With fleecy acoustic instrumentation championed by a tranquil voice, Rounak Maiti makes an euphoric debut with his ten-track album “Bengali Cowboy” via Pagal Haina records.
With the likes of Prateek Kuhad under their belt, there’s no doubt that Pagal Haina have an eye for talented singer-songwriters.
Their latest gem, Rounak, has been making waves on the indie circuit over the years by posting originals and random covers on SoundCloud. His debut effort surely galvanizes his position as one of the most unique singer-songwriter to watch out for in the coming years.
His voice has the perfect blend of melancholy and sweetness. Sonically, the acoustic guitar lights the way along with the occasionally shimmering of certain percussion and melodic instruments.
The single off the album, “My Diary” is pretty noteworthy and stands out from the rest of the album with its pop appeal.
The album has it’s darker moments like on the track “How Long (Has It Been)” and the charmingly obscure acoustic interlude “Wait”. A personal favorite would be the woeful “Do not, my dear” with its soft guitar plucking and soothing vocal melody.
With the rise of electronic music everywhere, there does seem to be a dearth of great lyricists in the indie circuit. However, the album’s highlight is surely how personal and intimate Rounak makes these songs via his well-crafted lyrics and stories.
Sometimes the songs do feel arduously long. For a ten-track album, there are some weak moments in terms of artistic exploration making some songs feel second cousins to others. But it doesn’t take away the fact that this is a fantastic debut album.
So cozy-up on a rainy afternoon and mop around listening to the tales of this Bengali Cowboy.
Stream “Bengali Cowboy” LP on Soundcloud and Bandcamp.
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Photo credit: hannah e
