Naren's indie round-up/ April 2022, Ep 3

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR 

2Blue/ Heaven On Their Minds 

Label: Self-released

Rating: ****

Fans of the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar would be familiar with the song 'Heaven On Their Minds', composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber with lyrics by Tim Rice. Now, Mumbai-based Tirthankar Poddar aka 2Blue creates a fresh rendition and video of the classic.

Flora Saini co-stars in the video, which has been brilliantly produced. The message, "You are the light, keep burning" appears in the end, which also has a twist in the plot.

2Blue has been a popular rock vocalist for around two decades, and played Judas Iscariot in Alyque Padamsee's 2014 production. Here, he's joined by guitarist Nishith Hegde, bassist Ashwin Shriyan and drummer Mayank Sharma. And there's that unforgettable intro and climax. Heaven!

Sahaj Chawla and Madhav Khanna/ Udaan

Label: Self-released

Rating: *** 1/2

Sahaj Chawla and Madhav Khanna collaborate on 'Udaan', a motivational song that is just perfect for these times. Composed in a pop-rock space, it has a pleasant tune and strong lyrics.

The song begins, "Lene udaan do, khwaabon ko apne, kaid rakhoge kab tak, aashayein dil ki" and goes on to say, "Uthna tabhi jab maqsad mile, laqeerein khud likh le".

The two lead guitar solos are brilliant. There's a short one on the bridge and a fabulous coda and fade-out. The production just enhances the content.

Srijit Bhowmick/ Lifafon Mein

Label: Self-released

Rating: ***

The initial reaction to Srijit Bhowmick's new track 'Lifafon Mein' is that it's 'hat ke'. On first listen, the vocals may sound irritating, even pseudo-falsetto, but that sinks in after a few repeats.

What catch your attention are the melodic lead and rhythm guitars that hammer away in the background, almost like it's a parallel song. Somewhere, the vocals and guitars merge smoothly. 

The song is about newfound love and longing. It's somewhat reminiscent of those 1970s gangster den numbers, and for some weird reason , after listening to it a few times, this writer ended up with an earworm of Sunidhi Chauhan's Parineeta song 'Kaisi Paheli Zindagani'. Don't ask why.

Sadu/ Yakeen

Label: Self-released 

Rating: ****

Earlier with the Indipop band Aryans, Sadasivan KM Nambisan aka Sadu has been releasing a spate of singles after the lockdown. While most of them had a ghazal feel, he goes in for a simple singer-songwriter style on his latest song 'Yakeen'.

The song talks of a man's search for true love, with lines like, "Mere aas paas tu hai, mere aar paar tu hai, hai yakeen ke tum bulaoge kabhi, awaaz de kahin se".

The strength of the song is the way it moves from keyboard-backed easy listening to power ballad mode via a guitar solo and amazing percussion. The smoothness of the transition is a sign of Sadu's composition skills.

Yasser Desai/ Jaa Rahe Ho

Label: Saregama Originals 

Rating: ** 1/2

The latest Saregama Music non-film song repeats the tale two two lovers having problems and threatening to stay away, with the video moving from flashback to current.

Yasser Desai sings the pleasant melody composed and written by Kunaal Verma. The lines go, "Jaa rahe ho door lekin yaad tum rakhna, khwab tak mein bhi tumhara naam na lounge". Sweet dreams.

Ranju Varghese's video, starring Mohsin Khan and Akanksha Puri (in picture) follows a routine storyline. The effort is to have a Bollywood look but one wishes there are some newer ideas. The videos of most heartbreak songs tend to look the same, with the only change being the models.