Girl at the Rock Shows

I fell in love with Prabir when I heard ‘Long After The Empire.’ It was an album that blended many things, but it was the unknown and the unique that really had me hooked. There were tones and lines of notes that didn’t quite make sense to me, but that’s because of the influence of classical Indian traditions, and I loved that. I loved how the Prabir seamlessly blended these two worlds together, creating something that challenged my ears while being easy to get lost in. I was beyond stoked when I saw they were releasing another album. Instead of discussing my love for Indian cuisine and the teachings that come from India, let’s jump right into ‘From Yoga, Meditation, and the Rest of Life.’

“Before & After” brings you to earth as this album starts. It’s four and a half minutes of pure bliss. I don’t know the names of all the instruments used to create the lush soundscape that reigns supreme throughout this song, but I do know that I love it and loved how, as the song progresses, more and more elements come in and take center stage. The unfamiliar tones were, as I mentioned, a bit challenging but in a good way. In my mind, the direction that the lines of notes were going to take was unpredictable, which gave this song a sense of energy that I wasn’t expecting from an otherwise slowly moving track like this. “Before & After” may not be the most exciting song I’ve ever heard, but there’s no denying that it got me out of my own head and into Prabir’s world, which is exactly where I wanted to be.

The meditative world laid out in “Before & After” continues into “Breathing” but takes a more “Monk” kind of tone. Okay, again, wrong word, but I don’t know a better one. What I’m trying to say is that, if I ever had the guts to get on a plane and go to India (I truly hate flying and would NEVER fly over the ocean at this point), this is what I would expect to hear while traveling through the temples and architecture of eras gone by. Although this is another slow-moving song (which I have a feeling will be the name of the game throughout the rest of this album), I felt completely transfixed by the tones that were not only taking over my house but also my restless soul. The amount of calm I felt as I listened to “Breathing” honestly cannot be put into words, and, with how busy we all get with life, it was nice to have a few moments where nothing mattered. It was just me, Prabir, and my “Breathing.”

You can hear worlds start to collide a bit more as “Seven” takes over this album. This song, like the previous ones, definitely has an “Indian drone” happening in the background, but there’s some West Virginia hills-style guitar playing on top of it. The bursts of light that seem to shine through the leaf-covered canopy (just go with me here) highlight and dance along the top of this song. Why the tree analogy? Because that’s where my mind went as I traveled into “Seven.” I wish I could tell you why that was the world that this song took me to, but I just don’t have the answers. All I know is that it was a world that was hard to leave after the four minutes and forty seconds that this song lasted.

Prabir took me on a journey to Ahmedabad through his song “You Can’t Drink in Ahmedabad” on ‘Long After the Empire’, but “Ahmedabad Hustle” shows a whole different side of this place. Prabir tries to take you on journeys through India while making them relatable, and I feel like being able to see the two sides of Ahmedabad is truly genius. The side I knew was boisterous and fun (even though you can’t drink there), whereas this side felt calmer and easier-going. The virtuistic guitar playing (at least I think it’s a guitar?) soars overhead like a Rose-ringed Parakeet while drums keep your feet firmly situated on the ground. Another song that isn’t forwardly energized, I found an undeniable sense of power and energy by the time this song ended, purely from the movement and tones that are highlighted throughout.

Although there have been moments of vocals in the previous songs, “Bhavatu” is the first song that we really hear them take the driver’s seat. Although I couldn’t tell you what they are saying in full, I can tell you that the angelic yet eerie vocals add yet another layer that can only be described as “Prabir’s special sauce.” Something about this song felt like letting go, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. I decided to look up what “Bhavatu” means and was quickly reminded of how music can evoke an emotion without words. “Bhavatu” means “may it be, “let it be,” and other phrases of the like. Although this album definitely isn’t my usual kind of listen, there’s no denying that this was that moment when I realized that, sure, this isn’t metal or punk, heck, it’s not even pop, yet I was relating to it and getting the message that was being conveyed, even though the sound felt so unfamiliar to me.

I feel like this entire album has felt really light so far, but something changes when it comes to “Flow.” Don’t get me wrong, this is another stunning journey of a track, but there’s just a heaviness that comes from this song that I didn’t get from the previous ones. I’ll be honest, I zoned out on this song, but was brought back to life about halfway through as the pace and drums became a bit more frantic and chaotic. Okay, this song never really reaches the point of being chaotic, but there is definitely a swell in this track that caught me off guard and brought me back to my desk (the sound of traffic that comes in towards the end of the track also helped with that).

I would honestly call all of the songs on this album “Wind Down Songs,” but the seventh track on this album is called “Wind Down Song” as if dedicated to the idea of winding down. The whimsical beauty of this track is unmatched. It feels like a fairytale, but set in India. Again, that drone-like sound continues to linger in the background while the gorgeous guitar work takes center stage. This is a signature move of Prabir and one that I will never get sick of. Again, and I know I keep repeating myself, this is not my normal jam, and the tone of the drone and how it works in this album felt so foreign, but the tone of the guitar reminded me that this isn’t as foreign as I may want to think. Some elements make sense throughout this song, some don’t, but the way that Prabir brings them all together is nothing short of genius.

This eight-song album ends with “Shavasana.” This was my last chance to just breathe before scarfing down dinner and heading out to my show of choice tonight, and I was not going to let it slip by. Instead of trying to think of words to write while this six-and-a-half-minute-long song brought the album to a close, I just sat back, closed my eyes, and left this world for a couple of minutes. This whole album was a moment of meditation for me, but something about this final song just really made me feel relaxed enough to go back to the real world (even if I was hesitant).

Tl;dr – We all move at a breakneck speed these days. It’s all about being overworked and undersupported. If we all took the time to listen to this album in the morning, before we began our hectic days, I think the world would be a much happier place. As Prabir says, “This album is designed for you to be you in your natural state. Don’t overthink it, just listen.” So I dare you- just listen to this. I don’t care if you’re a metal head, a punk rocker, a country cowboy, or anything else. This album needs to be heard and, when you hear it, you will surely feel it down to your soul. I’m not going to say that this album is life-changing, but…

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