“Rock Bottom” sounds like a dramatic title, and I sort of expected Rohini Rege to give us 3 minutes of crying into a microphone. But she had a refreshing style of conveying grief.
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A Dash of Indian Classical Music
What immediately caught my attention were the elements of Indian classical music woven into the song. I absolutely loved those touches because they give “Rock Bottom” a very distinct personality, alongside Rege’s contemporary indie-folk sound. Her vocals have an expressive quality, and I found myself paying attention to the little turns in her singing.
Rock Bottom has a gentle, almost restrained quality. I liked that, although I kept expecting it to build into something bigger towards the end.
I was almost certain we’d get a sweeping finish or even a proper Carnatic classical-inspired chorus toward the end. The Indian classical influences had already laid the groundwork for it, and I would’ve loved to hear Rege take that idea further.
Did I Want More? Absolutely.
That’s probably my biggest complaint with “Rock Bottom.” It introduces some beautiful musical ideas but doesn’t quite explore them as much as I hoped.
I really enjoyed “Rock Bottom,” especially the Indian classical touches. I loved how they worked with Rege’s vocals, and, I kept waiting for the song to build into a big Carnatic-inspired chorus toward the end. I think that would’ve been wonderful! The lyrics have an emotional quality to them, and the softer instrumentation lets her voice do most of the leg work. I just wish she’d taken those classical influences a little further. Still, it’s a lovely song, and I’m curious to hear more from her.
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I listen, overanalyse, and write about it. The bassline usually gets special treatment.
