Ramesh - The King (2014)

Since the disbandment of Austin indie-pop outfit Voxtrot in 2010, frontman Ramesh Srivastava has sporadically released new bits of solo material. His most recent output came this past July with the debut of two new singles, “Youth Trip” and “Pardise (For Keith Haring And The Legendary Children)”. As it turns out, those two tracks were part of full-length LP, which Srivastava was funding via a Kickstarter campaign. Following a few delays, the project is now complete, and with it comes the singer’s solo debut, The King.

In keeping with the style of its two lead singles, the 10-track effort bounds between Voxtrot-inspired pop and more lush, instrumentally-focused tracks. “1111″ balances the dissonance of blistering guitars with anthemic, life-affirming harmonies. Though comprised of little more than reverb-heavy piano, “Requiem” feels larger-than-life thanks to the allure of Srivastava’s hushed croon. And “Lux” manages to bend and distort itself from fragile ballad to a mortar shot of post-rock feedback in truly intriguing and startling ways. Fans of Voxtrot will find both familiarity and the captivating prospect of unexplored soundscapes.