FOR THE FIRST TIME: Beta बेटा by Peter Cat Recording Co

Peter Cat Recording Co drop an AOTY contender in this sophisticated record with a child like gleam to it. 9.1/10

When I started this project, I aimed to do a mix of both Indian and Western acts. And since, much of my reviews are mostly Western, I hope to change this gap in the future. But this is a start so let’s talk about Peter Cat Recording Co.

We are in an interesting phase of Indian Indie music where ourartists are making big numbers. With Hanumankind’s Big Dawgs being a chart topper all across the world, and other Punjabi musicians making strides all over the world, we can assuredly feel optimistic about our very own Indie scene

But of course, we do have a shortage of bands that try to do their own thing. Peter Cat Recording Co is one of them. This band has existed for a long time, almost 15 years. It is the brainchild of Suryakant Sawhney, a filmmaking student from San Francisco, who after a spiritual experience, returned to India as a musician. Peter Cat Recording Co is mostly a Jazz Outfit, as displayed by their previous records, but the group doesn’t shy away from trying other genres of music.

Beta (which literally means son) feels like a chilled glass of raw mango shake, with a healthy mix of spice and sugar. The album is bittersweet, intimate but feels like a warm hug. The album begins with the dreamy apocalyptic track Flowers R Blooming, a track that feels like it has been ripped off a lost Christian Kids Television show. The instrumentation on this is vibrant, melancholic but uplifting, almost optimistic. In People Never Change, a bhangra beat is succeeded by a ska guitar riff, as the lyrics talk about being carefree and closes as a disco number.

One of my favourite tracks off the record is the third track, Suddenly, a simple Jazz number about the writer’s childhood, the loss of his father and his relationship with his mother. The album deals with so many genres. At one point, it feels like you are listening to a Stone Roses outtake, and sometimes a modified cover of a 60s classic.

This album is definitely worth a check out. No regrets.

Favourite Tracks: Flowers R Blooming, People Never Change, Suddenly, Foolmuse, 21c, Something About You

Rating: 9.1/10