album : Firdous
artist : Coshish
genre : Progressive Rock
year : 2013
The idiosyncrasies of a band that has been hard at work, silently, has been perfectly captured on Firdous. Coshish is not giving away music here, they are coming towards you with a flame of emotions.
With the underlining strength of Firdous being undeniable melody, and a lot of soul, Coshish‘s vigorous storytelling ability is a fresh departure from the aisle of oft heard rock, that all seem to be a product of the same flock. After clambering out of life’s unpredictable trenches, day in and day out, putting your life in the hands of some purposeful work of art doesn’t just lift one’s spirits, but that is also the only way of life I’ve known. Firdous is a carousel that has heaps of images from your past, present and future on-board. Let’s start the ride.
The poetic carnival kicks off with the title track Firdous, and is a very post-rock influenced song where the vocals also act as an instrument. They are all on the same layer, so to speak. Hence, the intro builds up a range of possibilities, where the lyrics act as the nuts and bolts of this emotional bridge. It’s a comfortable song, and you’ll be absorbed by the tune. The grace lies in the details. Listen carefully…
The progressive aspect of the whole prog-rock thing becomes visible on Raastey, complete with oscillating patterns, vocal range variations, tightly in-sync instrumentation and unexpected guitar tunes. You ought to be aware of the fact that you definitely do not know where the songs are headed. The songs don’t hit you in-the-face nor do they befuddle you. What they do is heighten the pleasure of the sonic enlightenment you are up against. The odd timings are carried forward on the tracks Coshish, Mukti, Woh Kho Gaye and Maya.
Rhythm is like the cornerstone of Coshish‘s sound. Pick any song and try to dodge the rhythm sections. It is very prevalent, it is very necessary and it is in the context of the entire scenario. I would most definitely want to highlight the work on Raastey, Woh Kho Gaye, Firdous and Hum Hai Yahin. So, we’ve established that the life of the band lies in the strings. The guitar solos on Coshish, Woh Kho Gaye, Rehne Do, Raastey and Hum Hai Yahin animate the whole experience of hearing Firdous.
While the versatility on drums is all over the album, hear Maya, Raastey, Coshish and Mukti to remove the tag of a procrastinator, if you carry one, because the throbbing will get you going!
The opening piece on Behti Boondein initiates acoustic strumming, accompanied by sitaresque samples and the band goes onto induce a trance-like state. The innocence is inevitable in the vocals, so are the active beats on the percussion well complemented by the bass, thereby liberating you from the shackles of some self built mystery.
Maya means illusions, but the irony of the track is very evident in the words. The band uses the route of reality to replicate a similar world of illusions through the song. It is a hard-hitting composure, bringing you face to face with a mirror, and you have to decide which side you are on. Luscious harmonies dominate majority of the album, and I swear by the tracks Rehne Do, Coshish, Bhula Do Unhey and Raastey.
Your allegiance to memories would be tested on Hum Hai Yahin and Rehne Do. A lump in your throat would be an apt metaphor to this song’s adroitness at handling you. And since everything comes with two sides, you could also be vivaciously looking forward to the future. The entire track has been knit together as one entity, with the libretto breathing life into it. The more you hear it, the harder it gets, if you know what I mean. I’m in love.
An epic closure to the album, comes in the form of an instrumental titled Mukti – the longest track out of the ten gems. Supreme play of instruments, unconventional mind-bender moments and varied temperaments best describe this song. The outro, being an instrumental, gives you time to reminisce about the entire record thereby playing a series of events in your mind that you were actively part of.
The production on the record, by all means, is as clean as a hound’s tooth. A very essential need for bands recording their material is to find the right sound, and Coshish could not have asked for a better launch. The bass gets its ass kissed on Coshish, Woh Kho Gaye, Maya, Rehne Do and Bhula Do Unhey. Some twisted vocal talent, inclusive of high range is displayed on Raastey, Woh Kho Gaye, Maya and Rehne Do. I have to add there is a lot of room for experimentation in the vocal department.
Well, if love means to you what power means to a politician, what erroneous situations mean to superstition and when looking after her doesn’t mean obligation then Firdous is right on money with the sound and worth every penny you want to spend because you’ll fall in love with the record. Impactful songwriting aside, Firdous contains some of the most heavenly lyrics. Coshish talks about stuff you already know. But, every now and then we require some means through which we can relate to anything and everything around us, and that is what Firdous successfully achieves.
Picture this: A mug of your most-liked beverage, overcast skies and light drizzles outside while you make yourself comfortable in one corner of your balcony. That’s when you’ll want Firdous in the background. You wouldn’t want to trade all of that for anything, would you? Go ahead, pick up the record and swim in a pool of dreamlike melody…
Rating: 4/5
Coshish is:
Mangesh Gandhi on Vocals, Rhythm Guitars, Mouth Organs
Shrikant Sreenivasan on Lead Guitars
Hamza Kazi on Drums, Xylophone
Anish Nair on Bass
Firdous has been produced by Zorran Mendonsa.
Coshish‘s facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Coshish
Coshish‘s website: https://soundcloud.com/coshish
‘Raastey‘ official music video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXKzA0YDjDw
Have something to say to the band, send an email to: coshishband@gmail.com.