Music Reviews

Abstract compositions

king

The King of Limbs is the eighth studio album by English alternative rock band Radiohead. With eight tracks and just over 37 minutes of music, The King of Limbs is Radiohead’s shortest album. The album returns to the more abstract and experimental style of Radiohead's prior work, with prominent use of loops, samples and ambient sounds, and an emphasis on percussion and drummer Phil Selway and bassist Colin Greenwood's rhythm section.

The album is  rich with electronic texture. The first track, Bloom, opens with a repeating piano loop, sputtering electronic noise and features a flugelhorn arrangement. Morning Mr Magpie has a repeating guitar riff.

Little by Little features intricate guitar playing over busy, syncopated percussion. A steady bass pulse and an Arabic-tinged melody unspool over junkyard beats and backward loops. Feral is an instrumental featuring wordless, processed vocals, cut-up drum loops, and a distorted synth bassline. A rather abstract, loopy, throbbing track
The last track, Separator, is a mid-tempo track featuring piano, a gentle guitar pattern and a looping and funky drum sample.

Michael Patrao

Soothing strains

Think of suprabhatam and the name that strikes you in an instant is that of M S Subbulakshmi. But, Sri Venkatesha Suprabhatam, an album that offers three versions of the suprabhatam — traditional, semi-classical and chorus — is just as good.

While the traditional version is rendered melodiously by Nithyasree Mahadevan and includes the strotram, prapathi and mangalam, the semi-classical version, sung by Harini, is easy on the senses, urging listeners to sing along. Specially composed by blending various morning ragas, the semi-classical version is an instant hit with the musically-inclined devout.

Not to be left behind is the chorus version, sung melodiously by the female choir, which is sheer bliss. It takes listeners to a new devotional high.

Sai Madhukar, the man behind the music of this awesome album, sure deserves a pat on his back for making suprabhatam sound so very appealing.

 There surely is no better way to kick-start a day than by tuning in to Sri Venkatesha Suprabhatam.