Motherjane – Maktub

For centuries Kochi has been known as the city of sail, an important port city for International trade. But, if Progressive rock band, Motherjane keeps going strong, Kochi will pretty soon been celebrated as the city that gave the world Motherjane. In existence since 1996, Motherjane have grown stronger by the year, climbing to the top of the ladder of the Indian rock scene surpassing their counterparts in the big metropolitans.

In the country’s rock scene what one usually finds is Indians emulating their foreign idols and being applauded for a job well done. But, Motherjane on the other hand is one of those few bands that could actually be called an INDIAN rock band, rather than just a band of Indians playing western music. Lead guitarist Baiju’s heavily Indianised guitar work has become an integral part of the Motherjane sound, keeping the Indian connection constant throughout the band’s music rather than just throwing the odd Sitar and Tabla piece.

The band recently put out their second album till date “Maktub”, and made it available online for download, following in the lines of Radiohead and NIN, where the artists allowed their fans to contribute as little or as much as they were comfortable with. Coming five years after their debut release, the album has rewarded fans of the band for their patience; with what can go down as one the best rock albums to sail out of Indian shores.

There is a common misconception that one comes across regarding progressive music whether rock or metal, is that it has to have extremely lengthy songs with solo spots by every instrumentalist in the band characterised by mindless noodling. “Maktub” as an album is supreme example of an A grade progressive album, as it keeps with the very idea behind progressive music, i.e. the idea of experimentation and unconstrained expressionism.

“Maktub” has it all. Straightforward prog rock/metal numbers such as “Blood In The Apple” and “Karmic Steps”, meditative chants and songs that spell out originality, like the addictive “Fields of Sound” whose leg shaking and foot stomping quality could have Mithun Chakraborty running for his dancing shoes. The band takes “Broken” from being a melodious ballad, through an exchange of guitar harmonies, before Baiju chips in with his electrified ragas. The six-minute track “Mindstreet” has elements of jazz, funk, metal, rock and Indian classical all packed in one song and is executed brilliantly.

The individual members completely insulate the album from any shortcomings with their immense talent. Baiju sleekly swims from one ocean of music to another, surrounded by Deepu’s muddy rhythm work. Clyde’s walking bass lines and John’s tight drum work provide a firm backbone for vocalists Suraj’s masterfully controlled vails.

For a music lover, listening to the album is not just another listen rather it’s an experience in the true sense of the word. It is experiencing a bold experiment gone perfectly right. To hear sounds that usually one would try to fit into the same room but would never know where to start is an unusual experience to say the least.

“Maktub” is exactly what Indian rock needs, a push in the right direction. A path through where the artists are not afraid to let their musical heritage shine and actually know how to do so. Hopefully this is number two of many more to follow.

http://social.chordvine.com/artists/Motherjane