Naren's indie round-up/ Oct 2025, Ep 2


BY NARENDRA KUSNUR 

Faheem Abdullah/ Teri Yaad

Label: VYRL Originals

Rating: ****

Known for 'Ishq' and the Saiyaara title song, Srinagar-bred Faheem Abdullah has a resonant voice and very personal style. We now see him in the video of 'Teri Yaad', the first song he ever wrote.

It's a sad song, beginning with the lines, "Hai yeh kismat ka faisla jo hua tu hai mujhse juda, hai yeh zindagi bewafa, jo liya hai mujhse mera jahaan". Qassam Hussain's rabab gives it a traditional Kashmiri flavour, and Amandeep Singh Soni's guitar adds a contemporary touch.

The video, directed by Ruman Hamdani, features Faheem and the pretty Zainab Khan. It reflects the melancholic nostalgia of the song.

Divyam Sodhi & Khwaab/ Achcha Lagta Hai

Label: Sony Music 

Rating: *** 1/2

Singer Divyam Sodhi has an extremely pleasant voice and smooth style suited for softer songs. His teamwork with producer and composer Khwaab has yielded numbers like 'Piya' and 'Baalam'.

The duo earlier released two songs 'Kya Kahein' and 'Kaise Ho Tum' from its EP Ehsaas. The third video 'Achha Lagta Hai', directed by Gorkey Patwal, features Divyam and Srishti Rao.

The song talks about how a man used to living alone enjoys the change after getting a life companion. "Yun toh safar mein akele akele chalne ki aadat hamein hai, hamein hai, koi haath thaamein agar jo kabhi, toh achcha lagta hai, toh achcha lagta hai".

The four-song EP explores different shades of love. The last tune 'Raat' is a melancholic piece about sleepless nights caused by effects of a relationship. Together the songs blend smoothly in the short 11-minute EP.

Pratibha Singh Baghel/ Dhuan Bana Ke 

Label: Sufiscore

Rating: ****

In the 1991 album Sajda, Lata Mangeshkar rendered the beauty 'Dhuan Bana Ke' to Jagjit Singh's music. Now, Pratibha Singh Baghel presents the number, with music produced by Deepak Pandit and co-produced by Gaurav Vaswani.

Strangely, the credits don't mention the poet Nazeer Baqri. Singers and labels must make it a point to do so. His lines are intense - "Dhuan bana ke fiza mein uda diya mujhko, main jal raha tha, kisine bujha diya mujhko".

The song is from the upcoming album Eternal. The video is shot live and features a host of musicians with Deepak Pandit on violin and Bhagirath Bhatt on sitar. Pratibha's rendition retains the soul of the Lata original, and she has good qualities of expression.

Gorillaz feat. Trueno, Proof and Indian artistes/ The Manifesto

Label: Kong 

Rating: ***

British musician and producer Damon Albarn's project Gorillaz is due to release its album The Mountain early next year. What's of interest for Indian audiences is that it has guest appearances by the legendary Asha Bhosle, sitar exponent Anoushka Shankar and a host of other Indian musicians.

The second single 'The Manifesto' has many Indian artistes but its main stars are Argentinian rapper Trueno, who sings in Spanish, and late Detroit rapper Proof, who chips in with some English lines.

The underlying sound has a strong Indian influence, as it features a choir filled with Indian singers, a brass section by Hindu Jea Band Jaipur, percussion by Viraj Acharya and tabla by Bharat Singh. Flautist Ajay Prasanna is there in parts but though their names are mentioned, sarod players Amaan and Ayaan Ali Bangash aren't really heard.

The song has a catchy hook in the early part, but at seven minutes and 19 seconds, it's way too long. Despite the iinteresting genre mix and tempo changes, it drags after four minutes.

DJ Lyan, Iykki Berry & Riko Dan/ Block 

Label: Desi Trill

Rating: ** 1/2

Here's another hip-hop-laced dancefloor number featuring Indian artistes and other collaborators. The tie-up is between British producer DJ Lyan, Tamil singer Iykki Berry and British grime heavyweight Riko Dan.

'Block' is a blend of high-energy electronic dance music; rap in Tamil and Riko's Jamaica- influenced Cockney vocals. It's fine for clubs but quite uni-dimensional in its composition, despite the interesting mix of Tamil and grime, a UK sub-genre of hip-hop. Beyond a point, it begins to jar.




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