Shantanu Pandit Relies on Soft, Slow Guitar Work and Self-Introspection on Debut EP

Shantanu Pandit. Photo: Shiv Ahuja

[easyreview cat1title = “Skunk In the Cellar” cat1rating = 3.5 cat1detail = “Pagal Haina”]

‘Skunk in the Cellar’ artwork

Delhi-based Shantanu Pandit’s acoustic folk tunes have never quite received the attention they deserve in noisy clubs, but now there’s a finally a way to hear it on record, on his debut five-track EP Skunk in the Cellar.

He’s put away his harmonica and instead, relied on soft, slow guitar work with the occasional piano and melodica [“Sails to the Breeze”] to drive home his message that he’s all grown up now. Pandit, 20, says he’s matured a lot compared to when he started out as a singer in 2011 with tracks like “Get Up and Go.” In contrast to the upbeat early material, Pandit has got into self-introspection on Skunk in the Cellar. But it isn’t as if there’s no upbeat music in him. There’s “Forsaken Again,” a six-minute frisky track that features Pandit’s bandmate from acoustic band Run! It’s The Kid, Dhruv Bhola, on the piano.

Pandit doesn’t sing in Hindi, and his Scottish accent [reminiscent of Brit songwriter Alexi Murdoch], even if it isn’t heavy, takes some getting used to. But once you’ve soaked in his moody vocals, you’ll keep coming back for more.

KEY TRACKS: “Forsaken Again,” “Wickets for Walls”

Listen to Skunk In The Cellar