Naren's indie round-up/ March 2023, Ep 5

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR

Neela/ You'll Never Know

Label: Self-released 

Rating: ****

Toronto-based singer-songwriter Neelam Khare aka Neela's latest talk 'You'll Never Know' is about domestic violence, and the liberation that comes from healing. Her powerful voice and Sarah Maclachlan-esque style address feelings of resentment and acceptance with just the right emotion.

The video by Purusha Anokhei takes inspiration from the character of Kali, and adds to the powerful nature of the song, which has lines like, "How will you tell your daughter one day the sins and the crimes you can't take back".

The video has an art-cinema look that makes it classy. However, one wonders why it's only two and a half minutes long when the actual song spans over four minutes.

Pranav Bhasin feat. Rohini Maiti/ Screaming On The Fly

Label: Jugaad Motion Pictures

Rating; ** 1/2

Composer, lyricist and producer Pranav Bhasin collaborates with singer Rohini Maiti on 'Screaming On The Fly', a song that talks of a woman trying to adjust in a capitalistic world.

The song sort of rambles on, and Rohini's attempt to sound saccharine doesn't really help. But what works is Pranav's video which is quirky and laced with black humour.

The cast of Kaashvi Kalani, Ayushi Gupta and Varun Patel will find identification among younger audiences. But because of the haywire composition and over-repetition of the main lines, it's charm fades after a few viewings.

Buddha-Bar feat. Gotama/ Elsewhere 

Label: George V Records

Rating: **

This weekly indie blog doesn't feature international releases, but an exception was made this time as the new Buddha-Bar release 'Elsewhere' features samples of the song 'Sunn Raha Hai', composed by Ankit Tiwari and sung in separate versions by Ankit and Shreya Ghoshal in the 2013 film Aashiqui 2.

This new piece by Gotama uses the female version. Not only does it forget to credit the original film and composer, but it also does a patchy job by randomly taking lines without any lyrical connect. The foreign audiences will probably go in for that "cool Indian vibe" though, never mind if the original has been mauled.

This blogger sent an Instagram message to Ankit who hasn't responded. Of course, since Buddha-Bar is widely heard, he may have got wind of the remix from 'elsewhere'. And for the record, this writer is otherwise a huge fan of the series, and makes it a point to check all new releases two decades after the fad died down. This was a letdown, sadly.

Purbayan Chatterjee/ Two Thirds

Label: Self-released 

Rating: ****

Sitar exponent Purbayan Chatterjee plays the electric see-tar on 'Two Thirds', a six-plus-minute Indo-jazz piece recorded at the Purbayan Art & Artists Music Foundation studio in Mumbai.

It was recorded when British American drummer Bernard Shimpelsberger visited the city, with Taufiq Qureshi joining on djembe and Nikhil Chugh playing keyboards.

The main melody line is catchy, and the piece contains jazz-based improvisation on the harmonic changes. The rhythm solos, backed by a steady lehra, are a treat, and the climax leaves listeners on a high.

Parashar Joshi/ Yaara

Label: Self-released 

Rating: ***

Pune-based Parashar Joshi's earlier songs have been about the Pandemic ('Vaccine') and travel ('Raston Se Dosti'). On his latest 'Yaara', he uses romantic lyrics against the backdrop of a travel theme.

The song, written for his wife, was conceptualised when Parashar was on a bike trip to Gartang Gali near Gangotri in Uttarakhand. The main lines are, "Ab phir chale hum khwabon ke sang, yaara tum hi hum hi ho".

The video has innovative shots of people holding placards displaying the lyrics. They make up for the predictable studio shots that also creep in. All in all, the song's uptempo nature makes it foot-tapping.