Naren's indie round-up/ Sep 2024, Ep 4

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR 

Vikas Tandon/ Dastaan

Label: Six String Ventures

Rating: ****

Part of the band Tabeer, singer Vikas Tandon goes solo on his new song 'Dastaan'. He's got some fabulous musicians accompanying him, with Warren Mendonsa on guitar, Zubin Balaporia on keys, Jai Row Kavi on drums, Yohann Coutinho on bass and guest Uday Benegal on tambourine.

The song has simple lyrics, beginning with, "Jo roshni muskurahat mein teri, dil ke andhere mita de woh hasi", and with the main lines, 'Dastaan ek shuru hone ko hai, main tera tu meri hone ko hai".

Production is by Zubin, and Warren has a marvellous solo. The vocals are clear and smooth. The best thing is the song has a catchy hook and singalong vibe.

Manya Narang/ Toote Khwab

Label: Self-released 

Rating: *** 1/2

Having worked with Salim-Sulaiman and Sonu Nigam, besides releasing a few cover versions, Manya Narang is out with her first independent solo single 'Toote Khwab'.

The song, written by Shez Khan, talks of broken dreams and longing through lines like, "Rimjhim barse aankhen,tujhe dhoonde yeh aankhen, toote hai woh khwab kuch jo hum ne donon ne saath mil kar taraashe". Manya has a melodious voice, which expresses the feelings naturally.

The song has been composed by the Khan Brothers, and Paras Nath's flute mingles naturally into the main melody. Soumitra Thakur's short solo provides a fresh twist. However, the ending seems rather sudden.

Mickey Singh feat. Karan Bhargava/ Somebody

Presented by: Treehouse VHT

Rating: ***  

The first two minutes and 17 seconds of Mickey Singh's Punjabi song 'Somebody' are extremely catchy and hummable. After that, there is an unnecessary introduction of an English rhythm n' blues line. Was it to keep up with the trend or to justify the English title?

That gaffe apart, it's a song that you can dance to, preferably with your partner. Mickey Singh is joined by Karan Bhargava on vocals, and music is by 40k. The lyrics, shared by Kaify and Mickey, go, "Tere naal mere jo hoya, pehla pehla pyaar ho gaya".

Hector Toro's video has the regular outdoor group dance sequences, fast cars and pretty girl. They go well with the song, and you can match your footsteps to the rhythm.

Kimkid/ Is This Freedom?

Label: Self-released

Rating: ****

There haven't been too many hard-hitting protest songs in contemporary Indian indie music. So this new number 'Is This Freedom? by Kolkata-based singer-songwriter Arjun Mukherjee aka Kimkid is a welcome release.

It's an anti-fascist song which looks at how freedom is interpreted in modern times. The lines are, "Is this freedom, then I don't want it. Is this love, then I don't need it".

Produced by DeepC, the song begins with an acoustic guitar backdrop, with the drumming coming in later and an electric guitar solo adding value. Though Kimkid's previous song 'Haiwan' was in Hindi, this is a perfect follow-up.

Aksomaniac/ Running

Label: Robach Music Group

Rating: ***

Trivandrum-based singer, songwriter and producer Aksomaniac sings about escaping life's burdens and seeking freedom through music on 'Running'.

The song is co-produced by Aksomaniac and Fatboi Raccoon. The sound has influences of bossa nova and rhythm n' blues, with a catchy rhythm backdrop.

Vocalist Shreya chips in with a cameo in the middle of the song, and does a simultaneous back-up to Aksomaniac's lead vocals towards the end. The theme is self-discovery and liberation, and the operative word is 'run away'. Join the race.







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