"Wirebound" by Curtain Blue is a Yearning for Liberation - #NMF

Generally, whenever I hear a song which attempts to introduce Indian classical instruments in non-classical music—such as English pop, indie, or EDM—it does not impress me. Either the execution feels forced, the record sonically just does not sound good, or the vocals do not complement the arrangement. Off the top of my mind, I could not name you any song which, in my view, nails the fusion of Indian classical and indie, pop, rock, or electronica—until today, when I listened to Wirebound for the first time.

In a world where it's easy to feel trapped and caged, Wirebound is a song which dares to dream of tearing the leash. As a person who has tried to fit into the societal and mental frameworks of conduct, Wirebound is the desire of a person who does not want to be "wirebound" anymore. To many of us, it's suffocating to live in a world like ours. For many of us, being closeted is a full-time necessity. Wirebound is a song which emanates from the heart of every such person who just wants to feel their own skin in the sunlight out, in front of everyone with nothing to hide, and take a deep, relieving, liberating breath, truly knowing that there is no vicious pair of eyes out there that they need to look out for.

Curtain Blue does a phenomenal job at making you believe and care about his dream. The lyrics are a perfect balance of innocence and radicalism. The vocal melody is colossally beautiful. He sings, but his voice is coming from a cardboard box inside of his soul where he hides his identity.

The song starts with just Curtain Blue and his ukulele and proceeds to gradually (but not belatedly) introduce melancholic Indian classical instruments and brass elements, like the sarangi, a trombone, a dholak—which all work together really well to create the soundscape for Wirebound. This is a song written and sung by an indie soyboy performed with an Indian classical band at a jazz bar.