steering clear of the mainstream
since 2001

june 2010

review
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info opinion

Cajita

"The Ellipsis" CD

Series Two

Genre: electronic pop

Bristol, UK

November 2009

On The Ellipsis, Cajita's Jay Chakravorty provides lo-fi, electronic-infused pop music. The songs themselves are a tad inconsistent - ultimately, this bedroom CDR might have benefitted from being somewhat shorter - but there are several promising moments present on here. In terms of influence, Chakravorty seems to draw inspiration from those-usual-suspects Radiohead, as well as other digital pop misfits like The Postal Service and DNTEL. On blissfully infectious "Don't Panic" and spacey "Daybreak," the band is at their best - weaving expansive atmosphere with the types of hooks necessary to keep a pop album going. However, even these songs could use more polish; the latter, "Daybreak," would have benefitted by a more organized composition and a more gripping chorus. Meanwhile, the Windsor for the Derby-esque post-rock of "Stand-Up Comic" ranks as the album's most enticing moment - its pulsing bassline and resplendent horns excuse the vaguely droning vocals.

Echoing the album's problem as a whole, several songs on The Ellipsis go on for too long without enough to say - the drum machines become bland and tedious, and the compositions reveal themselves to be repetitious and lacking in direction. "Constant" and "You Ought to Know" are prime offenders - even the neat, DNTEL-esque electronics of the latter can't save it from being too drawn out and uninteresting. Ultimately, Chakravorty's project shows a lot of promise, and The Ellipsis boasts several strong songs of its own. However, some more time in the cooker will no doubt benefit Cajita in the long run.

cajita's myspace

Matt Shimmer

[Vitals: 11 tracks, distributed by the label, released 2009]