Artist: The F-16’s
Album: Kaleidoscope
Release: Early 2012
Defining themselves are the children of eclectic indie and bold alternative, and second cousin to glitch hop and beer, The F-16s, born brought up in Chennai, have been carving their niche in the music scene in India since early 2012. Strongly influenced by the The Strokes, Arctic Monkeys and The Black Keys, the band that brought together the five boys just over a year ago released their debut EP Kaleidoscope in August. In the short time they’ve been together, Kaleidoscope in its seven tracks showcases the band’s diversity; from the upbeat, inspiring ‘King’s Dream’ to the mellow, bass centric ‘Light Bulbs’.
While their lyrics are clearly along the lines of rock and indie, the music is more of psychedelic electro. This interesting mix is steady throughout the album. From the soft yet sharp notes in the beginning and immediately followed by quick beats from drummer Vikarm Yesudas, ‘Prelude’ kicks off the album with style. Immediately followed by ‘Light Bulbs’, highlighted by the haunted, soothing vocals from Joshua Fernandez, the first two tracks in away hold what the rest of the album has to offer.
Their psychedelic influence is evident as every track begins in a similar fashion. However, the band has showcased its diverse skills every time you move on to the next track. In ‘Light Bulbs’, the lyrics ‘drinking couldn’t help you forget’ arrest the listener for a few second while guitarist ____ takes over. It is a stark contrast to the following number, ‘Avalanche’, which sounds way too generic to be part of a debut album, with nothing new to offer. While it isn’t the worst track that first timers could release, it is resonates with the kind of music one would play while going for a run.
At first glance, ‘King’s Dream’ doesn’t feel like it’s a part of the set, adding a streak of punk rock to the album. But as you pass the 10th second, it becomes too similar to ‘Are you gonna be my girl?’ by Jet. Inspired by Martin Luther King’s speech, it has extracts and lyrics inspired by the same. Nevertheless, the riff is impressive, perfect for a sit-down head bang session. The vocals are a welcome change, the style being the kind bound to get the crowd singing along. ‘Who Robbed the Rogue?’ is one track that communicates through just the music. The lyrics are minimal though loud, but the track is dominated by the instrumentals. ‘My Shallow Lover’ though called a signature track by many fans, brings a feeling of déjà vu. Happy and upbeat, it is somehow musically empty compared to the previous tracks. ‘Nuke’ has an interesting beginning, a perfect blend of the guitar and keyboard. The drums soon catch up, adding to the feel good factor, making it one of the best tracks in the album. Slowing down at the first minute, and that coming back up again, ‘Nuke’ has some great riffs and a feel of celebration.
The F-16s have managed to capture an emotion in each track. Every number is bound to make you recall an incident in your life. Kaleidoscope is a good debut album to have, but it still a mini album. From the seven tracks released so far, The F-16 has a promising future. For those who enjoy taking the high road once in a while, each and every track in Kaleidoscope promises to make it a quite a trip. Top three: ‘Light Bulbs’, ‘Nuke’ and ‘Who Robbed The Rogue?’
– Bhavya Balakrishnan
