Style: Jazz fusion, progressive rock (mostly instrumental/some clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Snarky Puppy, Owane, Thank you Scientist, Nuclear Power Trio
Country: US-CA
Release date: 20 July 2026

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“Don’t judge an album by its cover!” Solid advice, except we do it all the time, and for good reason. Many subgenres gravitate towards specific themes and art styles, and empirical observations reveal a positive correlation between the quality of the artwork and the quality of the music. That doesn’t mean there are no surprises. Case in point: Indian bass prodigy Mohini Dey’s sophomore effort, The Dey Way. So the artwork certainly catches the eye, though my first associations weren’t exactly funky grooves and fiery bass work.¹ Yet, in this case I’m glad to be disappointed. Let me tell you why.

Upon hitting play, Dey promptly slaps the bedazzled listener in the face on titular opener “The Dey Way”, giving them a generous taste of the bass extravaganza that is to come. Dey wastes no time, running up and down the fretboard with graceful alacrity, amping up the intensity with an almost djenty slap solo, then settling into a tasty groove and topping it off with some impressive double tapping. While the bass takes front and center throughout the record, The Dey Way is no solo ride, as Dey invited an impressive sortie of guests, who all turn in fantastic solos and execute improv sections so smoothly like they’ve been playing together for thirty years. Gergő Borlai’s frantic kit work, for example, reminds me of the early days of Mastodon, insanely busy without overpowering the composition; also, Dániel Szebenyi’s soulful key solos make me feel like I’m floating on an inflatable duck with a beer in my hand.

The production of The Dey Way does an excellent job highlighting the skill of all the artists that grace the record: no part of the dense instrumentation is lost, and both the calmer and wilder moments of the album are equally effective. The record also has a strong rhythmic element, like those unexpected subdivisions in “Whammy Award”, or the playful polyrhythms of “Xtroverted Soul”. I’ve been counting everything between three and ten during the runtime of the record, but mostly just got confused. Yet, The Dey Way never feels disjointed, betraying the presence of a vivid genius behind the apparent madness. Despite the heavy focus on elaborate rhythm patterns, the record has a much more traditional jazz sound than the djezz one might expect based on the work of other prolific virtuoso solo artists of the current prog scene.² Still, there’s enough rock/metal influence here to make The Dey Way interesting to fans of the heavier genres. The weird synths in “15 Steps Ahead” remind me of the glory days of Pink Floyd, and the oh-so-tasty blues riff and solo by Rhythm Shaw at the end of “Uncle Dennis” would make even John Petrucci proud. 

While mostly instrumental, The Dey Way does feature guest vocals on “Extroverted soul” or “Whammy award”; even Dey herself often starts vocalizing or scatting over her intricate basslines. These vocal antics add extra character to the music that, while certainly entertaining, can get dangerously close to becoming autotelic on occasion. Excessive noodling is a common feature of instrumental albums, but Dey and Co. noodle so well that The Dey Way never gets tedious. Luckily, Dey also shows us her contemplative side in later tracks. For example, “JOY”, one of the calmer songs on the record, perfectly captures the feeling of immersing yourself in something you love without having to juggle ten other conflicting tasks all at once—which I guess is as close to “joy” as someone over 30 can get. Finally, the slightly abrupt closer “Dad” evokes the impression of a bittersweet goodbye, adding a poignant send-off to the album.

Dey is clearly playing to all her strengths on The Dey Way, and I’m delighted to say she succeeds. Dumb innuendos aside, The Dey Way is an exhilarating ride. The record is dripping with love for music and the absolute joy of playing it, presented with the easy-going charisma of being at the top of one’s game. This is the way.

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Recommended tracks: The Dey Way, Whammy Award, Joy
You may also like:  Mike Murray, Sneaky Mustard, Tomoe Magvs
Final verdict: 8/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram

Label: Independent

Mohini Dey is:
– Mohini Dey (bass, vocals)
With guests:
– Gergő Borlai (drums)
– Bumblefoot (guitar)
– Jonathan Mones (saxophone)
– Dániel Szebényi (keys)
– Kash Iyengar (keys)
– Willow Smith (vocals)
– Jack Gardiner (guitar)
– Button Masher (keys)
– Marco Cirigliano (drums)
– Emmaneul Echem (trumpet)
– Mike Gotthard (guitar)
– Shahar Amdor (saxophone)
– Eric Moore (drums)
– Larnell Lewis (drums)
– Roni Kaspi (drums)
– Dennis Chambers (drums)
– Rhythm Shaw (guitar)

1. Why, husky vocals and plenty of electronica. What were yours? ↩︎
2. Owane, Tigran Hamasyan, and, of course, Plini and his many followers come to mind. ↩︎