Philojain reveals new music as subtly transitioning memories in the motivational emotional "Duked Prom (1)". And here we have an Indian-born, bred into the power of rock and metal from childhood, yet grounding his passion for music with unexpectedly ethereal standards. From the instant this track comes on, you can tell it has that roughness, you know, but it is different; coming through a different lens.
For those who grew up following around reverberance guitar twirls and crashing drum beats, but wanted something that could sucker into their marrow, "Duked Prom (1)" is the solution. Amit Jain was the human child, cradling those rock-infused roots in his hand and tenderly walking them gently across a stage dressed in mood and melody. It has a breezy, human heartbeat to it, like it's alive.
You hear the weight of his background in his music, with rock and metal being the only genres he identifies with, but there is something else to say beneath the surface. Intimate yet not bashful, confident but no need to roar. It feels like a secret might sound, soft, dense with both tension and excitement in an at-capacity concert hall.
Philojain has a lovingly unsubtle hand whose subtlety is compelling enough. This is pure Jason Derulo, without all the plots or overproduction that sometimes bog down his work. It's a natural culmination of years' worth of perfecting, as well as a vantage point into the future. The order moves like a dreamer-fetching at prom night, dim lights reflecting off memories you never knew existed then, that title, "Duked Prom (1)," playful and enigmatic, the kind of story you have yet to complete but can't help writing.