When alt-folk collective The Rishis released their debut album August Moon, it felt like a breath of fresh air with the musicians cherry picking elements of both dark and pastoral pop, psychedelic rock and country. Core members Ranjan Avasthi and Sofie Lute once again rounded up a bunch of like-minded musicians to see if they could make lightning strike twice. Spoiler: the answer is yes. The second helping, a self-titled album, once again taps into a wealth of genres, quite often mixing them up within the space of one track.
The Athens, GA based musicians have a knack for giving a voice to those who are not being heard, so it is no wonder that some of the songs on this album deal with lost identities and homelands. They try to make sense of why some people become violent or criminal - and sometimes both - which is quite ambitious, as no one has ever found the answer.
It is not all that serious however, and there is plenty of room for optimism and things working out for the better. Even in the Robot Factory kindness can not be banged into submission. Going on a trip and enjoy the wonders of nature along the way will put things in perspective and serve as a reality check. The Buffalo does not give a fuck about ranting delusional billionaires or humankind in general.
The Rishis:
Ranjan Avasthi: vocals
Sofie Lute: guitar, vocals
Peter Alvanos: drums
Chris Byron: guitar feedback, tambourine, shaker, big toms
Danny Silvestri: bass
Mac McCaughan: guitar
The Rishis will be released (vinyl, digital) on on February 21 via Cloud Recordings and Primordial Void).
Tracks:- Coloring
- Miles
- Buffalo
- Ride
- Nite
- Criminal Activities
- Robot Factory
- Dharamsala
- Stratosphere
- Rishikesh
HCTF review of August Moon
