narenmusic

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Ankur Tewari/ Akela Genre : Indie Label : Tiger Baby Records Rating : *** Last week, singer-songwriter Ankur Tewari did a short gig at the Apple store in Bandra Kurla Complex to promote his latest album Akela . Using only an acoustic guitar to accompany his voice, he ensured that the small audiencebof invitees and store customers had a patient and involved listening experience. Most of them were, of course, familiar with his old hit 'Dil Bekhabar', played at the end. While that was a stripped-down rendition, the album versions of the songs are fuller, using smart arrangements in a dream-poppish, ambient setting. Five songs are produced by Rohan Rammna, with Sidd Coutto chipping in on 'Doobay'. The songs were written during the Pandemic, though the record ends with a reprise of his earlier 'Hum' and the track 'Sawaal' from the soundtrack of the 2021 film Dug Dug , featuring the Salvage Audio Collective. As such, the main theme is of lo...

  BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Taali/ OTT series soundtrack Music : Amritraj Label : Viacom 18 Media Rating : *** 1/2 Sushmita Sen has been getting rave reviews fir her portrayal of transgender Shreegauri Sawant in Taali , the OTT series directed by Ravi Jadhav for Jio Cinema. While that and the theme of survival and inclusion, will always be the main talking points besides the predictable parts in the narrative, some of the other areas will get naturally overlooked. One of the positive areas is the music, composed by Amritraj with lyrics by Kshitij Patwardhan. The six songs have been woven appropriately into the storyline, with different voices expressing different emotions. With Patwardhan having written the series script himself, the songs act as an extension of the dialogues. For instance, Priyanka Barve sings for Ganesh, the boy who dreams of behaving and dressing like a woman, in the song "Kissey batlaaoon, kissey samjhaaoon, ita-uta dhadke jiya". Javed Ali is brilliant on '...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR Advaita/ Palkan Label: Merchant Records  Rating: *** 1/2 Delhi fusion band Advaita is known for its smart blend of traditional Indian compositions and western arrangements. Their new song follows the same style, with Ujwal Nagar singing, "Palak na laagi, saari saari raina'. Which makes you wonder why it's been titled 'Palkan'. Part of the SoundChk series initiated by Salim-Sulaiman, the song features a live performance by the band in a setting that's reminiscent of earlier Merchant Records or Coke Studio videos.  There are the mandatory solos on guitar, keys and drums with Chayan Adhikari singing the English parts, ending with, "Why is it that I resist a chance to be another me". All in all, this is vintage Advaita which appeals despite the familiar overtones. String Theory feat. Deepak Castelino & Pritam Ghosal/ Serendipity  Label: Self-released  Rating: **** Also from Delhi are the veteran guitarist Deepak Castelino and sarod ...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR Upamanyu Mukherjee/ Negotiating Oxytocin Genre: Alt-pop Label: Self-released  Rating: **** He's only 16, but writes songs with a maturity that transcends his age. On his debut album Negotiating Oxytocin , Pune-based singer-songwriter Upamanyu Mukherjee produces seven tracks that could be clubbed under the alternative or experimental pop. The album title is inspired by the chemical hormone (oxytocin) related to love and its subsidiary emotions. As such, the songs are about love, infatuation, betrayal, guilt and other emotions related to a young heart. Backed mainly by keyboards and at times by guitar, Upamanyu uses his natural voice to express an array of thoughts. Production, shared by him and Onkar Tarkase, is basic, going with the mood of the songs. The opening track, 'Friend', is about being betrayed. The words are blunt, with lines like, "Every time you needed a shoulder you cried on mine, but once it was over you gladly left like it was fine...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Dee MC feat. Pratika/ Khoyi Si Label: Self-released  Rating: **** Here's this marvellous bilingual desi hip-hop number by Dee MC and Pratika, who both rap fluently. The song talks about two female artistes trying to find a balance between pushing themselves harder and going slow, thus covering two extremes of a musician's life. Music is by Sleeky, who works smoothly against the blend of straight rapping and melodic vocal parts. The video, directed by Dee (on left in picture), is in black n' white with a red heart sticker used as a motif. In the film, Pratika raps in English against an urban backdrop, whereas Dee sings in Hindi in a natural outdoor setting. Both the song and the video have been produced immaculately. Asli vibe hai . Just needs the right people to support it. Vasuda Sharma/ Manwa Bhaagey Label: Song Nest Rating: *** 1/2 In her latest release 'Manwa Bhaagey', singer Vasuda Sharma takes us on a nostalgia ride, reminding us how care...

  BY NARENDRA KUSNUR Sona Mohapatra/ Sona Tarasha: A Treasure Trove Of Culture Genre : Hindi pop/ folk-pop Details ; NMACC Grand Theatre, August 12 Rating ; *** 1/2 The Grand Theatre of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) was sold out on Saturday night, with singer Sona Mohapatra presenting the Sona Tarasha concert. This was the first time a solo pop act was performing at the venue since its launch in April, though there was a Hindustani classical event before, besides two stage musicals including the long-running The Sound Of Music. The thematic show was divided into five chapters, beginning with songs of timeless love, and ending with her hits. There was a mix of thumri, folk, romantic songs, Sufiana, ghazal, uptempo fare and Bollywood, with most compositions by Sona's husband Ram Sampath. The back-screen displayed an aesthetically-chosen set of visuals, with colourful light schemes on stage. The back-up band was totally in sync, with Sahil Solanki chipping in with vo...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR Schwa/ Mother's Instinct Label: Self-released  Rating: **** A few weeks after releasing their Vedic metal song 'Rudrabal' on YouTube, Pune band Schwa puts out 'Mother's Instinct', an epic seven-minute 42 second English track that has all the trappings of a metal anthem. Vocalist Uday Iyer displays his range as he begins, "We all live in the convoluted peace and harmony, on Planet Earth, she's our mother" and till he reaches a 'We are doomed" scream. A proggy vibe, smart tempo changes, inventive guitars and keys, a tight rhythm section and a sudden chorus lead to a melodic ending. The track is made for the live scene. Sanjeeta Bhattacharya/ X Marks The Spot Label: Self-released  Rating: **** Singer-actress Sanjeeta Bhattacharya displays immense range and strong songwriting prowess on 'X Marks The Spot', which she wrote in 2019 while she was going through a rough phase. The song has brilliant lines like, "What...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  What happened at six events from August 3 to 6. A diary Once again, I've decided to take a week-long break from concerts, just to get some rest or to do something else. The problem is that in a city like Mumbai, that rarely happens. If you're a music journalist or a diehard aficionado following different genres, the challenges are bigger. Over the past year, things are happening almost daily, with organisers and musicians making up for the Pandemic slowdown. A lot of gigs clash too, making the attendee's choice difficult. With the new Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) having regular shows since April, the concertgoer has one more venue on the crowded list. To come back to my planned breaks, I had decided the same thing a week ago. But from Thursday night, I was up and about, attending six gigs in four days. The best thing is that I'm not complaining, as there was so much variety and great music. So here's a lowdown on the performances - ...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR Parikrama/ Translucent Night Label: Self-released  Rating: ***** Veteran rock band Parikrama aims to spread awareness about organ donation through its new track 'Transclucent Night'. The video was released on August 3, India Organ Donation Day, and the audio will be out on August 13, World Organ Donation Day. Musically, this is a power ballad which begins with Subir Malik's Hammond B3 organ and has a brilliant guitar solo by the young Abhishek Mittal, who stepped in after the death of Sonam Sherpa. Vocalist Nitin Malik is in prime form as he sings, "I feel it in my bones the songs of dawn, whispers in my being the darkness had gone". Guitarist Saurabh Chaudhry, bassist Gaurav Balani and drummer Srijan Mahajan complete the line-up. The video, directed by Bhanu Wadhavan and Prem Singh Gambhir, uses live band shots with images of donors and recipients. To support the cause, each of the six band members has pledged his body organs. The sheer beauty ...

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR Tubby/ Pitara Genre : Indo-jazz fusion Label : Inkk Audio Rating : **** Even a cursory look at the artiste line-up is good enough to ensure that this new release will have plenty of variety. And that's what Indrajit Sharma aka Tubby gives you on his latest album Pitara . On this seven-track project, the composer-producer has teamed up with some prolific musicians from the Indian jazz and fusion world. With each of the songs having a different guest, there's something stylistically different as we move along. A folk flavour on some tracks adds to the Indo-jazz fusion mix. Drummer Gino Banks plays on all tracks, and bassist Sheldon D'Silva on six. Tubby himself sings on the opening number 'Malakal', with appearances by tabla wiz Ojas Adhiya and mandolin player Lakshmikant Sharma. Vocalist Varijashree blends well with the instrumental arrangement on 'Kabini', whereas Gujarati singer Jatin Darji adds a folk touch on 'Jambur', which end...