Having enticed us with the single ‘Fragile’ last month, Bangalore dream pop duo Us and I have just dropped their debut EP ‘Loveless’, four dollops of exquisite dream pop delights.
The band beautifully express their inspirations:
In a world doused with melancholia, there is no dearth of inspiration. A lot of ideas were being developed in the past few years and we finally decided to put it all together in as much as a coherent form as we could. The synths formed the foundation of that sound and the yellow and orange colors of melancholia inspired the words.
Opening track and single ‘Fragile’ matches a muscular synth riff with dreamy, ethereal vocals, mixing an M83 vibrant synth spine with distant haunting vocals that float across the firmament.
There’s an eighties vibrancy throughout with the indelible synth riffs, that are contrasted by the softness of the vocals which evoke something more along the lines of The Cocteau Twins. Pure melancholy tones floating over a visceral synth surface.
The synth flavour – strong and palatable – continues with ‘Butterflies’ with its raw and visceral arpeggios and fuzzy bass. Singer Bidisha Kesh has a distant, almost Arctic chill, to her vocals which are boosted by ethereal backing vocals and a bucketful of yearning.
‘Phases’ has an orchestral synth wall: again recalling the depth and richness of something by M83 with a chunky guitar undercurrent. The vocoded interludes and instrumentation recalls Air, the complex layers of singing adds a dynamism lending an euphoric wash to the melodies, while a spoken centerpiece adds mystery and enigma.
The EP ends with a piano based ballad – ‘First Love’ – a more reflective and melancholic piece that is delicate and ethereal.
‘Loveless’ is a vibrant and impressive debut: filled with atmosphere and indelible melodies, a perfect marriage of innovative and ebullient synth pop and dreamy evocative vocals.
Out now, you can download or stream this delight here or get directly from Us and I through the link below:
Us and I are Bidisha Kesh and Gaurav Govilkar.
