The Columbia native indie rock band’s new EP showcases new and diverse interpretations in their songwriting and sound are showcased in their new EP
Columbia-native indie band, Drona, released their most recent EP, “blisterpack,” on Jan. 17. The band consists of siblings Arjuna, Surya and Pasha Raghu, who have been releasing music since 2021.
“blisterpack” showcases the different musical styles of the siblings, which plays into the title. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a blister pack is “a pack in which small goods, such as tablets, are sold, with each individual item in its own separate plastic or foil section on a piece of card.” The first three tracks were each written by one of the siblings.
On the band Instagram account, Drona clarified the concept as “a neatly arranged package of songs that encapsulates each of our writing styles.” With this concept in mind, Drona created an album tightly packed with the siblings’ variations in musical styles and more experimental approaches.
The opening track, “blisterpack,” written by Arjuna, introduces the musical aesthetic of the album well. The opening guitars are warm and lush and the effects of the guitars are reminiscent of waves crashing on a beach. The drum pattern is also a positive aspect of this song, as it is very groovy and provides a driving force to the song. However, the formula of the song felt repetitive, and the breakdown near the end felt weak and undeserved. This lackluster ending slightly diminished the song, but it is still a great intro track.
On the next track, “guilty pleasure,” written by Surya, the delivery is a stark contrast from the delivery of “blisterpack.” Surya sings the lyrics in a style reminiscent of hip-hop music. Production-wise, the progression of the song is great and varied. The droning guitar, swelling violins and short acappella moment near the end make an otherwise repetitive song feel satisfying to listen to.
“new measures,” written by Pasha, is noisy, but ethereal-sounding, giving the track a dreamy atmosphere. Reminiscent of dream pop, this track utilizes heavily affected, layered acoustic and electric guitars as the instrumental. Unlike “guilty pleasures,” the repetition of “new measures” doesn’t add to the song or the style being executed on the track, although Pasha’s voice does fit the instrumental very well.
In the final track, “cicada song (electric),” the guitar tones and melodies were all over the place, but it benefits the track. It makes the song sound minimalistic, improvisational and lo-fi, giving it a vibrant personality. The conclusion of the song is a cacophonous breakdown where all of the instruments play in unison, a contrast to the otherwise scattered song. The bass was this track’s standout instrument. Despite the chaos of the guitar and drums, the bass keeps the track clean. However, the song feels too short at about two minutes, leaving me wanting more.
Overall, the concept of having a bunch of short, entertaining songs does exactly what it’s supposed to do as a blister pack. “blisterpack” brings different ideas than previous Drona albums, like the hip-hop influences in “guilty pleasure” and the ethereal dream pop sounds in “new measures.” It’s a ton of fun to listen to, and its biggest flaw is that it leaves me wanting more from these new interpretations and sounds. This EP is very promising, leaving hope for more creative and experimental approaches to their sound in future albums.
Edited by Ava McCluer | amccluer@themaneater.com
Copy edited by Avery Copeland and Natalie Kientzy | nkientzy@themaneater.com
Edited by Annie Goodykoontz | agoodykoontz@themaneater.com