Review: About Us - Right Now

Many people outside South Asia do not know it, but India is a diverse nation, with several ethnic groups, languages, and diverse music scenes. In the Northeastern end of the nation, English-language rock bands dominated much of the 2000s, but have since faded away. Recently, the state of Nagaland has seen a resurgence of '80s-tinged rock, with the band About Us leading the charge, becoming one of the top artists in the state already.

About Us debuted in 2021, and would have likely taken a top-two spot in the rookies' countdown had I known about them back then. While their excellent debut single Gimme Gimme is ineligible for the 2022 lists, their third single Right Now was released in early 2022 and is certainly a contender for the 2022 end-of-year lists.

From its opening moments, it is clear Right Now is aiming to be as theatrical and massive as possible. Lead Vocalist Sochan has a booming, gruff voice that has instantly become one of my favorites from the new generation of Indian musicians, reminiscent of western artists from the '80s.

Speaking of which, Right Now is indebted to '80s rock. The classic and massive melody is very '80s-esque, in a way that rather than a tribute, feels like a natural evolution of '80s-rock. The band has two guitarists, and it all leads to an incredible mid-track rock riff that is perhaps the best of its kind outside Japan from the decade so far.

This can be seen in the melody too. Obviously, the chorus is instantly fantastic, but every climactic moment is worth praise. The dramatic bridge pushes everything up to eleven with a ridiculous instrumental after the aforementioned rock riff, and Sochan providing perhaps one of the top vocal moments of the year. It all leads to a ridiculously powerful instrumental before the track collapses inwards for perhaps one of the most enthralling musical moments of the year. The final chorus improves the track even further. Choirs, dramatic strings, a key change, and a smooth post-chorus refrain upon the base melody. Then, the song does a classic fade-away, ending the song on a high.

If it is not clear, Right Now is fantastic. Not only is it an end-of-the-year contender, but it is perhaps one of the best songs, if not the best musical piece, released since September 2021. I cannot emphasize how much I recommend this song, it is stupendous, propulsive, and instantly memorable.

Rating: 9/10

Image Source: Morung Express