Coma Rossi was originally a five-piece band and are now a duo comprising Gaurav Govilkar and Diane Galen. Gaurav Govilkar plays guitars, bass, keyboards, harmonium and sings most of the lead vocals on `Void`, the latest album release. He is joined by Diane Galen, who plays drums throughout the album.
`Void` is about dealing with absence, related to places which we immerse ourselves in or people who have been close to us. It brings in a new sonic atmosphere and impales the listener on the pyre of ruffled emotions.
The opening track `Wither` is a brief offering which does have the sense of something that`s fading while `Waves of Time` is quite melancholic and seems like something that`s been left unsaid. Maybe an incident previously happened and now is the right time for reflection.
`Burning` is a delightfully mesmerising listen with `Falling Apart` having a strummed acoustic guitar and vocals at its heart, a composition that`s fairly dreamy up to the last third when an electric guitar joins, and the piece becomes more haunting.
`This Red Sky` opens with synth like tones and a rhythmic drum beat before more powerful guitar riffs join along with vocalised sighs. The track becomes pretty enthralling and does enjoy a brief reflective segment before closing out with a much more determined auditory sound. I read that `Oblivion` is a number about tides, death and black holes. It has a strange eerie almost ghostly texture that remains for the duration of it`s life.
`Small Ideas` has shimmering guitar chord riffs competing with drums at the outset of the track before vocals briefly join and kind of break up the flow. It kind of drifts away mid song before regaining some momentum as the last sixty seconds or so close out. Thomas Huy guests on vocals on `Farm of Lights` and the piece is quite atmospheric and evocative and emits an almost spiritual vibe.
The album closes out with `In Circles` which opens with a synth like pulsing beat which reminded me of Mike Oldfield`s Tubular Bells before guitar and drums lead us on a journey that becomes absorbing almost magnetic. The submission nearly halts at the midpoint before resuming with a slightly different drum cadence and guitar tempo and vocals guiding us out.
`Void` is an interesting listen and will certainly draw you into its many cinematic layers, it has some exquisite guitar playing and a complementing and varied drum sound throughout. Gaurav Govilkar is certainly a gifted and talented musician but isn`t a singer. It`s admirable and understandable that he wants to undertake all the tasks on a project that is so close to his heart but utilising a seasoned singer or vocalist would have brought so much more to the party. Nevertheless it`s certainly a worthwhile listen.
Rating 7.5/10
