narenmusic

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Placebo/ Never Let Me Go Genre: Alternative rock Label: SO Recordings Rating: **** Placebo was one of the bands that sprung up in the mid-1990s Britpop/ alternative rock wave, led by Oasis, Blur, Pulp, Stereophonics and the like. To their advantage, they were cutting-edge in a unique way, with traces of punk energy lacing their songs. Though vocalist-guitarist Brian Molko and guitarist-bassist Stefan Olsdal have stuck together, their drummer and tour musicians kept changing. Coming back after a nine-year studio break, they keep the percussion duties between themselves, playing multiple instruments as a duo. Never Let Me Go is one cracker of album which proves that Placebo have never gone. Over 54 minutes and 13 songs, they create a string of gems, talking of drugs, bisexuality, androgyny, heartbreak, mortality, hope, redemption, frustration and an assortment of other themes. Sinking in after a few listens, it keeps getting deeper and deeper on repeat mode. The boys

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Viv&Shaz/ Gimme Some Of That Label: Self-released  Rating: *** 1/2 Singers Vivienne Pocha and Shazneen Arethna have been well-known and prolific on the Mumbai circuit. The two of them now get together on the single 'Gimme Some Of That' under the name Viv&Shaz. On first hearing, one waits for them to display their vocal range and sing deep lyrics. But they obviously have other ideas. They keep the lyrics to the minimum single line, vocalise a bit and come up with a fun, foot-tapping number. Produced by Warren Mendonsa, the song has a catchy tune that keeps you happy and humming, and the guitars add to the peppiness. It may not be vintage Vivienne or Shazneen but don't think too much about that. Enjoy the quick ride. Prateek Kuhad/ Just A Word Label: Elektra Records Rating: *** Popular singer-songwriter Prateek Kuhad has announced that his new album The Way That Lovers Do  is scheduled for release on May 20 on the globally prestigious Elektra Recor

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  The Brief Escape ft Dan Konopka/ Bye N' Hi Label: Self-released  Rating: **** Three-member band The Brief Escape team up with American drummer Dan Konopka on their debut single 'Bye N' Hi'. Aided by a catchy tune and tight groove, this is a real cool track. Uday Dayal sings mainly in English but there's a Hindi part too. Pablo D'Costa produces a sizzling lead guitar solo, and Abhimanyu Prathap plays bass and keyboards. Besides playing drums, Konopka has mixed and mastered the song. The animated video by 'Mister Tandon' has been smoothly done. And the highlights are the line "Let's just say goodbye even before we say hello" and the 'Pa Para Paparapa' part that linger in your senses. Loop-worthy. Jasmin Walia & Asim Riaz/ Nights & Flights Label: Self-released Rating: *** British Indian artiste Jasmin Walia is best known for her single 'Bom Diggy' with singer Zack Knight. She now teams up with rapper

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Tears For Fears/ The Tipping Point Genre: Pop-rock Label: Concord Records Rating: *** 1/2 After attracting listeners with their new wave synth pop-rock sound in the 1980s and early 1990s, British duo Tears For Fears went off the radar, following personal setbacks, a long split and a general lack of fresh ideas after reuniting. Though their songs 'Everybody Wants To Rule The World', 'Woman In Chains' and 'Shout' continued to be played, their only release in the last two decades was Everybody Loves A  Happy Ending in 2004. Obviously, Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith didn't want the ending to happen then, as they've released their new album The Tipping Point after an 18-year gap, armed with some fantastic cover art. The fact that this is only their seventh studio album in 39 years speaks for their low output. What's interesting is that they experiment with the sound, changing styles frequently while brushing with their trademark.

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Bryan Adams/ So Happy It Hurts Genre: Pop-rock Label: Badams Music/ BMG Rating: *** Over the past four decades, Canadian star Bryan Adams has had some huge, huge hits. He's also had his set of detractors who think he's formula-driven and repetitive. Well, love him or hate him, there's no denying he's one of the most successful artistes of his generation. Like a good chunk of his later work, his 15th album So Happy It Hurts has its share of crisp songwriting and anthemic material. It's quite like a throwback to the 1980s Reckless and Cuts Like A  Knife sound, but there again, the downside is that we come across many familiar riffs and emotions.  "You lift me up like the angels, you lift me up beautiful people, you lift me up strong women, you lift me up precious people", he sings on 'You Lift Me Up', in a rasp you've heard a zillion times before. The thing is you still hum along, and get that ego boost when he calls yo

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Santanu Ghatak ft Anirban Chowdhury/ Kahaani Label: SharajMusic Originals  Rating: **** Described as a "celebration of the enigma that is a woman", 'Kahaani' is an amazing collaboration between composer Santanu Ghatak and singer Anirban Chowdhury. Inspired by raag Basant, it has been marvellously produced by Akshay Menon. Santanu's lines go, "Ik tu kahaani hai jo neendon mein aati hai, phir baatein banaati hai, hazaar hazaar". Anirban's voice displays just the right amount of depth and expression, and the rhythmic backdrop acts as a perfect foil. The video consists of a montage of moving still shots of model Kallirroi Tziafeta (in picture) captured by phorographer Chitrangada Saturupa. It lends a good visual feel to this wonderful musical creation. Dhvani Bhanushali ft Yuvan Shankar Raja/ Candy Label: Hitz Music Rating: *** 1/2 On her new track 'Candy', Dhvani Bhanushali sings, "Banke titli, main toh nikli, thodi zidd

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Nissima/ Panaah Genre: Hindi rock Label: Inkk Audio Rating: **** Half-way through 'Barkhaa', the opening track of Pune band Nissima's new album Panaah , you feel you're listening to a cleverly disguised blend of Pakistani acts Strings and Fuzon. But give the song a few repeats, and check out some of the other stuff here, and the gems slowly begin to unravel. The title track and the concluding 'Un Adaaon Ki', in particular, have a unique brilliance. Fronted by vocalist and guitarist Harshad Sathe, Nissima (meaning boundless) sticks to its title by seamlessly travelling between genres. The basic sound is an amalgam of guitar rock with Hindustani classical elements, and though one finds occasional influences of U2 riffing and Colonial Cousins fusion besides the Pak-rock bands, the songs are appealing in their own way. Unlike many known vocalists in a similar genre, Harshad doesn't force himself to scream or uncomfortably change scales in ord

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  AB Madhav/ Teri Bandagi Ishq Hain Label: AB Madhav Music Rating: **** Singer AB Madhav displays immaculate vocal depth on 'Teri Bandagi Ishq Hain', a Sufiana song about not expecting anything in return while giving love. Aman Moroney's music, the tight rhythms and the classy video make it a really polished effort. The main line "Bandagi ishq hain, bandagi ishq hain, fakira teri bandagi ishq hain" stick on as an earworm.  Lines like "Chadhne de tu bekhudi, pee le jaam-e-zindagi, bhar ke aadhi aashiqui" give the song a certain depth. The video, directed by Navaldeep Arora, tells parallel tales of different characters. Using a maroon scarf as a motif, it has emotional shots, lovely foreign locales and vibrant dances. Like the song, it's been produced stylishly. Ravikesh Vatsa/ Doh Log Label: Self-released Rating: *** This seems like a throwback of the 1970s Rajshri films. A pleasant tune with rustic lyrics, aided by a video with a si

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Stereophonics/ Oochya! Genre: Alternative rock Label: Ignition Records Rating; *** 1/2 Welsh band Stereophonics arrived on the scene in 1997, carrying forward the sonic style set by alternative acts like Oasis, James and Supergrass. Adding a bit of a U2 hangover, Kelly Jones' vocal genius and well-constructed songs, they attracted a faithful audience with the albums Word Gets Around , Performance And Cocktails and Just Enough Education To Perform. The consistency continued for a decade, with  Stereophonics even attracting classic rock followers, besides younger alternative rock buffs. Sadly, their style became dated, and later albums received a lukewarm response. Their 12th record Oochya!  has been released to mark the silver jubilee. Originally, Jones had planned a greatest hits compilation, but decided to pick out a few unreleased songs from the cupboard, write a few new songs and yet retain the earlier style. The result may be formulaic on the one hand, but

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  An ode to Jethro Tull's album Thick As A   Brick , which completes 50 years today Spin me back down the years, and the days at New Delhi's Hansraj College. The year was 1983, and a  few of us 20-year-olds would meet in the canteen, greeting each other, before singing in chorus, "The poet and the painter, casting shadows on the water, as the sun plays on the infantry, returning from the sea..." It was a regular ritual, over tea, samosas and cunningly hidden cigarettes, with someone bringing out an air guitar, and another standing on one leg playing an imaginary flute. A third person would rattle the spoons, singing, "Where the hell was Biggles, when you needed him last Saturday?" If you aren't a diehard fan of Jethro Tull, you'd have shut this file before reaching this sentence. But if you've progressed this far, you'll probably agree that among all the albums released by the British band, Thick As A Brick created an impac

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Sonu Nigam/ Maula Re Promoter: Artist Aloud  Rating; **** The song begins, "I'm nobody's child, I'm nobody's child, just like a flower, I'm growing wild". The transition to Hindi lyrics is smooth, as Sonu Nigam expresses the emotions of an orphan. With a Sufiana hook and well-constructed overdubs, composer Amjad Nadeem keeps the tune simple, and yet changes the melody line effortlessly. Lyrics credits are shared by Shabbir Ahmed and Akashdeep. Appearing solo in the video, S0onu packs in plenty of emotion, as he sings, "Yeh kismat ne dee hai hamein kaisi doori, na godi milee, na sunee maa ki lori". The song has a certain pathos, and creates an impact. Anurag Mishra/ Khwaab Label: Self-released  Rating: *** 1/2 In his new song 'Khwaab', singer Anurag Mishra uses imagery-filled lines like, "Chehra, tera tha yahaan, mehtab jaisa kuch hi to tha, kal taaron ne bhi kaha, woh khwaab asal mein tu hi to tha". Part of h