Naren's indie round-up/ May 2025, Ep 4



BY NARENDRA KUSNUR 

Mansa Jimmy/ Seelan Ki Khushboo

Label: Self-released 

Rating: ****

Sometimes, one discovers gems just while casually browsing. Mansa Jimmy's 'Seelan Ki Khushboo' is one of them.

It's a song that brings back the nostalgia of living in a small town in the hills. Adding to the impact of the melody and lyrics is Sambit Dattachaudhury's video, which besides Mansa, features a butterfly researcher played by Peter Smetacek, a boy, a girl and clarinet player, portrayed by Piet Van Der Poel but actually played in the studio recording by Harmish Joshi.

The main words are "Seelan ki khushbooen, kapdon pe atki hui khul chuki ki hai baat woh thi jin mein kab se dhoop padi". Guitarist-producer Raag Sethi and drummer Shivang Kapadia join Mansa, whose singing is natural and heartfelt.

Nivid/ Bhram, Mazhab - Reimagined

Label: Self-released 

Rating: *** 1/2

The brainchild of producer and composer Aditya Virmani, Nivid is an edgy blend of electronica, trip-hop and alt-rock. Their latest release consists of two parts, beginning with the short instrumental 'Bhram', meaning 'illusion'.

Nivid then do a reimagined version of the 2019 single 'Mazhab', using a fresher sound with dreamy guitars and heavily textured layers of sound. The song talks of the divisive nature of organised religion, with the line 'Mazhab ke naam pe mujhko baant-ta rahs hai" on repeat.

Lines like "Hai ek saath dekhi duniya toh phir kyon hai yeh faasla?" capture the song's mood. The build-up is superb, and the message has been effectively delivered.

Sadu/ Raaz

Label: Sadu Music

Rating: ***

A member of the Indipop group Aryans, Sadasivan KM Nambisan aka Sadu has been regularly releasing ballads and ghazals as a solo artiste. His latest release 'Raaz' is a simple love song.

The video, directed by Aditya Sahu, features Ridima Singh and Samarth Barjatya. It's a simple film about a boy being attracted to a girl, who reciprocates positively. Sadu makes a brief appearance at the beginning and end.

The song has a catchy melody, and simple lines like, "Aake mil zara tu humse sulagh jaaye chingariyan". It comes a few days after his song 'Mod', where Sadu gets into nostalgic mode.

Manish S. Sharmaa/ Haseen

Label: Warner/ Indie Music Label

Rating; ** 1/2

As its title suggests, 'Haseen' is all about admiring a beautiful girl. So it has the usual run-of-the-mill lyrics by Noor that go, "Aasman dekhi ya dekhi ye zameen, oh tere jitna bhi koi na haseen".

Manish S. Sharma has a pleasant voice but what lifts the song is Anmol Daniel's composition and production. Jasmin Oza's video has the good-looking Aamir Ali and Ankita Kukreti. Yet, like the song, the video is too routine to have any lasting impact.

Aasa Singh, Jaden Maskie and Ronnie Wadia/ You Were My Song 

Label: Robach Music

Rating; ****

Composer Aasa Singh teams up with singer Jaden Maskie and lyricist Ronnie Wadia on 'You Were My Song', a song about hope and inspiration. The number works on all levels in that it's powerful in its writing, arrangement and expression.

Jaden's voice creates an impact as he sings, "Every moment spent with her became a thought committed to paper; and every laugh shared together was a line that took me further". Or "Just when I thought there was no hope, she came along and threw me a rope".

Aasa's composition builds up beautifully starting with a soft piano intro and building into cinematic grandeur. Jaden's vocal fluctuations are in total sync, adding to the overall impact.

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