Top Indian Songs of the week 10th September2023

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Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 10th September 2023. 

1. Monochrome

Performed by Bombay Dub Orchestra, Bulli Bainbridge, Nushious

Written by Bulli Bainbridge, Nushious

Produced by Bulli Bainbridge, Andrew T. Mackay

Language: English

Genre: Jazz

I love how Indian Jazz artists are taking control and putting out their best work out there for us to consume and cherish. We have Anusha Subramney a.k.a. nushious, a singer, composer and guitarist with the 2 piece act called 'Second Sight'. She is performing the vocals here in a brilliant chart-topping Jazz single co-written by Bulli Bainbridge and herself. 

Bombay Dub Orchestra is also a 2 piece project focussing on electronic and orchestral music with Andrew T Mackay and Garry Hughes. They are performing here and enthralling us every step of the way just like nushious. The Double Bass, Trumpets and the mild drums dominate the proceedings, with the Piano joining slowly but steadily. The song is produced by Bulli and Andrew and by multiple notches owing to the arrangements 

Once she sings the title line, we get added elements like the vocal harmonies and the solo violin in the background. nushious delivers a stupendous vocal performance, that tests many of her abilities, but she knocks every curveball out of the park. It is called Monochrome, but we get to see so many vivid colours getting painted by the vocalist, instrumentalists and producers. Louis Dowdeswell plays the Trumpet, Andrew McGuinness is the drummer, Andrew T Mackay plays the Piano, and Joshua Rodrigues is on the Double Bass. Juie does the artwork. 

@bullibainbridge @bombayduborchestra @louistpt @folkestone_drum_shop @andrewtmackay @juiekablooey @sherfiffmumbles @abbeyroadstudios @nushious 

2. Yearning 

Performed by Anubha Kaul, Chirag Todi

Written by Anubha Kaul, Chirag Todi, Sreenath Sreenivisan

Produced by Raag Sethi

Language: English

Genre: Jazz

If it was Jazz music you were yearning for well your prayers have been answered. The second consecutive Jazz single is here and we have another set of brilliant musicians on display. Anubha Kaul has been featured more times by me that I have fingers, and that is no cause for surprise. Just stop reading and listen to her voice and the confident delivery. She is one of the very best in the business and Anubha goes a long way in leveraging her gifted vocals. 

The song is heavy on the guitar elements and this is where Chirag Todi and Raag Sethi kick in. Raag produced the song with Pritul Chauhan on drums and Kandarp Kavishwar on Keys. Sreenath Sreenivasan writes the lyrics. The lead, bass guitars and Keys combine beautifully. The scat-singing by Anubha around the 90-second mark is pure gold and I cannot see any reason why this might end up being among the best vocal performances in 2023. 

 I am struggling to write here because I would rather close my eyes and enjoy the madness. The solo on the guitar by Chirag is nothing short of a sensation and stuff like this can keep even a bored lifeless soul charged for days. The song also has some terrific writing by Sreenath, which can get lost amidst all the vocal and instrumental supremacy around. Protyay Chakraborty is the mix/master engineer who has quite a task and comes out tops. 

@raagsethi @anubhaaaa @sreenath1 @compassboxstudio @pritul_chauhan @kandarp_kavishwar @protyaych

3. Taiy Nahi Kiya Abhi

Singer: Papon

Lyrics: Kausar Munir 

Music composed and produced by: Tapas Relia 

Language: Hindi

Genre: Tumri

Last year Modern Love Hyderabad was on Amazon Prime and I remember it had some amazing songs, I did end up featuring a beautiful track sung by Vidhya Gopal and Chandana Bala Kalyan called "Madhitho Madhi", composed by Tapas Relia. I have been waiting for his next big project and here is something as beautiful and precious as the Goldfish. 

The EP has 5 amazing songs and I'll be featuring 3 at least with a full EP review on my Instagram account very soon. The moment the genius Purbayan Chaterjee plays the Sitar in the intro, I felt a breeze of Raag Bhageshree. Combine that with the slow and sentimental Pianos and we get magic straightaway. Papon says the opening phrase and then you can sense that your heart skipped a beat. We can only feel blessed to be listening to such greats. Tapas generates so much power by bringing all these forces like Purbayan and Papon together, arranging and producing the songs. 

I am reminded of an old song called "Nilave ennidam Nerungathe" composed by MS Vishwanathan and sung amazingly by PB Sreenivos, when I hear the Sthayi of this Tumri style single by Tapas. The effect of the Pianos and Tabla cannot be expressed as well with words but needs to be experienced. Purbayan plays the same notes in the interlude before digressing into some beautiful notes. Vinayak Metke plays the gentle Tabla, without overpowering. This is pure bliss and kudos to Tapas for staying true and composing music that heals. He is also the mix/master engineer. 

@tapasrelia @kausarmunir @paponmusic @vinayaknetke @purbayanch 

4. Kshan Kalche

Singers - Nandini Srikar & Gulraj Singh

Music - Gulraj Singh

Lyricist - Guru Thakur

Language: Marathi

Genre: Ballad

This is a piece of history happening right here. Not often have I featured 3 songs from the same album in consecutive weeks. I can count the occasions with one of my hands in more than 4 years. That is something unique and Gulraj Singh deserves praise. Please go check out the new Marathi EP 'Unaad', currently streaming on all platforms. 

This song is slow, and sombre and hits you like drops of saline into your system. Gulraj proves that, if a composer has a good underlying melody, that is more than half the job done. It is a lesson to young composers who depend on remixes and blatant/uncredited inspirations to create a tune. Nandini Srikar has this stunning voice and you are destined to be drawn to it. 

We get a beautifully crafted and executed interlude with Shon Pinto on guitars and a strings section with Abhijit Mazumdar, Prakash Varma, Chandar Makwana on Violins, Sanju Varma & Raju Padiyar on Violas and Sujan Chetry on the Cello. The Keys and synths are not going quietly into the night, we can hear them too, along with the vocal harmonies. Guru Thakur, Nandini and Gulraj collectively sink our hearts with this song. 

Gulraj scores highly in his ability to provide a surprise, and this is visible even in the stanza where he takes an unpredictable route when it comes to chord progression. Take the example of the bridge section, many Indian songs especially in the movie space, will stick with a sthayi, antara, then have 1 or two sanchari segments. But Gulraj has a bridge section with Gulraj himself singing the high-pitched section after a beautiful string section-led interlude. Long after the song is over, the chorus humming stays on the mind. This song is a thing of beauty.

@gulraj_singh @zeemusicmarathi @guruthakurofficial @amey.music @shonpinto1 @axe_mix @vincent.joseph.96 @aditya_a_sarpotdar @nandini_srikar

5. Beparda

Singers: Rekha Bhardwaj, Rohan Pradhan & Rohan Rohan

Music: Rohan Rohan

Lyrics: Rohan Gokhale

Arranged by Rohan Rohan 

Additional arrangement by Avi Lohar 

Language: Hindi

Genre: Light Music

The amount of good music floating around is so refreshing. amidst all the hyper-noise on massy messy music. Rohan-Rohan has been on my radar for a long time and has also been featured in 2022 for some amazing music in Marathi. Here is a beautiful EP for the movie called "Haddi" on Zee5 and I loved 3 songs, Here is one of them. Rohan Pradhan starts with that high-pitched intro, and then Rekha Bharadwaj takes full and final control in her usual style. The only option left to a music lover is to surrender and take in all the anointed beauty of the song. 

The opening alap is written by Sadd Khan with a specific line "Bairaagi Rooh ne Rutba Paya re" penned by Manoj Yadav. The rest of the song is written by Rohan Gokhale. Prasad Rahane plays the gentle, but unmissable Sitar solo, accompanied by Ishan Das on guitars right through. There are amazing similarities to an AR Rahman composition, purely based on the tone and sound design and this is meant to be a compliment of the highest order. Rohan-Rohan have done the arrangements with additional work by Avi Lohar. 

The second interlude has Ishan Das playing the electric guitar in the lead and then having an acoustic guitar layer too. A nice bridge section follows with a strings section in the background. The Sitar and Dhol-Dholak combination with a Qawwali-style outro is just the icing on the cake. Rajendra Salunke plays the mild Shehnai in the background. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Partha Protim Das At Euphony Studio

One more song I did like, particularly for the outrageous vocals was 'Bas Aaj Ki Raat' sung by Wrisha Dutta. She displays unbelievable energy and exhibits a tremendous ability to sing with such strenuous pressure on her cords. The slide guitar, bass guitar and trumpet arrangements are out of this world. Well done Rohan-Rohan. 

@rohanrohanofficial @rekha_bhardwaj @zeemusiccompany @avilohar @manojyadavwrites @prasadrahane @ishandas_666 @rajendra1212_salunke @euphony_studio 

6. Baavi Kaape

Music Director – Bindhumalini

Singer : Bindhumalini

Lyrics: Trilok Trivikrama

Arrangement - Bindhumalini and Anjana Rajagopalan

Music Production - Sridhar Varadarajan

Language: Kannada

Genre: Retro/Light Music

When you have two outrageously talented musicians working together, you will end up with an unmissable piece of work. It takes you to Europe straightaway with the Accordion and the Strings section, along with the mild Horns section. I am referring to Bindhumalini and Anjana Rajagopalan who are amazing musicians and they have worked together on the arrangements of this song, which is a highlight. The two women also have played backing vocalists with Bindhumalini also playing the lead. 

I am eagerly waiting to watch the movie 'Aachar & Co' on Amazon Prime, not only for the story and visuals but also for the BGM score by composer Bindhumalini. The songs too have been composed by her and I like this along with the 'Bengaluru's Suprabhata' song in the album. The woodwinds soon follow, but the one that captivates me the most is the Veena solo. Bindhumalini begins to sing with a strain of innocence, probably which is always associated with the 1960s and 1970s. 

The anupallavi gets more interesting with a slightly more dominant strings section in the background. I am reminded of the uber-famous 'Kalyana Samayal Sadham' from the old movie "Maaya Bazaar". Trilok Trivikrama is the lyricist and Sridhar Varadarajan is the music producer. It is a feel-good song that is definitive of the times in which the story of the movie is told. Hriday Goswami is the mix/master engineer at X-noise Studio Guwahati and Pranava Studios, Bangalore

@bindhumalini @hridaygoswami @anjanarajagopalan_musician @haritharajveena @triloka_trivikrama @sridharvaradarajan @divomusicofficial

7. Mera Apana Aasma

Singer - Romy

Music - Mehul Vyas

Lyricist - Mukund Bhalerao

It is a little-known film, called 'Akelli' and it has some okayish songs with 4 different composers. I did not find them to be appealing except for this raging anthem that reminded me of AR Rahman's 'Chale Chalo' from the album "Lagaan". Mehul Vyas is the composer and we have one of my favourite singers Romy on vocals.

This song too is inspired by Raag Jog just like 'Chale Chalo', except maybe when the interludes have shades of Raag Charukeshi. This is excellently done by Mehul who brings in the Middle Eastern flavour by using the Rubab and maybe the Duduk. The solid percussions add to the flavours of the Arabian region and Romy's astounding and passionate vocals inspire even a weak soul. Mukund Bhalero writes these amazing words that urge you on. He sings with gusto and some creativity too as he goes " Harr parinda sunke keh de " and follows with a nice ghamak and mild aalap. Kudos to Mehul for the arrangements, programming and production of this quality. 

@mehulvyas.music @reshmaamorajkar @zeemusiccompany @mainhoonromy @mukundbhaleroa @dashami_official 

8. Kasam Se

Singer: Armaan Malik

Music: Amaal Mallik 

Lyrics: Kunaal Vermaa 

Additional Songwriting: Armaan Malik 

Music Producer: Vaibhav Pani 

Language: Hindi

Genre: Indie Pop

Simplicity is beautiful, and I stand by this adage even more now after listening to this song. There are so many songs that might even demand more from him vocally, but here Armaan Malik delivers a stunning rendition that touches your heart. Amaal Mallik is a composer who makes a mark with a lovable, hummable melody. Armaan takes part in some additional songwriting as well. Vaibhav Pani is the 3rd pillar in the song as he plays the gentle guitars and also handles the production. The song's beauty should also be credited to the sound design and this is where Vaibhav takes the cake. Kunaal Vermaa writes these amazing words that can floor anyone. 

After the title line, we get the Pianos and the female humming in the background to add depth. It is not just the guitar strumming, we can hear elements of the string section in the background. Kasam Se, this is one of the most beautiful songs I have heard this year and I would choose this to sing and play the guitars to if I want to woo someone. Vaibhav is the mixing engineer at VibeHub Studio and Dale Becker & Fili Filizzola @ Becker Mastering handle mastering responsibilities. 

@armaanmalik @amaal_mallik @kunaalvermaa @warnermusicindia @vaibhavpani @jaymehtagram @anishagaba @alwaysmusicglobal 

9. Saaya

Sung, Written and Composed by: Hriday Gattani

Additional Programming: Nakul Abhyankar

Language: Hindi

Genre: Electronic Pop

When you have worked under tutelage and learnt the art from proximity to AR Rahman, the quality is bound to show up in the work when you go solo. Hriday Gattani has been doing very well and I have featured him almost every time he has released a single, or even his amazing EP "Jukebox of History". Now he comes up with another fantastic single, written, composed and sung by him and he gets all the additional programming done by another of AR Rahman's talented trainees Nakul Bhyankar. 

Saaya is some splendid Pop with a huge electronic style influence, thanks to the Keys and synths. The rhythms are pleasing and get groovy but let us not forget to give credit to Hriday's amazing vocal exhibition. He improvises and does very interesting mild vibrato all of which add gloriously to the song. I see a very strong resemblance to the recent song from 'Jawan' called 'Chaleya' but to me, this is a much better song with greater variations and more lasting impact. 

We can hear the guitars, and the tonal influence of AR Rahman too. The highlight for me was the moment that we got to hear the "lalalala la laiy laiy la la" humming along with the strong Pianos in the background. The bridge section too offers a great deal of surprises and the production is intense and allows the listener to pick and choose his/her favourite moment from a wide variety. Nakul does a brilliant job as well. Harshil Pathak does the Dolby Atmos mix and Gething John does the mastering. 

@hridaygattani @nakulabhyankar @mox.asia @nirmika @believemusic @blackacidproduction @hafod_mastering 

10. Hota Hai Ji Hota Hai

Singer and Music - B Praak

Lyricist and Composer - Jaani

Producer - Arvindr Khaira and Jaani

Music arranged and programmed by:- Gaurav Dev and Kartik Dev 

Language: Hindi

Genre: Filmi Rock

'Zohrajabeen' is a fantastic album and I did cover a song in my weeklies and also did a full album review last week on Instagram. Here is another worthy song which boasts amazing writing, vocals, composition and production.

B Praak has produced and performed this stunner. When he sings and utters these emotionally charged words written by Jaani, they feel believable and relatable. I can understand the pain of a lover with Praak's delivery style and intensity. The humming along with the drums, electric guitars and Keys create magical interventions. Gaurav Dev and Kartik Dev are responsible for the splendid arrangements and programming. 

The stanza is reflective of the brilliant writing, and Praak's singing only gets inside your system. 

@bpraak @jaani777 @iamgauravdev @kartikdevofficial 

11. Khoya Khoya

Composed and performed by KL Pamei

Produced and composed by Kevi Pucho 

Written by Ram Mahajan

As we come to the end of the weekly list, we are treated to some pleasant music, love songs that are dominated by just touching vocals and enticing acoustic guitar riffs. KL Pamei has composed and sung this like a captivating dream. He flows into the falsetto zone with ease and elan. The vocal harmonies by Pamei and Alin Imsong are equally amazing as the lead and make this song a top choice for a great sundowner romance with a loved one. Another popular and talented indie musician Abdon Mech plays acoustic guitars. 

The lyrics are penned by Ram Mahajan, and the song's melody and production is by Kevi Pucho. The song has a fusion of Western pop along with some Indian folk elements in the background, thanks to the production. Kevi is also the mix/master engineer. Akok Imsong plays the Keys and Augustine Eliem is the bassist. 

@klpamei @kevipucho @abdonmech @akok_ims @augustine.eliem @linou_imsongg @elementindienagaland @ram_mahajan_music