Naren's indie round-up/ Oct 2023, Ep 3

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR

Nemophilis/ One Last Time

Label: Self-released 

Rating: ****

Here's a beauty that takes you back to the glory days of 1990s rock. 'One Last Time', the second single from the forthcoming Nemophilis album The Iceberg, has all the makings of a live favourite, right from the melodic hook, soaring vocals and crackling guitar solo.

Nemophilis are a three-piece band from Pune, comprising vocalist-guitarist Kshitij Choudhary, bassist Saurabh Lodha and drummer Akarsh Singh. The song is about a desire to return to the great times of yesteryear, with the lines, "Take me back to love, take me back to life, take me back to all the things you gave, one last time".

The band's influences seem to draw from Bon Jovi, Linkin Park, hints of Skid Row and even a passing nod to The Who. But they have an energy and charm of their own. We're looking forward to the rest of the 11-track album, due for release on November 2.

Underground Authority/ Saansein 

Label: Self-released 

Rating: *** 1/2

After the departure of long-time frontman EPR Iyer earlier this year, Kolkata band Underground Authority now features vocalist Siddhant Sharma, who also goes by the name Classic Kid Sid.

Their song 'Saansein' is about not giving up, with lines like "Mera safar aur mere nishaan, aasmaan ko haasil karna baaki hai" providing the right dose of motivation.

Sound-wise, there's a clear Pearl Jam influence, and the rendition of the words 'Saansein' and 'Iraade' are instantly reminiscent of the track 'Even Flow'. But the song takes its own course with the soulful vocals and guitarist Adil Rashid's solo supported by Bubbla's bass and Sourish Kumar's drums. A good addition to your Hindi-rock playlist.

Madmast/ Adhkhuli Aakhon Se

Promoted by: Songdew

Rating: *** 1/2

Formed in 2017, Madmast are a five-piece Hindi pop-rock band from Mumbai which has earlier released the tracks 'Ae Dil' and 'Tumse Pyar Hai'. Vocalist Vaibhav Sharma has a very soothing and soulful style, which gives the group its own flavour.

The band's new song 'Adhkhuli Aakhon Se' brims with romantic lines like, "Adhkhuli aakhon se dekhoon sapna, bas tujhe chahoon Bana loon apna". The guitars and the drums play steadily at the back when the vocals are on, making way for a splendid guitar coda to conclude the track.

Yohan Marshall & Riya Duggal/ Maan Le Zara

Label: Self-released 

Rating: ***

Another positive and uplifting song comes from Mumbai-based singer and composer Yohan Marshall, who teams up with young singer Riya Duggal on 'Maan Le Zara'.

The two also star in the cute video, directed by Rono and Taab, and shot on the streets and on the sea-front. The lyrics, where Pratik Gangawane joins Yohan and Riya, have upbeat lines like, "Dil se zara muskura, jee le pyaar se".

The tune, composed by Yohan, has a youthful freshness. However, his Hindi diction needs to be worked on with 'bhool' becoming 'bool', 'bula' becomes 'bhula' and 'sama' becoming 'saama'. That jars.

Taraana/ Royal Elephant

Label: Verve/ Universal

Rating: ****

Violin-playing sisters Ragini and Nandini Shankar put out the self-titled album of their fusion group Taraana in June. The tune 'Royal Elephant' is their latest video, released to mark Navratri.

Using raag Jog as the base, the Shankar sisters play a series of rapidfire and intricate phrases, bringing out bursts of sheer energy. They are joined by Rhythm Shaw on guitars and bass, and Akshay Anantapadmanabhan on mridangam.

The grand-daughters of the great violinist N. Rajam and daughters of Sangeeta Shankar, Ragini and Nandini are surely carrying the legacy forward.