Naren's indie round-up/ May 2024, Ep 1

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR 

Faheem Abdullah & Rauhan Malik/ Ishq

Label: Artist First/ TM Music

Rating: *****

Pakistani poet Amir Ameer's well-known creation 'Chal Aa Aisi Nazm Likhoon' gets a Sufi-rock interpretation in this version called 'Ishq', composed and sung by Kashmiri artistes Faheem Abdullah and Rauhan Malik.

The song, which features in the album Lost: Found, begins with the lines, "Main aa likhoon tu aa jaaye, main baith likhoon tu aa baithe, mere shaane par sar rakhe tu, main neend likhoon tu so jaaye". The song is in chaste Urdu with an additional Kashmiri line at the end. The guitars and tight rhythms add the rock element.

Some parts faintly remind you of the Beatles song 'With A Little Help From My Friend'. That may be a sub-conscious similarity but otherwise the song is super. There's a music video too, directed by Faheem Abdullah himself and starring Samreen Kaur and Mir Tafazul, created as an eight-minute film. Shot in Kashmir, it begins with a nikaah, and tells the story of the couple. The poem is recited beautifully at the end.

Mohammed Irfan/ Yaadon Se

Label: Warner Music India

Rating: ***

Mohammed Irfan, who had some good songs in the OTT series Jubilee, now comes up with the song 'Yaadon Se', from the forthcoming EP Yaadein - Faded Love.

The song, composed by Manish S. Sharmaa and written by Pankaj Dixit, is about a past relationship. And though jilted lovers may identify with it, there's nothing new about the melody or words. To add to that, it gets soppy as it progresses.

Yet, one could relate to the line, "Kyon yaad karta hai dil yeh tujhe, kuchh bhi pata na chale, yaadon se keh do jaake koi, tanha hi hai hum bhale". It's formulaic, but capable of striking a chord.

Easy Riders/ Sandakphu 

Label: Self-released 

Rating: ****

Kolkata jam band Easy Riders has the knack of producing some great 1970s-styled music with some classy solos. Their EP Virtual Lives was a sonic treat, and so is 'Sandakphu', their new single featuring folk singer Arko Mukhaerjee as guest.

The group comprises guitarist Sumit Bhattacharya on guitars, Saumyajit Dutta on bass and Arka Das on drums. The song has a catchy melody, and talks about how a person's relationship has changed. Add a sizzling guitar solo in the middle.

The song ends with the lines, "I was happy again, could see the sky at last, I was happy again, I was free of the past, in Sandakphu". As Sandakphu is a mountain peak on the India-Nepal border on the West Bengal side, the lyrics video shows some wonderful shots of natural terrain. The song would sound super in concert.

Shourya Malhotra/ Still Breathing 

Label: Self-released 

Rating: *** 1/2

After starting off as a heavy metal vocalist, Shourya Malhotra got into media and entertainment law. He then evolved as a singer-songwriter, showing his prowess now on his new single 'Still Breathing'.

The song blends folk structures and ambient soundscapes with alternative rock elements. The words talk of how one gets out of tough situations, and Shourya sings lines like, "Maybe one day, these eyes will see the light, I'm maybe one day, these eyes will see the light, I'm still reaching the end, oh life, I'm falling the end, I'm falling".

Shourya plays the acoustic guitar that dominates the opening, and is then joined by Arko Ganguly on drums, Varun Rajput on bass and Akhil Garg on keys and pads, with Elijah Peter chipping in with an electric guitar solo. The theme changes are done well.

Aadya Jaswal/ Cavern

Label: Self-released 

Rating: ****

Gurgaon-based singer-songwriter Aadya Jaswal has released tracks like 'Aisha', 'Pariah' and 'Hooded Figures'. Her latest release 'Cavern' uses imagery to describe the feeling of being weighed down and letting things pass.

The song begins, "There's a house beside the brook, that dries in the summer, the grass has been long and unkempt". Later, she sings of being stuck in a deceptive trap by a cavern hidden with sticks for the flowers.

Besides the sheer poetry and use of metaphors, what's impressive is Aadya's pleasant voice and natural expression. The acoustic backdrop adds an air of pleasantness.



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