Patio Unplugged: Corner Cafe Chronicles borrows from classic rock with '90s Seattle grunge leanings

There is no greater joy than listening to the frontman of a rock group in full-throated ease. Corner Cafe Chronicles, led by Chinmay Patkar, is a delight for its retro feel. The moment he shrieks, “She’s got me crazy”, you may feel like opening that new bottle of whisky to gulp down the emotions. At its Patio Unplugged session, the band performed its originals ‘Sunday Nights With Rosie’ and ‘Rochelle’. The songs are catchy and groovy, but the old-school approach has certain limitations. The sound hovers around the late 80s till the early 90s. It doesn’t stop at a station. There is a tad bit of Seattle grunge in Patkar’s voice; along with showman skills, he is class apart. But as a unit, they perhaps are capable of doing greater things. The group’s weak link lies in its story-telling and cliches, otherwise it is a super tight outfit. ‘Rosie’ is about the search for creativity in the form of a woman—a little too deep for easy listening. The guitar lines hold the track, but at times, drummer Sumedh Gupte overpowers the others. It is the energy that thwarts the dynamics. The song has elements of blues rock and a bit of psychedelia. The use of the words ‘baby’ and ‘crazy’ makes the song predictable. It is pushed to the ‘heard before’ category. It could also be a little difficult for millennials to decode the hidden meaning of the track. How many would imagine Rosie to be a human form of creativity? It is debatable.

‘Rochelle’ is closer to the alternative rock sound. A big up to the session guitar player Swanand Thakur for the licks. It is based on a character who is trying to break free from societal norms. Patkar stands out with the pitching. The falsettos are perfect too. But once again, the song suffers when it comes to the conceptual bit. Bands love rebellion, but there are quite a few songs on similar stories and incidents.

The balance, however, is next level as Patkar sounds at his supreme best. There is a massive Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains influence that lifts the song. Overall, the band is good enough to draw you to their gigs. The next release could be an Internet-breaker; they are capable of such shocks. The band Chinmay Patkar (vocals, rhythm guitars, synthesizer) Soumitra Vichare (bass, backing vocals) Sumedh Gupte (drums) Swanand Thakur (sessions guitar) Watch the band speaking about their music, ‘ Sunday Nights With Rosie’ and ‘ Rochelle’