A college dorm dream of having one's own band is as fantastical as living on Mars. As a prime example of genius talent meets effort, Shorthand is living that fantastical dream, sending all their fans into a frenzy with a sound that is so new and unique.
Having described themselves as genre-free, Shorthand's music is able to override boundaries and bring in the band member's varied influences. They're as much jazz as they're rock or funk and blues. Despite being new on the Indian indie scene, they have already left a prominent mark among the audiences, so much so that they concluded their first tour earlier in the year. As yet, they do not have many tracks to their credit, but the flavour they bring to their covers is scintillating, exciting and fresh, almost like your ears were longing to listen to a sound you weren't aware even existed.
Springtime is my pick because it is as fresh and vibrant as its name. The blend of a jazzy guitar riff with the folksy banjo is definitely not unheard of, but it comes as such a twist with this track. First off, you expect a baritone to accompany it and Sreya's voice is a pleasant surprise. Second, concealed yet apparent in the track are certain Indian influences both in the vocals and the accompaniments and that in my opinion, makes the track so beautifully representative of the artists, their backgrounds and influences. As the pace of this cross-genre track goes back and forth, one's acoustic sense is amused and left wanting more.
If you're in the mood to experience something unexpected this week, this is your soundtrack.
You can learn more about Shorthand here:
About the curator - Aarushi Aggarwal
Aarushi is a senior at college and is majoring in history and international relations. Her music library is as much home to jazz as it is to Indian classical. Her passion for discovering new music far supersedes other equally important things like finishing assignments on time. She loves dogs, coffee and chocolate.
