Preetam Sengupta’s music sounds like intricate acoustic folk art. I guess that’s what it is. But you know it’s really difficult to finds a “sounds like” for him, but if you enjoy Gregory Alan Isakov, I think you’ll be happy with this pick.
The album begins with “Dear Alice” where there’s a really nice rolling fingerpicking part on the guitar. Sengupta’s gentle baritone voice lays over the strings. The composition is appropriate, allowing some backing strings to tell some of the story too. The lyrics are about meeting someone special, but there’s enough surrounding circumstances that make the song feel poetic in all the right ways.
“Dream a Little” is a lullaby of sorts. The balance of the strings and Sengupta’s vocal is again really good. On this one he reminds me a bit of Ben Abraham, which is a huge compliment. The dreamy lyrics dance perfectly with the melody. It reminds me just how overproduced most music is these days. Sengupta is “being the hero that we need” with this minimalist, joyful composition.
“FutureWifeLoveSounds” is kind of a funny title. I mean not only that it fuses the words together but… well… teehee. Anyways, the song is full of optimism and joy. It feels like the butterflies you get when you are falling in love with someone. This is one of the most tangibly sweet songs I’ve heard in a long time. This immediately conjures images of moments from my own life. It’s really sweet, honestly.
There are no “skip” tracks on this album. It’s an experience and you should enjoy them all. That said, to keep this Internet readable, I’ll jump over a few here. “Hold On, Love” is another love song. It sounds like he’s trying not to sing too loud because she’s asleep and he’s literally holding her. It fits perfectly with the other love songs on the album.
“Lighthouse” brings back some of the big production from the opener. You can tell immediately why the song needs those extra effects; it’s a song about taking a journey. The metaphor of a lighthouse in life is well worn, but Sengupta brings a freshness to it that works well here. The title track “Patience” is poetic, discussing the album’s main theme of love. Sengupta’s vocal, again, is really good. The balance of vocal and guitar, as I’ve mentioned on other tracks, is really what makes the sound so perfect.
The final track “Long Way Down” really takes a different direction than the rest of the album. It’s rhythmic and will get you moving. It has a bit more of a funky feel. Careful listeners will recognize the lyrics from the previous track. It’s a cool look at how someone can take the same song and interpret it in two fundamentally different ways.
This is an album for indie pop and singer songwriter fans. If you like Isakov or Abraham, you will dig Sengupta’s work. The best tracks on the album are the stripped down acoustic tracks. He’d be great to hear at a coffeeshop or small room gig. Look him up!
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