Falls Church, Virginia quartet Koshari describe itself as an alternative rock band. However, to us, as Fly begins, it feels like it’s based much more in the indie rock arena. The combination of relatively clean guitar tones and the tight rhythm section feels like early Bloc Party or maybe even a little bit like Death Cab for Cutie.
But then the chorus kicks in – and bloody hell – what a chorus is it. As vocalist and songwriter Barbara Western sings “can you make me fly?” the song balloons into an epic soundscape of noise and (dis)illusion (the lyrics have dual meaning and are about both a “vila” (a Slavic fairy) and the often unfulfilled promises of politicians). The second half of the song is somehow weighty and airy simultaneously, and the guitars go from comparatively clean to covered in magic and dirt (shout out ingenious guitarist Bryan Baxter), and we see what they mean by alt-rock as the sound now has more in common with bands like My Bloody Valentine, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and Secret Machines.
Written by Kinda Grizzly
