Naren's indie round-up/ May 2026,.Ep 3

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR

Divyam Sodhi feat. Anirudh Varma Collective/ Aas

Language & genre: Hindi, semi-classical

Label: Self-released 

Rating: ****

In this dream collaboration, the immensely talented vocalist Divyam Sodhi teams up with the brilliant Delhi-based Anirudh Varma Collective (AVC).

On 'Aas', Divyam is accompanied by Anirudh Varma's keyboards, Rohan Prasanna's sarod and Ishan Sharma's tabla as he sings, "Kaise main jaane doon, piya tohe aaj, nainon ki tu hi hai aas". The song talks about longing and has a semi-classical feel. It has also been performed with the label first.wav by Divyam with Khwaab and Aaghaz.

The video has an intimate drawing room setting. There's a picture of the late Kavya Singh, vocalist with AVC. This is an apt tribute - Divyam, Kavya and AVC had earlier performed together on the melodious 'Mausam'.

Aanchal Srivastava & Swarupa Ananth/ Charkha

Language & genre: Punjabi, Sufi-folk

Label: Self-released 

Rating: *** 1/2

There have been numerous renditions of Sufi poet Baba Bulleh Shah's 'Charkha', and here's a new one featuring singer Aanchal Srivastava and percussionist Swarupa Ananth aka Tablanaari.

Here, 'charkha' or spinning wheel is used as a metaphor for the heart. The main lines are, "Ve mahiya tere vekhan nu, chuk charkha gali de vich paawan". Production is handled by Swarupa and Sukrit Srivastava, and the sound is layered with earthy folk structures and vibrant rhythms.

The tempo picks up at the end, but the changeover is too brief to create impact. Enjoy the catchiness of most of the song.

Aseem Trivedi/ Murshid

Language & genre: Hindi, pop

Label: Self-released 

Rating: *** 1/2

On 'Murshid', singer-songwriter Aseem Trivedi talks of not only a guide or mentor, but a person who gives one's emotions direction and meaning. Lyrically, it's a strong song, with the lines, "Tu hi mera murshid, bairi, jaan-e-gar, tu mere rab da kalma, saara jag tu".

Aseem's voice texture has a scratichiness which may take a few listens to get used to. But he's expressive and uses words and pauses with care. The instrumentation builds up from a very faint acoustic guitar backdrop, with percussion coming in only after a minute and 22 seconds. The harmonies at the end lend variety, and Keshav Dhar's production is neat.

It's a slightly offbeat composition, with a Sufi inspiration, but that works in its favour.

Archit Daniel/ Tu Bus Tu 

Language & genre: Hindi, pop

Label: BangOn

Rating: ***

After his single 'Bebasi' last year, singer Archit Daniel comes up with 'Tu Bas Tu'.

It's a regular love song with a pleasant tune and lines that would appeal to youngsters. The words are nothing new, examples being, "Teri yaadon ke saaye mein raatein jo kaati woh katati hai kyon nahin abhi, har ghadi tu hi tu aise aaye ke saanson mein teri khushboo rahi".

Archit is joined by co-composer Akshay Mishra and producer Prashant Chaudhary. Maybe good for a date or a drive.

Purbayan Chatterjee & Mark Lettieri/ Soar

Language & genre: Instrumental, Indo-fusion

Label: GroundUp Music 

Rating: ****

After collaborating with jazz fusion group Snarky Puppy's Michael League, sitar exponent Purbayan Chatterjee teams up with the band's guitarist Mark Lettieri. The track is featured on the forthcoming album Feathered Creatures, which also has the melodic second single '9000 Miles'.

On 'Soar', rhe duo teams up with producer Nakul Chugh, who also plays keyboards and adds the vocal flourishes in the background. Both Purbayan and Mark produce smooth phrases, complementing each other well.

Prabhat Gharat's video focuses on the two main musicians, occasionally showing faint images of Nakul. The uncredited drummer is hidden behind curtains. He still soars with his inputs.






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