Ananda Xenia Shakti isn’t interested in worldly fame and treasure. These things never last. She and Love Power the Band’s interests lie elsewhere. The five-track studio EP Love Is Where You Are embraces eternal matters rather than the transitory tinsel that bedazzles the eyes and bewitches hearts. She places love above all else and the fervor love inspires fills each of the brief collection’s songs.
Shakti is a music world veteran whose talents were recognized early on. Her entry into the music world during the crazy years of punk and New Wave landed her coveted gigs on stages shared with legends such as Blondie and The Clash, but she felt a call pulling her in another direction. The five songs on this EP reflect her spirituality and listeners are right to assume this is a very personal work.
Its performance style, however, is wide open. “Davi” sweeps past listeners with a furious rush of energy but there isn’t a listener who will think it’s rushed. The level of detail worked into the arrangement is eye (and ear) popping. The five songs depend on percussion as their foundation, but the playing here and during later songs is so varied that it rarely feels like a rehash. The vocals may seem a little rushed, however, and those used to typical pop songs will likely fall on that side of that fence. It doesn’t mar the performance; however, it just may take casual listeners some getting used to.
The title song is much easier to swallow. There’s a strong presence of guitar and the drumming has a much more straightforward punch. Shakti continues invoking a vivid strand of Indian traditional music in the song and the unique confluence of its sound with Western instruments makes for an even better time listening. “Radha’s Grace” is probably the EP’s weakest track, but that’s no slight. It’s an outstanding effort from beginning to end and the vocals, if nothing else, rank among Love is Where You Are’s finest moments.
“Mahisasuramarchini” trades the preceding song’s focus on vocals for percussion. The singing is, of course, never diminished or neglected. There seem to be a thousand voices rising out of the mix for these five songs and the fourteen minute long track features one of the best orchestrations of vocals you’ll hear on this EP. The drumming comes across like a near-percussion orchestra but never weighs the performance down.
The relaxed pop of the finale “I Am Love” is deceptively calm. There’s a tremendous amount of emotion rippling under the surface of the song and its stylishness adds a final touch to its sound. Shakti’s vocal is especially superb. It’s a much shorter song than its processor and other cuts but ending the EP in such a way will feel appropriate for anyone giving this a deep listen. Love Is Where You Are has a positive message to spread, but it’s never sickly sweet or coy and holds up under repeated listens. Ananda Xenia Shakti and Love Power the Band are well worth your time.
Timothy Ball
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