Lost in music

Sanoli Chowdhury

Imagine you are wandering in a vast open field somewhere in, say, the English countryside. But after a while, you lose your way and have to re-trace your steps. It's the middle of a pleasant afternoon though, so you aren't scared that you'll be wandering aimlessly even when it gets dark. On the contrary, it's a pleasant feeling being lost, as you chance upon trees and rooks, basking in the solitude far from the bustle of city life.

A Distant Meadow is a new EP that can provide an apt soundtrack for such a scenario. Sanoli Chowdhury, the Chennai-based musician behind it, admits as much when she tells us, "I gave the record this name because I got the impression that I am lost in a faraway meadow while making it, but not in a negative way. It was instead in a tranquil, peaceful state of mind."

The music thus reflects that feeling, relying more on instruments like a melancholic saxophone than abrasive electric guitars. But the biggest surprise comes with the fourth track, a cover of the Joy Division classic, Love will tear us apart. Chowdhury strips the song of its ominous overtones, and presents it more as a ballad that's in line with singer-songwriter aesthetics than those of a British rock band. "The only thing I kept in mind is that the track has to fit in to the overall story of the record," she says, and we can confirm that she has succeeded in doing that, because her cover wouldn't disrupt your tranquillity if you were indeed lost in the middle of the afternoon in that field in the English countryside.

Log on to: spotify.com