Artist: Jester
Album: Myths and Fables
Release Date: 13th April 2013
Mixed and Mastered by: Keshav Dhar; ‘Big Bad Wolf’ mastered by Ishan Chabhra
Label: Independent
Sometimes, we all need a little pop and funk in our otherwise boring lives. Myths and Fables, the seven track debut album of the electronic/pop/rock band Jester, provides just that. Hailing from New Delhi, this five piece outfit consists of Dhruv Goel on vocals, Pranav Pahwa on guitars, Shantanu Sudarshan on drums, Akshay Dwivedi on bass, and Harshit Jain on keyboards and electronic production. All seven songs of this 29 minute album have one thing in common: they get you in the groove.
The first track is called ‘Primer’; it’s like an appetizer, giving an idea about what the rest of the album is going to be like. It ends on an expectant note, and I am eager for more. Up next is ‘Sepia’, starting off with programmed chirpy beats. With lyrics that say “Left in the dark, time will revive, will help you survive” and “memories will fade into sepia”, this song is about the dynamic and transient nature of all aspects of life. The underlying sounds of the flute are a lovely touch. ‘La Questa’, about the quest for a girl’s heart, has nice, drawn out vocals, which are not out of tune at all. The lively riff makes this otherwise tedious topic quite enjoyable; the sound effects are pleasing to the ear as well. The finish is great, strong vocals and guitars tapering down to a soft note. The fourth track is called ‘Harlequin’, and it’s a fun song in terms of instruments. The lyrics, however, are laced with mystery (“no one knows where he came from, and no one knows why”). The riff is nicely groovy; the drum solo starts off a bit empty, but makes up for it with a good finish, and the guitar solo is very good. ‘Broken Arrow’ has lovely sound effects and clean vocals. The keyboards are well done, and I finally got the unrestrained drum solo I was hoping for. This track has another amazing guitar solo, but the whispered vocals towards the end are a little drowned. Nevertheless, this would be my pick, out of the album. As ‘Big Bad Wolf’ begins playing, I can’t help but remember the story of Red Riding Hood. The naughty feel of the starting notes help in re-enforcing the image. The childish picture soon goes away as I realize that the song has very little to do with the fairy tale, and more to do with addiction, of any form (“now without him I feel I’m blind”, “I’ve been addicted to this dream for a while”). With yet another lovely guitar solo (I swear, the guitarist has magic in his fingers) and an amazing finish, this track leaves very little to be desired. However, I’d have liked more of the finish in the entire song; after all, the Big Bad Wolf is a villain, and deserves some angry music. The seventh and final track, ‘Capitol’, starts off with some lively, dance-y beats and boasts a powerful rocking chorus (“Everybody wants the whole cake!”). It talks about the materialistic nature of people, and the need for a revolution in this mentality. This track has me doing a groovy, Harlem Shake-y (internal) dance!
As far as co-ordination goes, Jester gets it right on spot, with hardly any slip ups. The vocals are clean and clear for the most part, only occasionally getting drowned out by the sound effects or the instruments. Also, I disliked some of the abrupt gaps in between beats. However, this album had me dancing in my chair throughout, so I’m not complaining anymore; I enjoyed it thoroughly.
YouTube Link: Big Bad Wolf (Music Video)
