A resounding first piece of work from the rising Melbourne songwriter.
Chitra’s self-titled debut was made for people to adore. Assuredly, through the record’s seven tracks, the 22-year old has delivered an EP full of transportive, meditative songwriting that allows her voice to shine, and her songs to be loved.
There’s a sincerity to the honesty and confessional specificity of Chitra’s songs that in turn allows the listener to gravitate comfortably towards her world. “I look in the mirror, all I see is you”, she croons on rainy-day lullaby ‘Hold Yourself’. It’s perceptively playful imagery like this, sung with poised conviction, that ensures the listener will have no trouble falling into their own imaginings.
Producer James Cecil pushes all of these tracks into forward-thinking pop territory, with a wealth of local collaborators contributing engaging instrumentation that keeps the EP consistently charming.
The strongest songs appear on the record’s second half, sailing away calmly from angsty opener ‘Leaving’ towards ‘Keep Up’ – the EP’s most powerful track – a culmination of all of the subtly varying moods and lyrical themes present throughout, delivered with heightened, driving cognisance and a convincing pop edge.
While Chitra’s songs cling to their inalienable influences, there’s a determined playfulness to the record’s self awareness – enough to mark this debut as one of significant importance. Chitra’s no longer one to watch; she’s an inevitable success.
