Envision: Star Light

Put this one down as a grower. On first listen, it’s easy to let the languorous gait of the song brush over you with its sedative intent. But with each listen, you begin to look past the jazzy Fender Rhodes tones and layers of percussive strata that come with the trip-hop idiom. In terms of pure songwriting craft, “Star Light” from Envision’s ‘Patterns and Mood Swings’ is cool little ditty, placing a dreamy, yet catchy melody over a bedrock of hip keyboards and guitars. It also crescendos extremely well, gradually adding shades of funk guitars and spurts of rich organ tones. Vocalist Ashhar’s keen falsetto is an interesting counter to the mellowness of the track, and a perfect fit for the astral fixations of the lyrics.

While many of the bleeps and fitful electronic nuances are worthy of the track, some (which sound like rusty SLR cameras opening their shutters) were nothing but distracting. They add little to the either the rhythm or the psychedelic mood of the track, and often tread on the furtive toes of the vocal lines. But regardless, “Star Light” is a very cool track, and it’s always fun to hear something out of the Indian rock scene that isn’t on the grinding guitar-driven trip.

1. August 2, 2008, 3:26 pm Ashwin

   TRIVIA
   P-Man, the bassist of the defunct super group Pin Drop Violence, loves Envision. I’ve seen him haunt the Envisions guys for autographs.