Song of the Day: Nikhil P. Yerawadekar & Low Mentality - Reel It In

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on the Morning Show with John Richards, is “Reel It In” by Nikhil P. Yerawadekar & Low Mentality from the 2015 single on 3rd Generation Recordings.

Nikhil P. Yerawadekar & Low Mentality - Reel It In (MP3)

Nikhil P. Yerawadekar’s musical philosophy: to enjoy himself with a carefree attitude towards the industry powers that be. While many claim this ethos, listening to the Low Mentality’s laid back, almost indefinable style, you get the sense that they really mean it. Yerawadekar and his band deliver unselfconscious, funky Afropop beats influenced by the multi-instrumentalist's childhood in Queens, NY. Now based in Brooklyn, Yerawadekar earned his Afrobeat chops in bands like Akoya and Antibalas, and has also worked with other groups including The Sway Machinery and Bright Moments.

Nikhil’s many talents get a pop twist with Low Mentality on the group's latest 7". While, after a meandering intro, “Reel It In” may begin with the lyrics “you’re a reindeer at the front of the sleigh,” its cheer is anything but yuletide themed. It’s the kind of summer jam that makes you want to use the word "chillax” in a genuine way. “Reel it in slow,” advises the band over Ethiopian horns and breezy highlife guitar. Just when you begin unwind with Nikhil's leisurely vocals, the percussion that makes this song so compellingly danceable hurtles you through the track into a cheerful finale.

Hopefully we can reel Nikhil P. Yerawadekar and Low Mentality over to the West Coast for a few shows, but the group is busy preparing their debut album for the end of this year. Until then, follow the band on Facebook, Twitter, and their website. Join the six on a remarkably lifelike aquatic adventure in their video for "Reel It In" below: