Whose Line Is it Anyway?
Shoe String Web Site
It's a balancing act for someone who has idolized rock superstars for years to review the original work of a new "rock" artiste from India. One doesn't want to come off as too critical. After all, rock musicians producing original work in India are still a minority , going against the tidal wave of more traditional offerings, and could use all the encouragement they can get. But one has to stay true to the standards of the greats as well. Therefore, to put things into perspective, I have to state for the record that I think that the offering is a fairly decent one. Shoestring's single, "Whose line is it anyway" doesn't stray too far accepted wisdom of slow rock. it is a formulaic piece constructed within the confines of the traditional. A good thing, because it's too early for them to have delusions of grandeur.
The lyrics are about the fairly recent Indo-Pak conflict along the border, bemoaning the meaningless nature of the line of control and the kinds of tensions and losses it creates. It tells the story from a personalized view point,which writers have exploited time and again to bring a tear to the reader's eye. I liked the crafted words... and the fact that the lines rhyme. Modern poets, and some rookie songwriters can live their "I dont care about rhyme or meter" lives, but a lyricist still lives and dies by the rhyme..and Shoestring have abided by the commandment laid down by Tim Rice and Paul Simon .."Thou shalt rhyme". On the other hand, I wonder why the band could not choose a more identifiable theme for their composition. If sad songs are your forte, sing about unrequited love, and more lost souls will listen!
The simple acoustic guitar arpeggio at the intro sounded a little shaky but becomes more confident as it eases into a strum. The voice takes over with a melancholy melody delivered in a baritone range, sounding appropriate for the theme. The subdued accompaniment fits the somber mood well. The chorus features a slightly higher vocal range and explores the melodic scale further with some dexterity.. though the extended notes tend to drag at the slow tempo of the song.. I feel a slightly faster tempo would have given the entire song a lift without compomising on the despondent theme. Also the entire song features a very narrow vocal range. If the voice is capable of better things, this song doesn't really showcase it.
An emotional guitar solo takes over after the second stanza.. though a little bit too suddenly. I think this could have been easily improved upon. Arrangements can make or break a song, and some trials and errors could have helped here. Maybe the second stanza should have built up a momentum that would have helped the transition into the solo.. That minor criticism aside, the guitar solo was my favorite part of the song. The axeman knows his way around the fretboard, and is not afraid to take the scenic route. Here I would like to mention that on their website, Shoestring claims to be a one-man-band(led by frontman songwriter and singer Manoj Jacob). But the credits feature others including extensive work by aforementioned lead guitarist Robert D'Souza. So the question comes to mind.. is this a one-man-band, or not?
The final stanza is a return to the pattern of the first, and the song meanders to its conclusion, sounding a little abrupt as well. Again, experimenting with different combinations could have added a little more polish to the ending. As the song ends, I feel that the band deserves applause and respect for the work..and that we will be hearing more from them.. but all too quickly, another perception dawns on me as my playlist moves from Shoestring, on to KT Tunstall's "Other Side of the World".
It was almost as if Kate had floated into my hotel room and dragged me from my keyboard and out of the window on a four-minute out of body aerial tour floating around the bright city lights outside, looking down with abandon at life below. The melody haunts my senses so overpoweringly, I can hardly follow the words. Well, that is the difference between the good, and the genius in songwriting. But then again, genius may be just sixteen bars away from the average. Or less.
Moody Blue |
