A songwriter par excellence, Suraj Mani is not just a poet who loves to rock, his words come straight from the heart. This trait shines through every single word of every single song of Suraj Mani. Lovingly called ‘The Singing Sensei’, by his fans, for his body of work with the legendary Indian band Motherjane*, Suraj Mani has taken us on a new journey that has showcased his prowess as one of the finest poet songwriters of this generation. His latest track “Ignoring Gravity” is a part of this ongoing journey and that’s what we are reviewing here.
“Ignoring Gravity” has an interesting origin story. Suraj once got out of a bus in the middle of nowhere, on a highway between two cities because his rickety interstate bus had broken down. As he stood there holding his guitar and luggage and waiting for the rescue vehicle, Suraj found himself gazing at the rain, marching towards him from a distance.
As the fragrance of the soil rose all around him, he was possessed by a sudden urge to write a song. 5 minutes later and considerably wetter, he was sitting in the next bus writing the lyric, when he had an epiphany. Why does the soil do that? After all, isn’t the soil supposed to be on the earth? Why does it rise up at the mere promise of rain? As he poured his thoughts on paper, Suraj Mani realized that this would make the perfect love song as that’s the one thing that makes us do things that we wouldn’t usually do.
“Ignoring Gravity” features some incredibly deep and soul stirring vocal performance from Suraj Mani, reminiscent of Geoff Tate’s singing “Silent Lucidity”. That’s perhaps as high a compliment as we can give. No more words on the singing, you will have to listen to the track to truly get soaked in the brilliance.
In terms of musical instrumentation, “Ignoring Gravity” impresses with its humble but shivering acoustic intro that skillfully builds up tension before it finally reaches the point of absolute tranquillity. Most great songs have a great intro and this right here is the perfect example of how it should be done. Soothing rhythm, mesmerizing melody and a quiet, but truly powerful composition – “Ignoring Gravity” is the perfect song for your trip to love and serenity.
This song is a message to people who celebrate the power of love to make us do things that we wouldn’t normally do. Love can make you feel safe, free to fly, learn how to control your life and take you to a place where all of your dreams are alive, waiting for you. You’re the promised storm, Milady….I’m the soil, ignoring gravity.
Verdict: As enchanting as petrichor.
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