Sometimes it takes me some time to get my head around a band and the discovery of this video, single and future album track from Copenhagen-based The Mukherjee Development is a case in point.
It got stuck in a remote file like last night’s song from Johan Hoffman and I was about to bin it but thought I’d give it a listen anyway, and I’m glad I did.
I enjoy trying to get to the bottom of what makes bands like this tick. While they are mainly Danish, TMD is named for Danish/American/Indian front man Oscar Mukherjee (three parents, that’s a new one!), who spent his childhood in Northern California, before his family moved to Copenhagen, while other band members have an impressive collective history on the Danish scene and all are now seeking international recognition.
This article falls (I hope) quite nicely for them as it showcases a song (and video), ‘Anchor’, which was released earlier this year and which also features on their third album, ‘Square up on a Curve’, due out on August 22nd. That title refers to hitting successfully a curveball in baseball, or figuratively speaking managing to produce a successful outcome in the face of adversity.
The lyrics to ‘Anchor’ are deep and the best I can offer is that they refer to a relationship where one of the main attractions is that the object of desire is oblivious to the predicaments of the world, or ‘dyslexic’ when trying to understand them, and thus becomes his ‘anchor’ to a different type of existence. But I could be miles off with that interpretation.
“A heart like yours with a purposed mind/A heart like yours, no one else can find”
(Dyslexic is actually spelt incorrectly in the online third party lyrics – can you believe that? – or is it deliberate? – there is more to this band than meets the eye.
Visually, there is a notable contrast between what appears to be a wholesome quartet and Mr Mukherjee himself, who has an almost unnerving degree of confidence that verges on arrogance but then backs off.
It makes for a fascinating dichotomy.
Musically, there are so many potential influences that went into this mix. They contrast themselves with a wide range of artists including Neil Young, The War on Drugs, Sheryl Crow, The Cardigans, and Phoebe Bridgers.
What I hear though in this song is more in the way of Britpop, an Oasis song that would have made the album cut but which was ousted at the last minute by ‘Wonderwall’. And then that ties in with Oscar’s ever so slight demonstration of attitude.
Their reputation is high in Denmark where they are currently touring extensively and I hope they might make it over here before too long.
The Mukherjee Development is:
Oscar Mukherjee – vocals, guitar
Jakob Holm – guitar
Søren Bigum – guitar, pedal steel, keyboards
Henrik Poulsen – bass
Søren Poulsen – drums
Find them on:
Website: https://themukherjeedevelopment.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themukherjeedevelopment
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themukherjeedevelopment/
