Naren's indie round-up/ June 2024, Ep 3


BY NARENDRA KUSNUR 

Ridi Oswal/ Make It All Make Sense

Label: PROTunes

Rating; *** 1/2

Switzerland-bred Indian origin singer Ridi Oswal has been releasing singles since 2021. Her latest 'Make It All Make Sense' blends western dance-pop with a dash of Rajasthani folk.

The song celebrates women's strength, and has lines like, "Fire in my soul and it's burning, and I like it when it hurts, think I'm falling, and once you're really freaking here, there's no returning". The line "Padharo mare desh re" is used intermittently.

The video, produced by Varitunes, is well-choreographed, with Ridi alternating between western and Indian attire, in keeping with the song's mood. Makes sense.

Pelican Shuffles/ Catch A Cab

Label: Self-released

Rating: *** 1/2

Having earned a following with their pre-lockdown EPs Battleground Dreams and All Shuffled Up, Kolkata group Pelican Shuffles continue with their journey of producing neat songs. Their new single 'Catch A Cab' is mainly the creation composer-lyricist Varun Gujadhur, who's also on vocals and guitar, and producer Rohan Ganguli, with others on bass, dtums, percussion, keys and additional vocals.

The song has a good build-up, a catchy chorus line and lyrics like "All my life has changed when you walked in". The highlight is the guitarwork, with solos in the middle and the end, and some swift changes. At four and a half minutes, the length is just right.

Jazmine Kaur feat. Abhishek Mittal/ Lost

Label: Self-released 

Rating: ***

Delhi singer Jazmine Kaur goes in for a bilingual track on 'Lost'. The song has been structured and arranged by Abhishek Mittal, guitarist of rock band Parikrama.

The song has introspective lyrics, beginning with, "Kyon sawaal hai kaee, jawaab dhoondte main khud hi kho gayee". Later, it moves to, "Have you ever had this feeling when you feel like you're scared of dreaming?"

A spoken word portion leads to an interaction between Abhishek's guitars and Dimpal Kumar's drums at the end, providing an interesting twist.

Vibhor/ Bas Tu Kaafi Hai

Label: Self-released 

Rating: *** 1/2

The interesting thing about Vibhor Kulshreshta's 'Bas Tu Kaafi Hai' is that barring one brief deviation, he uses the same tune on most lines. The idea works because the tune has a simple melody - it's something like a series of waves gently approaching the seashore.

The Jaipur singer has a pleasant voice, and the gentle acoustic guitar acts as a pleasant backdrop. Words like "Jab se paaya tujhe main kho gaya" are predictable but convey the song's emotions. It should work as a candlelight dinner song.

Antara Mitra/ Dil Mera

Label: Bajao Music

Rating: ***

Here's another heartbreak song 'Dil Mera',  sung by Antara Mitra. After wondering what went wrong, she sings Vicky Sandhu's lines, "Yeh naazuk dil mera, tere karke toot gaya." More sad lines like 'Aankh itni royi na kabhi, haath jo choot gaya" add to the melancholy mood.

The credits says the song has been composed by Vicky Sandhu, with music direction by Kanika Khanna. Wonder what the difference is. Along with producer Sanjoy Deb, they create a catchy piece, though one wishes it was longer than two minutes.


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