The Indian indie scene can be very confusing for an outsider these days. With the incredible hype that has built up over the last couple of years, interest in Indian indie has grown manifold. But while this buzz has been created by a number of hard-working and creative bands, there are still quite a few dinosaurs who are happy to jump on the bandwagon while still working on their covers “original compositions” inspired by Metallica or Guns N’ Roses. So if you’ve ever decided to check out the innovative new sounds coming out of the indie scene, and had the bad luck to go to a Sceptre show, you have our sympathies. All it takes to prove that it’s not just hot air and misplaced hype though, is a couple of spins of Sinema, the debut album from New Delhi folk-rock act Peter Cat Recording Co (available for streaming on NH7 here).
The band has sent music critics in a tizzy as they try to find a label that fits their sound, a blend of orchestral folk-rock, gypsy jazz, swing and cabaret music, all filtered through the lo-fi DIY aesthetic of 1990s indie rock. These disparate musical elements are united by a strong sense of nostalgia, especially for 1950s American film music. Frank Sinatra and Sam Cooke are important influences, as are the gramophonic Bollywood soundtracks of the Burmans and Raj Kumar. Frontman Suryakant Sawhney likes to describe the project as a “strange time machine of a world”, and that’s as apt a description of their work as any. But don’t let all the familiar references fool you. Peter Cat Recording Co’s strength lies in taking all these familiar, old world sounds and putting them together in a way that is entirely new and fresh. It’s like using the familiar pieces of a Jigsaw puzzle to create an entirely new picture. The closest contemporary musical marker would probably be Beirut’s synthesis of Balkan folk and American pop music. Indie rock heroes Neutral Milk Hotel are another important influence, especially in the lyrics department. Suryakant has a somewhat surreal world view, as he describes a noir landscape populated by bitter husbands, existential clowns and sinister prostitutes. Gallows humour abounds, such as the bleak refrain on the lounge ballad ‘Happiness’ – “Happiness allows, us to live our lives, meaningless.”
On ‘Pariquel’, the band sounds like a terminally depressed circus troupe with fuzzed-up keyboards and familiar cabaret rhythms. They expertly juxtapose deceptively cheerful melodies with melancholic lyrics. The lethargic swagger of the track belies the violence of lines like, “Her guys shine, they’ll drape you blind, cut you in pieces, and rape your insides.” Album highlight ‘Clown On The 22nd Floor’ (#9 on The Indiecision ’10: Best Song Indian list) is a masterpiece of kitsch as it throws together jaunty cabaret rhythms, sardonic lyrics and #kvlt samples from B-grade Bollywood films. Halfway through ‘Love Demons’, the band lays down a groove that immediately brings to mind 1970s Bollywood, complemented by fuzz-laden keyboards, crashing drums and squealing guitar feedback. ‘Androjean’ features a lightning sound sample taken from the 1994 hit Karan Arjun, while the instrumental ‘Tokyo Vijaya’ adds a whole new level of Japanese weirdness to the Bollywood fixation.
Apart from the unique sound, what sets Sinema apart is the sophistication of the lyrics, an aspect that too many Indian bands tend to ignore. The whimsical tone makes it hard to tell whether the band is being serious or just messing with you. Their flirtations with the grotesque and the surreal draw you in as you try and decipher the story behind each song. This is the sort of songwriting that rewards repeated listens, a rarity in the current crop of Indian bands. I hear that Peter Cat Recording Co is already working on their second album, and I can’t wait to get my hands on that one. Till then, enjoy this sensational debut from one of the country’s most innovative rock bands.
Indiecision: B+
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