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Five8

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You are always elated, when you stumble upon some new music. An Independent  band with an experimental sound that puts a smile on your face and makes your head bang without getting a notion of your own actions.  Five8, a Funk Rock/ Groove Rock/ Ambient Rock and Progressive Rock band from Delhi has just released their debut full length album named  ‘Our Imaginarium’.

Five8 have been together for many years and have performed at various clubs in New Delhi. This experience has been transferred to their songs which is pretty much audible. Right from the groovy bass,ambient guitar and keyboard tones, ghost notes on the drums, to the vocal harmonies, this album takes you to a trance like state. Each and every song is unique yet they maintain a certain ambient decorum throughout the album.

They have also collaborated with musicians like guitarist Aditya Balani and saxophonist Abhay Sharma on songs named “Broke” and “Ballad to the City” respectively in this album. There has been a significant change in their music style from their earlier songs which are available on Soundcloud. One can hear the ‘ambient’ and ‘groovy’ aspect more in this full length album. The Lyrics of each song targets various issues, including work life, dreams, city life, colours and many more.The pre – chorus of the song,‘Broke’

‘ I hate my job, I’m a loser,

but then a beggar can he, can he be a chooser’

clearly shows the plight of independent musicians in today’s world, where financial constraints force them to do permanent jobs and somehow facilitate hindrances to their creativity. On the other hand, a song like ‘Waiting’ resembles a traditional alternative rock sound in the style of Indus Creed. The vocal harmonies woo the listener as soon as they hit the ear drums.

The bass solo on ‘Waiting’ is Eargasm! and the grooves on the other songs are equally noteworthy. The guitars on each track  complement the bass and the tones used for overdrive and cleans gives the listener an ambient/psychedelic entertainment. The keyboard serve its purpose efficiently, with an ambient tone backing on each song. The drums on the track somehow resembles a complex mixture of the styles of playing of musicians like Stewart Copeland of The Police, Chad Smith of RHCP and a few others.

As far as the production is concerned, the audio quality is impressive and it is well mixed and mastered. Definitely this album is a class apart from other mainstream music available in the market. If you are a fan of The Police, RHCP as well as some ambient/progressive music like White Moth Black Butterfly, and Karnivool, this is the record for you. Access there album here: Five8