I can only dream of sweet times’ — this lyric from the single, Don’t Wake Me Up, I’m Dreaming, sums up the entire theme of Uday Kasera’s debut EP, Speechless. In plain terms, it’s a love record with all the flowery prose, warm feelings and painful longings. “Personal relationships and my own mental state are the two biggest things that drove me to make the album. Speechless talks about how it may be difficult to come to terms with how things turn out, and how that is a good thing. The primary themes explored on the album are reconciliation, regret and self-learning,” explains Uday, who sings and plays the guitar.
His band, Uday and the Sliders, comprises Soumyarya Mallick on guitar and vocal harmony duties, Sumit Dey on bass guitar, and Sounak Dutta on drums. The music follows a post-rock tangent, floating much like his dreams of a lost lover. Very pleasant to the ears, its experimentation with arrangements make the soundscape stellar, placing it above the usual mushy albums of the same kind. The music is an
active participant, rather than just a boring accompaniment to the sung words.
The first half of the record has singer-songwriter vibes, while the latter half has subtle elements of electronica, tastefully orchestrated behind the wall of sound, to embellish the vast space created by dreamy guitar bends, twinkling sound effects and lazy rhythms. The six track, Speechless, clock-
ing at approximately 20 minutes, belongs to the school of light mood music, which can be a perfect accompaniment for a lonely night or a relaxing evening tea break. It might remind you of bands like Owl City and Passenger.
However, the similar sentiments feeding off the central theme can seem mundane at times. The lack of contemporary societal reflection in the record also blares loudly. “I’m sure that after hearing the album, one can tell that the songs are more for personal consumption. I guess, I focused more on expressing things that were affecting me at that time, than picking topics to force myself to write about. Isn’t music about just letting it happen?” muses Uday, when asked about why he chose to stick to solitary reflections, and not a wider perspective.
Having said that, the sunshine vibe of the album can work wonders, as it creates hope in the listener. It makes it easier to come to terms with the hardships of life, and separating from loved ones. Speechless has the ability to speak to all those who are going through the things that Uday speaks of. And, that is nearly
everyone.
For a debut EP, Speechless is an admirable attempt, and the soundscape deserves warm accolades, though this fairly young band still has a long way to go. “Our aim is to first play gigs in Kolkata, and bring this music live to our audiences. Once this is done, we plan on reaching out and performing around India. In addition, my sophomore album is also in the works,” signs off Uday.