TBT joins the gold list.

But the next, Ride, is an epic flat tyre. Pretentious poetry – maudlin teenage heartache. You gonna barf – fake insinuations, bland tunes, awkward guitar passages and insipid percussion. Yawn.

Thankfully, Sheera is redemption – in fact it’s a rock-ier version of MSV. A 4+ minute groove delight miles from the dour, dull and ridiculous clang of an ignominy called Ride. Sheera overflows right into that cute, pull-your-cheeks song Spill. Cool, give me Spill any day with those imaginative rhythms. Alright, I’ll confess – it’s as addictive as the others (minus total Eeeks like Wednesday and Ride.)

Except for the tiny momentary lapse of inspiration in the two Eeek-songs, The Big Thaw is the underground archivist’s dream item. A superb album.

Catch Bliss Logic at www.myspace.com/blisslogic

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