Naren's indie round-up/ April 2025, Ep 1

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR

TV Dinner/ Non Believers

Label: Self-released 

Rating: *** 1/2

TV Dinner is the new project of Nischay Parekh, after his earlier outfit Parekh & Singh announced their disbanding. After releasing his song 'Guessing Games', Nischay is now out with 'Non Believers'.

The song has an interesting story. He began writing it in 2016 after heartbreak, but completed it recently after marrying his best friend and becoming a father. As such it's about the promise of true love and never giving up.

With a simple pop melody and relatable lyrics, Nischay has a winner here. A colourful video by Kevin Chris Johan goes perfectly with the lines that talk of numbing the pain and making it better.

Tarun Balani/ Lajpat Nagar Sometimes

Label: Berthold Records

Rating; *** 1/2

New Delhi-based jazz drummer and composer Tarun Balani is due to release his debut album Kadahin Milandaasain. The.single pays tribute to the refugee colony he grew up in.

'Lajpat Nagar Sometimes' reflects the light of the Sindhi community who came and settled in that area in the 1950s, while also expressing the joy of growing up there. Here, Balani is accompanied by his quartet Dharma.

Thus, we have inputs from trumpeter Adam O'Farill, guitarist Olli Hirvonen and pianist Sharik Hassan. Strong elements of modern jazz, a delightful guitar solo, smart tempo changes and touches of Sindhi folk music give this track a unique edge.

Kimkid/ Jab Woh Aayi

Label: Self-released 

Rating: ***

Kimkid is a project by songwriter and producer Arjun Mukherree. His latest song 'Jab Woh Aayi' is another of those tunes dealing with a long-distance relationship.

Though the main lines are in Hindi, a few English phrases are used to provide variety. The song is strong in lyrical content, but more feeling in vocal delivery would have helped. Vedanta Razz does a good job on production.

Archisman Kundu's animated video shows a person on a train journey, symbolically matching the words.

High feat. Risshi S. Sachdeva & Swapnalie Sachddev/ Hum Mile

Label: Self-released 

Rating: *** 1/2

After releasing the breezy pop number 'Aarzoo' three months ago, Risshi S. Sachdeva and Swapnalie Sachddev of the Delhi group High tone it down on the gentle love song 'Hum Mile'.

The video is shot by Aaquib Javed in a riverside locality near the woods in Almoda, Uttarakhand. It's got a serene look and adds value to the tune.

The song has been co-written by Divyanshraaj and Risshi, with lines like, "Hum naseeb se ek doosre mein fanaah, hum ho gaye, tu zameen, main aasmaan". A simple melody makes the song ear-friendly and hummable.

Arunash Bhatt/ Tere Vaaste

Label: Self-released 

Rating: ***

Hailing from Lucknow, Arunash Bhatt shuttles between Delhi and Mumbai. On his 11th single 'Tere Vaaste', he blends the emotion of a love song with an uptempo dance flavour.

Thus, while the main lyrics have lines like, 'Tere bina yeh zindagi bhi kya hai, raahein ho jaati hai khafaa', the instrumental bridges are foot-tapping. There's a faint shadow of Lucky Ali in both vocal style and melodic arrangements.

The video has shots of Arunash singing and playing guitar superimposed against various backgrounds. It's a feel-good song and that's what makes it worth a listen.




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