narenmusic

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR Amitabh Sen/ Bawarey Language & genre: Hindi, pop-rock Label: Self-released  Rating: *** 1/2 One thing that strikes you about Amitabh Sen's new single 'Bawarey' is the quality of lyrics. The sub-title 'Journey Of The Restless Mind' is am indication of what the song is about. The opening lines are, "Yahaan wahaan dhoondkey kahaan, kuchh khoke paaya, kuchh paake khoya" and the main words are, "Bawarey o bawarey, tu kyon nahin sukh paaye". It's sung to a pop-rock melody, with a neat guitar solo by Krishna Chauhan and strong harmonies at the end. The video, by Simply Voyaging, blends studio footage with shots of river banks, religious places and tea gardens. Pretty classy. Anchit Magee feat. Aditya Shukla/ Kyun Language & genre: Hindi, soft rock Label: Self-released Rating: ***  Delhi singer-songwriter Anchit Magee writes a song questioning the purpose of life. 'Kyun' impresses with lines like "Khwaab aise ...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR Daksh feat. Agni Varan Ruhela/ Nadiya Language & genre: Hindi, pop-rock Label: AFL Collective  Rating: **** This song just popped up through some algorithm, and I was instantly hooked. I couldn't find much about singer-composer Daksh, but he's created quite a rocking tune, with a strong hook and good lyrics. 'Nadiya' talks of the desire to escape the daily drudgery of city life and be surrounded by nature. Daksh sings, "Yeh nadiyaan hai meri saheliyan, yeh pahaad hain mere sagey, in pedhon ki chaanv mein gaaoon naghme". The arrangement is by Agni Varan Ruhela, and there's some smart use of acoustic and electric guitars. One looks forward to more from Daksh. Mahesh Kaale/ Gatra Veena Language & genre: Traditional, spiritual  Label: Meridian Media Label: *** 1/2 Singer Mahesh Kale gets into meditative mood on the four-minute-50-second track 'Gatra Veena'. As the title suggests, the words describe the concept of the human bo...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR Advaita/ Unison Genre: Indie fusion-rock Details: NMACC Studio, April 25 Rating: **** 1/2 Seeking, searching, tryin' to find, waiting, watching, I don't know why... It's been a while since I'd seen Delhi band Advaita, who I tripped on when they performed at Blue Frog around 15 years ago. The albums Grounded In Space and The Silent Sea still keep returning, bringing back warm memories. After missing their gig at NMACC last year, their April 25 Unison gig was something that had to be experienced. And what a show it was. Over 100 minutes, they charmed their fans with their trademark mix of rock, classical bandishes and Hindi lyrics. Vocalists Ujwal Nagar, who sang the Indian parts, and Chayan Adhikari, who sang the English lines, coordinated wonderfully as usual, and the other band members chipped in with supple inputs. With flautist Rohit Prasanna coming in place of sarangi player Suhail Yusuf Khan, there was a basic change in sound in comparison t...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR   Uday Benegal/ Fireflies  Language & genre: English, acoustic Label; Self-released  Rating: **** Indus Creed frontman Uday Benegal is due to release his five-song EP Human Be next month. For the first single, he has put out a stripped down version of Indus Creed's number 'Fireflies', originally heard on their 2012 album Evolve . This version is backed by some wonderful acoustic guitars, played by Sharad Rao, Zion Mathew and Aria Nanji, who's also produced and arranged the song.  Uday's singing is expressive on lines like, "Oh the sun went down today, for reasons you won't say, and I just can't look away from those fireflies". Listeners may obviously draw comparisons with the earlier version, with its lush keyboards and electric guitar, but this one has an acoustic charm of its own.  Aria Sengupta, Rajkumar Sengupta & The British Raj/ Who's That Knockin' On My Door? Language & genre: English, blues-rock  La...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Midival Punditz/ Love And Machines Genre : Indi-electronica/ electro-fusion Label : Gravity Sounds Rating : **** The brainchild of Gaurav Raina and Tapan Raj, Delhi duo Midival Punditz has been at the helm of India's electronic music scene for almost 25 years. What's impressive is the way they blend western arrangements with rootsy Indian sounds, often through collaborations with contemporary vocalists. The new Punditz album Love And Machines uses love as a theme, fusing synths and soundscapes with ghazal, Sufi, folk or plain balladry. There's a certain chill-out vibe throughout the 13-song, 56-minute record, where known names like Shubha Mudgal, Malini Awasthi and Papon appear along with some upcoming talent. The album opens with a beauty on 'Dafatan' as Shruti Pathak sings Indira Verma's lines, "Dafatan aaj mere naam ucchaale kisne, kar diya dil ko mohabbat ke hawaale kisne". It's got a kind-of-Nitin Sawhney feel and and Shru...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Yadnesh Raikar/ Strings In Motion Genre : Fusion Presented by : Reliance Foundation  Details ; NMACC Studio, April 10 Rating : **** Interestingly, violinist Yadnesh Raikar began his show at the NMACC Studio with a strong dose of techno. He sat solo on a track called 'Sweet Chili', improvising on an EDM layer. Just when you expected him to continue in a similar soundscape, the band joined him, and out came a jazz-influeced number 'Decaf', with a brilliant drum intro.  Over the nearly 110 minutes, the Strings In Motion show sprung up a string of surprises. From tunes focused on Hindustani classical to world music and lo-fi, the palette was diverse and eclectic. Tempos changed frequently, and different instruments contributed in varying proportions. The main band consisted of Rahul Wadhwani on keyboards, Utkarsh Shrivastava on guitar, Avishek Dey on bass, Shravan Samsi on drums and Ganesh Murali Iyer on triple-ghatam and  assorted percussion. There ...