Mumbai musician David De Menezes’ indie album delivers you from the uncertainty of the past and accompanies you to face the uncertainty of the future
The album cover is this frame from David De Menezes’ terrace in Wadala, which was his space of solitude for most of the initial lockdowns
This writer would argue that music is less for art’s sake, especially as we turn to it for reflection. Whether you are hooked on to Walking on sunshine or Let it go — James Bay or Frozen, whatever suits your jam, or musician and sound engineer David De Menezes’ debut album, The second wave. Although an artistic exploration and expression, the album approaches listeners with a sit-with-you-in-the-quiet-moments feel to it, as it courses through themes of uncertainty, solitude, and heartache with hopeful, confident melodies. De Menezes, a proficient violinist and bass guitarist, confirms, “More than a sound, the music shares a feeling. If that comes across, I’ll be happy.”
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David De Menezes Pic/Anushka Maheshwari
The eight tracks on this album were written on acoustic guitar, and recorded with drum machines, modular synthesiser and electric guitar, with distortion and bitcrushing (an audio effect to produce distortion by reducing the resolution or bandwidth of digital audio data) effects on vocals. It features drums by Rounak Maiti on two songs. “There is no shortage of weird sounds,” De Menezes jokes. The second half of Day date is filled with a dirty bass, duelling drums and a soaring guitar solo which perfectly reflects the stress of isolation. It is liberating. Mid mon, on the other hand, is hopeful and talks about the washing away of stagnation. In Interlude, he brilliantly arranges tunes from a modular synthesiser over conversations in an art gallery and sounds of prayers from a mosque heard at a friend’s house. On Imposter syndrome, we encounter the sounds of rain. “I love sound design and field recording, it captures a place in time and a mood that you want to remember,” he says. The album is a confirmation of the musician’s acceptance of himself as an artiste. De Menezes adds, “This album is for me; it is who I am.” You’ll come across this in lyrics such as ‘Real clowns looking at me’ in Imposter syndrome that talk about an artiste’s engagement with doubt, creation and authenticity without sounding arrogant.
The second wave was written between April and July 2021, during the second wave of the pandemic. He recalls, “I sat down every day with the intention of writing music. And journaling helped to filter the noise and find clarity in expression.” To which genre would he classify this debut? “Indie. I think it’s a nice place to start since it’s a mix of sounds,” the musician signs off.
The album releases on April 29, along with a music video.
On: April 29 on all streaming platforms
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