Abhi the Nomad comes by his moniker honestly. Son of an Indian diplomat, Abhi Sridharan Vaidehi spent much of his 24 years globe-trotting, home base changing eight times before he turned 18. That constant movement informs his debut full-length Marbled, which pairs bright beats with subtly gritty raps grappling with urban loneliness and isolation. Acoustic guitar plink spines the cooing R&B of “Spacecraft,” a brief, unsettling recitation of physical and emotional detachment, while horn accents the street-beat bounce of “Planes,” which also name-checks tour escapism. The title track pings to life on a melodic pop pulse, staccato keyboard quirk rooting the song more than its bass thump, all in service of a dark, modern message: “Binge and drink again, smile and pretend again/ Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to rock bottom.” That acoustic also strings together “Letter for God,” a banger about the existence of primordial beings that’s primed for Southwestern sandal weather now that its rolling stone has paused for a hot minute in Austin. Marbled thrives in this ironic fusion of light and dark, honest and stark, but hella fun to jam.
This article appears in April 13 • 2018.