My favourite accidental discovery ever. From the first song i came across on youtube "fields of sound" i was hooked. I listened to all i could at that point. I ended up buying this album as i could not stop listening. 

The band are exceptional musicians and cannot be faulted in any way. The album has something for every mood, very positive vibe from the music that is rare these days. Quirky time signatures, soulful lyrics, an amazing blend of rock and carnatic stylings make for this one of the most (if not the) most unusual offerings you could hear and yet in such an instantly accesable way i challenge you to listen and not enjoy. I have listened to this album nearly every day since i got hold of it.

Bands like Tool borrow heavily from carnatic styles in certain songs but this band have a mastery of that style and blend it perfectly and turn the songs into multi level tracks, you can listen to them as a pop track, appreciate them as musical masterpieces or lyrically as pieces of modern poeticism. Or just enjoy them while going about your day to day business. I have had other people listen and not one person so far has anything negative to say. I cannot believe this band are not more well known and look forward to being able to see them perform live. I find them personally inspirational as the album has obviously had so much hard work but without losing a natural sound. 

Music that comes right from the soul and speaks to yours.
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“Tahka tahkata; tahka tahkata; tahka, tahka, tahkata, tah!”

*Click* “What on earth was that?” *Rewind* *Play* “Is that in nineteen? Man, let me play this whole tune and see where it goes…”

Thus began my love affair with the music of motherjane, with the liquid fire instrumentalism and the passionately articulated lyricism of “Chasing the Sun”, a brilliant song that begins with the lyrical imagery of “Fireworks and frightened birds, framed against a startled sky; a fleeting canvas, a tableau of life…”

Further exploration of this wonderful music yielded an ever-growing respect for the artistry of motherjane and I have taken upon myself to write on their behalf simply because I love the music and I believe in their collective artistic vision. I am proud to count singer and lyricist Suraj Mani amongst my spiritual kindred in terms of poetic vision. Consider such deceptively simple-sounding erudition to be found throughout the entire album from this single verse in the title track “Mäktub”: “You ain’t dead yet … go on and take your next step. For if you cannot see beyond today’s inheritance the God in you is dead. There’s really no feeling that our souls can’t taste between the shadows and the Sun. But which part of you will hear what I must say: the creator or just the creation?” 

My personal favorites are the aforementioned “Chasing the Sun” and “Mäktub” (which, by the way, really follows nicely on the heels of the introductory “Ode to Life”). I am deeply touched by “Broken”, a ballad about the evolution and resolution of a father/son relationship and I am also very fond of “Fields of Sound”, a jubilant song about music itself: “You’re not here in body yet your songs with us remain. Like waves that will not weary to claim these shores again…” 

If I were to blithely throw a label at it - a disservice - I would have it use “progressive”. I could speak of the exotic-sounding odd meters and unusual modalities; I could perhaps toss around the adjective “carnatic” as many seem to do but it would serve no purpose. The music of motherjane in its best moments is as relevant as it is resonant, passionate and precise, spiritual and grounded. I am deeply impressed with what they’ve already wrought here and stand in quiet awe of their potential. I am truly a fan; they deserve every success.
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