There are times when you feel that you really should be somewhere else. After just a few notes of Anup Kishore Pradhan’s Hidden Nature Is Secret God (the horse sweats and the mule is draped in lace) I realize that a summer-clad Maryland front porch probably should replace the rain-soaked Scandinavian winter outside our kitchen window. Pradhan plays acoustic guitar music that is wondrous and transcendent, music that meanders and flows in a way that makes it seem constructed purely to illustrate moods and nuances. There are obvious bonds to the Takoma tradition but this relatively short (and focused) album is more structured and less experimental than many of his contemporaries, thus providing a great start for newcomers to the genre. --Broken Face//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Short and sweet, this CDR is a refreshing bit of solo acoustic pluckery. Based out of Baltimore, Pradhan is a contributor to the Brooklyn psych-rock outfit Necking, but it’s among these 5 instrumentals that he seems to have found his voice (proverbially speaking). Pradhan’s playing is melodic and focused, but loose enough to welcome repeated listens. Vaguely upbeat but ultimately mysterious, “Hidden Nature…” is more impressionistic than experimental, hinting at psychedelic overtones more than laying them out for the listener. The repeated buzz of Pradhan’s low strings keep a kind of asymmetrical time, and add a welcomed droning element to the harmonious tunes.
Again, it’s to Pradhan’s artistic credit and technical skill that here, on his seeming first release, restraint is one of the main strong points. While many instrumental acoustic records wallow in an understated ambiance that drifts a bit too far out to sea, Pradhan’s compositions sound warm and just enlightened enough to take the listener by the hand and point them in the right direction. This is music best spoken of metaphorically; the nuts and bolts miss the point.
Packaged in a nice little sleeve displaying two of Pradhan’s own rather trippy and cool
drawings, “Hidden Nature…” is a fine introduction to a fine player. I, for one, hope more’s to come.-- foxy digitalis
