Lionnel Mascarenhas, a singer-songwriter
who has emerged with a solo effort after years of
performing with various bands and dabbling in diverse
kinds of music, has always had an inherent affinity
for music, largely due to a strong musical background
in his family. His instincts enable him to capture
the essential components that make popular music
endearing, the results of which are now well encompassed
within his debut album “Wonderland”.
The album is a marked departure from
all of Lionnel’s previous work with bands on
the local rock scene, where he has spent considerable
amount of time as a vocalist and guitarist, though
primarily performing cover versions of popular rock
songs. Feeling the need for artistic progress, however,
he eventually decided to concentrate completely on channelising all his experiences into the process
of making original music.
The album has been recorded with
a meticulous attention to detail and a strong emphasis
on making catchy, radio-friendly tracks, which nevertheless
offer sufficient room for artistic expression. Being
initially influenced by the slew of grunge and alternative
rock bands that filled our TV's in the 90s, Lionnel has taken his time to assimilate exactly the
right kind of qualities from those groups, as well
as later influences from gentler and more melodically
inclined artistes such as Tom Petty, Radiohead,Placebo,
Gary Barlow
& Cat Stevens, and even some experimentation with
electronic music.
Believing that versatility is the
key to success, Lionnel goes on to prove his point
with an album that showcases all aspects of his vocal
and songwriting skills, in varied arrangements that
range from racy rock to serene piano-oriented pop
music. “Wonderland” marks the coming of
a new talent with the genuine potential to have everyone
singing along.
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