Naren's indie round-up/ Aug 2022, Ep 2

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR

Raj Pandit & Sukriti Kakar/ Haal Chaal 

Label: Merchant Records 

Rating: ***

Raj Pandit and Sukriti Kakar get together on the Punjabi dance track 'Haal Chaal', both on vocals and in the video. The tune very smartly uses a line from the folk song 'Jutti Kasoori', with Simran Choudhary on guest vox.

It's a catchy tune, suited for the dance floor, and Sukriti and Raj complement each other well. The balance between dance music, electronica and folk is well maintained, with Muheet Bharti on guitar, mandolin and bouzouki. Lyricist IP Singh writes, "Dafaa kar de yeh doori, fanaah kar de majboori, kar de behaal haal chaal ve".

Though the choreography (Riya Sood, Rishi Sharma) suits the song, Tushar Mahajan's video looks routine, like many in the club-dance space. Overall, the song's peppiness keeps your haal chaal going.

Aabha Hanjura/ Madano

Label: Self-released 

Rating: ****

The title of singer Aabha Hanjura's new release 'Madano' is derived from a Kashmiri word meaning 'beloved'. The Hindi song has production and guitars by Kalyan Baruah, and lyrics by Neeraj Rajawat.

The song has a serene acoustic folk-pop feel, and Aabha's voice blends perfectly with the arrangements. The lines, "Hain jahaan hosh udd rahe roz sang tere, Madano Madano" are sung with feel.

The video has been shot in an open desert environment in Jaisalmer. It lends the right atmosphere.

Anurag Mishra/ Panaah

Label: Wynk Music

Rating: ***

In keeping with the soothing mood, Anurag Mishra's new song 'Panaah' fits the bill. The independent single comes after he had released his album Lifafe.

Anurag has a soulful voice, suited for ballads. He has composed the song himself. Lyricist Ronkini Gupta impresses with the lines, "Sirf namee thi mere dil ke siraahon mein, phir paaya tujhko jo, in panaahon mein, panaahon mein, panaahon mein".

The song is accompanied by a lyrical video with a grey background. After the colourful videos made for Lifafe, this looks dull. One hopes a video with a storyboard is in the pipeline.

Srijani Ghosh/ Reflection

Promoted by: Artist Aloud

Rating: *** 1/2

Australia-based singer Srijani Ghosh's new ghazal 'Reflection' was released recently at the Khazana festival in Mumbai. It's a simple melody, with music by Sudeep Banerji.

The song is about love, introspection and moving on. Lyricist Aalok Shrivastava begins, "Dar jiska sataata hai wohi toh nahin hoga, dil jisne dukhaaya hai dukhi toh nahin hoga". Also impressive is the last couplet, "Duniya ko chalo parkhe, naye dost banaaye, har shaks zamaane mein wohi toh nahin hoga".

The sarangi start by Sandeep Mishra, guitar by Sanjay Das and Amit Choubey's tabla lend a natural feel, blending well with Sudeep's composition and Srijani's singing.

GrooveBot feat Anand Bhaskar/ Under Pressure 

Label: Self-released 

Rsting: ***

Mumbai producer Chinmay Agharkar aka GrooveBot has teamed up with the multi-faceted Anand Bhaskar on his new industrial metal single 'Under Pressure'. Having heard Anand in the song 'Jaadoogari' and as composer of OTT series like Masoom and Dr Arora, this comes as a surprise.

The song is about how social media has helped create a cult of 'toxic positivity'. The lyrics, written by Anand himself, has lines like, "It's easy, it's breezy, no pressure, surrender, social ascender". The guitar riff and Roop Thomas's tight basswork go with the song's mood.

GrooveBot has earlier collaborated with Siddharth Basrur on 'Gentle Scars' and Pratika Prabhune on 'Toxic'. This one goes high in the heaviness scale.