Named after the Hindi word for the cuckoo bird, Koyal is comprised of Georgia Tech students Akash Moozhayil, Henry Wallace, Joao Victor Morgado, Pooja Prabakaran, and Sultan Sayedzada. Their debut single “Yesterday” is a well-blended medley of pop and rock. Prabakaran takes the lead on vocals, narraating a first-person tale of heartache and love. The singer shares how the boy in her life had “long hair and bling.” She says he’s no good. He licks his lips. He says he takes pictures of beautiful things, so, baby, smile.
By the time the chorus arrives, she’s smitten but torn. “Something about you makes me feel / Like there’s a war inside my mind,” she sings. The vocal delivery is impassioned, unadulterated.
The solo at 2:28 is choice. Everything floods the senses for a good 20 seconds before Prabakaran returns to deliver the last vocal, la-la-laing her way to the finish line. But wait, there’s an acapella that shows off her range. A few guitar licks, indecipherable dialogue, and it’s all over.
More, please.
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Instagram: @koyal.official