Top Indian Songs of the week 11th Aug 2024

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Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 11th August 2024

1. Memories

Lyrics, Composition: Brecilla

Production, Arrangement, Mixing and Mastering: Pranav Kamat

Language: English

Genre: Ballad Pop

Mood: Contemplative

I wanted to listen to this song in May, but I guess my Memory didn't serve me right. Anyway, a good record needs to be given its due credit and praise, so better late than never! I am a fan of Brecilla's work as she stands tall in this landscape of mediocre music. She is a musician with gifted vocal abilities and when she writes a melody like this you only have to earmark her name and keep tracking her releases like a religious ritual. 

The Keys come in and flow like a gentle steam, also played Brecilla and the humming pierces through my heart. The singing starts hitting me like a nail, and the lyrics are equally incisive. We all get up one day and feel an inexplicable range of emotions at play. Thank God, I at least can listen to such music and relate to the emotions and thanks to the stunning quality I might even be able to recover out of the low. Pranav Kamat who is a usual suspect in all of Brecilla's acts is the man who has done the arrangements and musical production. 

I love the heavy sound of the Piano, and one line that will haunt me for the rest of 2024 is "But I wish we'd make more memories Before you decided to leave". Kudos to Brecilla for the chord progression here, especially the second half of the line which was unexpected and satisfying. Pay attention to the accompanying Saxophone (played by Brecilla) when the words "before you" is sung. The sadness here felt like a whiff of Raag Charukeshi in disguise. The backing vocals are performed by Nidhi Aswal and Brecilla and the harmonies are arranged to perfection. 

Pranav plays the guitars and the production is something that elevates the song despite its melody already being captivating. The vocal performance will give other contenders a run for the money in the race for the 'Best Vocals of 2024'. Nothing smells as good as the perfect end, and here we have Brecilla singing " But I think I held you close long enough, Now it is time for you to leave". I'll say no more. 

@brecilladsouza @pranavkmt @babybluu8

2. Le Chal Saaware

Composed by Agnee

Lyrics by Abbas Tyrewala

Singer - Mohan Kannan

Language: Hindi

Genre: Rock

Mood: Contemplative

We have the second season of 'Soundchk' with the music label of Merchant Records promoting and distributing this unique venture that celebrates Indian Rock music. The band Agnee is one of India's finest, and I have been a huge fan of their work. Here we have a spellbinding rock record thanks to the melody and vocals. Mohan Kannan is memerising beyond compare and he brings this delicate texture combined with a very semi-classical style of delivery while performing the lead vocals. 

John Jaideep Thirumalai plays the bass guitar and Koco is the lead guitarist and the two combine quite effectively without taking up the spotlight from Mohan's vocals. The number of variations in the title phrase "Le chal saaware" that Mohan brings on board and the improvisations in the lines "khul ja sabhi parchaiyaan" are poetic. Koco jumps in with the electric guitar solo and Hrishikesh Datar provides the oomph on drums. The chorus segment could go on for minutes and I would just sway and keep listening to it. 

The music production is by Koco and he sizzles with absolute profanity in the interlude playing the electric guitar solo. The verse that follows is written beautifully, in a way I would have never expected. Mohan Kannan, take a bow, as this song is like a vehicle that transports me to paradise and his singing is the fuel for that. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Abhishek Khandelwal, assisted by Dileep Nair are YRF studios. Abhsiek and Dileep are also the recording engineers along with Anurag Sawangikar at Studio Manic, Pune. 

@agneelive @merchant_records @salimsulaimanmusic @themohalife @mohankannanofficial @theofficialkoco @royalewithcheese88 @hrishidatar @abbas.tyrewala @shivansh.j @nidhi_ketan

3. O Raahi 

Lyrics: Tanushree Dwivedi

Composition: Ashley Joseph

Arrangement: Ashley Joseph & Denvin Lawrence

Vocals: Tanushree 

Language: Hindi

Genre: Rock fusion

Mood: Happy

I have been pleasantly surprised this week with some new artists and bands. This band called "Zehen" from Bengaluru blew me away. It is not often that you start hearing a song in the rock genre and a solo violin comes along and hits you like a whiff of fresh air. Krishnaraj MP stuns you with that violin when you least expect it, and then the song moves on to focus on the lead vocals of Tanushree Dwivedi. She has this coarse texture that I find quite attractive as a quality for a lead vocalist. I am in awe when she sings " raahon mein kya rakha he" with a nice subtle ghamaka on every note and word. 

Ashley Joseph plays the acoustic and bass guitars and he has written the song's melody. We also get some backing vocal support from Shambhavi Dwivedi. The rock genre gets amplified in its portrayal thanks to Rahul Rajesh on drums and James Stephenus on electric guitar. Krishnaraj comes back to haunt you with the interlude on the solo violin and all I can do is close my eyes and take in all the goodness. The song just never ceases to surprise with Tanushree switching over to English lines. You feel the freedom when she sings "For the first time in my life, I know what it is like to be free". There is an influence or maybe a hat-tip moment in the line " I speak for the lost child in me", to Cranberries' singer Dolores Riordan when she performed "Zombie". 

Denvin Lawrence is the Piano and Synths with all the stunning arrangements handled by Ashley Joseph and Denvin. We are treated to some more magic on the electric guitar solo in the interlude by James and the song is like one akshaya patra, giving more and more. The bridge section has the introduction of percussions by Ramkumar S. The outro is a fine and fitting end to the song with the sentimental vocal and violin mix in slower tempo. Leslie Charles is the recording engineer and the tracks are mixed and mastered by Jayakrishnan Nalinkumar at The Audio Guys Institute. 

@zehenmusic @denvinlawrence @ashleysir @ramrhythms @krishnarajviolin @tanushree_zehen @james.stephenus @rahulrajeshdrums @aaryamusic 

4. Fault in Thy Heart

Performed by Many Roots Ensemble, RANJ, Sampriti

Written by Ranjani Ramadoss, Sampriti Dastidar

Language: English

Genre: Blues Hip-Hop

Mood: Groovy

When I heard this whole album "Echoes of Origin", the one song that truly stood out for me was called "Fault in Thy Heart". The groovy bass guitars by Souvik Bhattacharya, sensitive drums by Abhishek Debsikdar, and the sensual saxophone by Jarry Rodrigues are giant killers in the song's intro segment. Many Roots Ensemble as the name suggests is a collaborative multi-genre group with varying musicians. Here the band gets on board some sizzling talent like RANJ and Sampriti to perform with enthusiasm. 

The performances scale upwards and the live instrumentalists of the band take us through one unforgettable bluesy ride. SubinKhan plays the lead guitars and I also love the vocal harmony arrangements. If you thought RANJ a.k.a. Ranjani Ramadoss was too much to handle, well then think again. A month or so ago I featured Pink Moss for a superlative record and their lead vocalist Sampriti turns on the heat alongside RANJ. There are two interludes with one dominated by the Sax and the other by the bassist and these give me confidence that music is in safe hands in India. 

@manyrootsensemble @ranjaniramadoss @sampritisimii @ala.santosh @jarrydrordigues @kubid.san @savvyboom @debdrums89 

5. Hum

Vocals by Niranjan Menon, Kiara Fernandes 

Written by Archit Vashishth, Niranjan Menon

Produced by Niranjan Menon

Language: Hindi

Genre: Semi-classical Rock

Mood: Contemplative

It has been a while since I had Niranjan Menon featured on this website, and in a way, I am glad his latest single belongs to the top draw. The song had me going into this whirlwind of thoughts and ideas as I heard the intro. Nihal Azad plays the flute solo and that reminds me of "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion. The soft rock tendencies with the Piano, and electric guitar feel like an ode to "Tears in Heaven" by Eric Clapton. I am already intrigued by the song's arrangements and production and credit goes to Niranjan.

Nigel Fernandes plays the bass guitar and the immersive vocals by Niranjan cover us like a thick cloud. The melody is so beautiful that it makes me wanna close my eyes and stop typing. Are there mild influences of Raag Bihag? I love the verse where the lines come up "Teri Meri Kahaani Mai Ghum Hu, Aaage Khaali Panne Toh Na Hai?", especially with the pause and notes of the phrase "Toh Na Hai". Well done Niranjan on writing a melody like this, that inspires, and arrests the attention of a listener. Akshat Khari makes his foray on drums just when we get to the second verse with the lines " Ab Aa Phir Chalein", the words are written by PYSA and Niranjan. 

Kiara Fernandes can be heard in the background vocals and the production has a layer of strings section too. The Swaras are followed by "beh ja" and this segment comes in with an increasing tempo and feels like Raag Jog. A fitting pacifying end comes with the acoustic guitar and Piano in the outro. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Hersh Desai, with Jose Cherian and Pratiksha as recording engineers. The artwork is by Aryan Menon, Namrata Hangala and Alvina Dsouza handle the content preparation. 

@niranjanmenonn @psyaprod @kiarafernandes3 @nyoferno @akshat_kharii @nihal_azad @hersh.desai.9 @jose.cherian12 @praps28 

@trueschoolmusic @studio.joshuainc @pinko.archive @alvina._.dsouza @namrata_hangala @madverse.music @symphony.os 

6. Kitna Aasaan

Singer- Rekha Bhardwaj

Composer- Varun Jain

Lyrics - JUNO

Music Producers - Yashkirat Singh, Nakul Chugh, Varun Jain

Language: Hindi

Genre: Light Music

Mood: Happy

Rekha ji is one of our finest performers and when she gets a song like this, she will deliver it with such immense majesty that it ends up among the week's very best. Her vocals and tone are in prime form but one has to be thankful to composer Varun Jain for writing a good melody. Tushar Sharma plays the guitar and bass and they become important spokes in the wheel. The raag is Yaman according to me and it brings such warmth hearing this beautiful melody, especially when Rekha ji sings with a childish innocence. 

Then we get that flowy Keys and well done Yashkirat Singh, Nakul Chugh and Varun Jain for the amazing music production. I am transported into paradise as I hear the vocals, the string section in the background and the Keys. The stanza gets things pushed by one notch higher thanks to the melody. Something that is missing in all Bollywood music albums, is a song like that has an honest and originally penned melody. Nakul and Tushar are the backing vocalists. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Hanish Taneja. JUNO is the lyricist who give us the wonderful words that fit the melody and song's message so well. 

@varun_wave @junoversse @rekha_bhardwaj @vanitaharihaaran @avvishadesai @artistefirst @nakulchughh @mixedbyhanish

7. Pacha Pachani

Singer: SP Charan

Lyrics: Purna Chary

Music: Gopi Sundar

Song Arranged And Produced By: Gopi Sundar

Language: Telugu

Genre: Light Music

Mood: Romantic

The flute solo in the intro is like the sound of a bee that whizzes past you, just that the melody here is sweet nectar to our ears. Josy Alappuzha is a master of the woodwinds and he displays that in full flow here. It is so endearing to hear SP Charan sing the lead vocals, and it feels like he has a fresh lease of life of late. I did enjoy his recent live performance for Maestro Ilaiyaraja in Chennai too. 

The accompanying acoustic guitar strumming is strong and plays a vital role in the song's output. Sumesh Parameswar is the guitarist and the ensuing kids' chorus is a beautiful segment thanks to Aasrith Raghava, Veda Vaagdevi and Tanishka. The arrangements in the interlude take us back to the golden of 1990s when composers had so much to offer in every song. Josy plays the sax solo as well and Gopi Sundar establishes himself yet again as a dependable composer/producer in Tollywood. 

We also have the dream combination of the Nadaswaram by OK Gopi and Thavil in the second interlude and the way the vocal harmonies of the kids are arranged lifts the song up by multiple levels. Cyriac George and Rajath Raveendran work on the additional programming. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Balu Thankachan @20dB Black Chennai. The recording engineers are Srinath Komanduri, Rajath Raveendran, Joe Antony, Nevin C Delson and Gopi Sundar. The music production managers are Babu Velayudhan and Priya Nair

@gopisundar__official @jungleemusicsouth @hassini_sudhir @parameswarsumesh @josy_alappuzha @thebaluthankachan @

8. Bhoole Na

Vocals, Lyrics & Composition: Siddhant Sharma

Guitars, Backing Vocals, Composition & Production: Adil Rashid

Language: Hindi

Genre: Rock

Mood: Energetic

This 4 piece rock band called "Underground Authority" for sure is exhibiting their authority in the specialised area. I haven't featured them before but I am glad I came across this song and within a few seconds I was convinced of the sheer quality that I was lending my ears to. The band boasts of Siddhant Sharma on vocals, Sourish Kumar as the drummer, Soumyadeep Bubbla Bhattacharya as the bassist and Adil Rashid on guitars. 

The verse sounds like a gentle soft rock song with the acoustic guitars and lead vocals alone leading the way. The moment we come to the chorus segment, things get enthralling and inspiring, and the lead guitar, drums and bass guitars take us through solace and amazement. The vocal performance feels like listening to famous Indian rock bands where the lead vocals carry an influence of Indian classical music, at least in the style of delivery. 

The interlude has this fantastic guitar solo, reminding me of Eagles' 'Hotel California'. The melody continues to impress with a fine bridge section as well. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Sajid 'Sarj' Masood at The House of Sarj. The song's melody and lyrics are written by Siddhant, and the music production and backing vocals have been done by Adil. 

@ua_official_insta @adil_rashid_official @sourishkumar_11 @siddhant_sharma.music @bubblabass @talentwala.in @shaeriganguly_23 @thehouseofsarj

9. Elomelo Raat

Singer - Shreya Ghoshal

Music - Indraadip Dasgupta

Lyrics - Barish

Music Production- Shamik Chakravarty

Language: Bangla

Genre: Light Music

Mood: Happy

Indraadip Dasgupta is responsible for creating some very fresh sounds and his music breaks away from any cliched clutches of Bangla music, as we know it. Nirmalya Humtu Dey draws us in with the beautiful woodwinds in the intro, accompanied by a mild humming by Shreya Ghoshal. An interesting combination of acoustic guitars by John Paul and the Tabla by Sreedharan Acharya and Mustaq Khan works wonders. 

The string section arrangement in the background is another noteworthy element in the song. Indraadip is the composer, but it is Shamik Chakravathy who handles all the music production. The interlude on the accordion with the percussions feels like a Western influence. The stanza is a full exhibition by Shreya Ghoshal on her crazy capabilities as a vocalist. She decorates every note with such finesse and beauty. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Subhadeep Mitra and the musical assistant is Debayan Bannerjee. The lyrics are penned by Baarish. 

@shreyaghoshal @indraadeep @barish_lyrics @itsmeabirchatterjee @subhashreeganguly_real @sauraseni1 @rajchoco @rcepvt

10. Kadala Nodo

Arranged, Produced, Mixed and Mastered by Varun Murali at The Red Music Box

Composed by Saroj Kashyap

Female Vocals: Saroj Kashyap

Male Vocals: Viyan Dsouza

Language: Kannada

Genre: Soft Rock

Mood: Pathos

Saro Kashyap is a wonderful talent, who I have featured and in fact, her song "Dancing with my Demons" is something that you should all listen to right away. It was one of the top 3 English Indie songs of 2023. Here she is making her debut in Kannada, and when I asked her if she knew Charan Raj, the brilliant music composer, her answer was something along the lines of "Hell yeah". I am glad this young musician has created something beautiful in Kannada and, maybe thanks to the inspiration provided by masters like Charan Raj, it feels like a long and enriching walk along the sandy beaches along the Karnataka coast.  

Saroj has successfully employed a sweet and heart-warming tone to this delivery and when you listen to "Dancing with the demons" you will understand how skilled she is at this transformation. Deepa Baraati pens the lyrics in Kannada and the English words are written by Saroj herself. Aiashwarya Asthana has contributed for the lyrics too. The guitars alone support Saroj's vocals, and then slowly the heavy percussions and the harmonies come on like a wall of waves one after another. The solo on the electric guitar is a beautiful interlude intervention and that leads to Viyan Dsouza performing the English lyrics. 

@buzzychords @viyandsouza @deepabaraati @dynasly @aiashwarya_asthana

11. Muzmahil

Composed by Hitesh Madan, Ariv Madan

Lyrics by Ariv Madan, Payal Madan, Hitesh Madan

Vocals by Ariv Madan and Advy Madan

Language: Hindi

Genre: Alt-Rock

Mood: Energetic

Hitesh Rikki Madan must be appreciated for creating a wonderful platform for his sons Ariv and Advy to perform, write and shine as musicians and based on what I have heard, their future is bright. The melody is composed by Hitesh and Ariv and the two young boys are on lead vocals. This Alt-Rock genre is enhanced thanks to bass by Ariv, lead guitars by Hitesh and drums by Advy. The lyrics are penned by Ariv, Payal and Hitesh. 

I was stunned to hear the excellent execution of the falsetto, singing the title line. Hitesh plays the keyboards and handles the music production, getting all his experience on board. The verses are kept simple with minimal background sound, and that lets the listener engage with the vocals and the lyrics. The intervention on the lead guitar is spot on adding the required fizz. The harmonies are nicely executed and arranged, magnifying the impact on the chorus segment. The solo on the guitar gives an absolute face-melting moment towards the outro. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Anindo Bose at Plug N Play Studios. Hitesh and Rohan Solomon are the recording engineers at ARIA Studios and Synergy Audio Productions respectively. 

@aahrmblive @hiteshrikkimadan @arrivmadan @advymadan @payalsmadan @rohansolomon @synergyaudiopro @anindobose @plugnplaystudios @ariamusicsolutions @horusmusicindia

12. Mileya

Music Composer - Akashdeep Sengupta

Singers- Akashdeep Sengupta, Nikhita Gandhi

Lyrics- Shubham Shirule

Song Produced & Arranged by Ishan Das

Language: Punjabi

Genre: Pop

Mode: Romantic

There are a few talented musicians involved in this record and that should settle any doubts about how good this song's output can be. The music is composed by Akashdeep Sengupta who has been featured a few times for his nicely written melodies and this too sounds satisfying, especially when we get to the song's verse. Another talented young musician Shubham Shirule pens the song's lyrics and the brilliant guitarist Ishan Das is behind all the wonderful arrangements and music production. 

Ishaan plays the guitar riff right at the start, and Akashdeep wastes no time in delivering that impactful vocal performance. He soars into the higher vocal registers with amazing ease. The chorus segment doesn't sound too fresh and new when he sings "Mileya tu mileya mainu". Once we hit the verse, here is where NIkhita impresses and elevates the song, when she goes " Sun le na, sun le na" with that ravishing tone. This is finally a song that allows Nikhita to exhibit her amazing potential. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Ashwin Kulkarni at Shraanti Studios

@akashdeep.sengupta @nikhitagandhiofficial @ishandas_666 @shubhamshirule @vive_musicentertain @grbchakraborty @ashwinkulkarni89 @omkarpoprock @pankajjaiswals @qystudios_ @grbchakraborty 

13. Khata

Composition, Lyrics, Vocals by: Utsavi Jha

Music Production by: Manav

Language: Hindi

Genre: Pop Ballad

Mood: Pathos

Welcome back, Utsavi Jha. No, she hasn't gone away anywhere. Utsavi has been in the thick of things, creating and releasing independent music. I am glad her latest release made me feel the exhilaration that I am used to from such fine artists. Utsavi has written the melody, and lyrics and performed the lead vocal. There is a mystery, and a sense of wonder as she sings "Aisi maine kya khata ki hai", and it helps to have these pauses, allowing Manav to get the keys pitching in. 

Manav is an excellent producer and he once again rises to the occasion and decorates the song into an enjoyable record. I can feel the tremble in her voice and this vulnerability on display is a sign of her vocal strength. The layer of vocal harmonies spices things up giving a nice texture. The mild rhythms and lead guitar sounds, along with the strings section do enough to create mesmerism. The whole tone and sound design, to me, feels like Berlin's "Take My Breath Away". That lone violin playing in the background allows the pathos. 

The singing is now emerging with intensity and a sense of strength emanating in her voice, like a woman who is more in control of her life. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Prathamesh Dudhane, with Praneeth Kumar as assistant mix engineer. Mrunal is the recording engineer at PlayHead Studio, Mumbai.

@utsavijhamusic @shambhavisingh @man.musical @firstwav @prathmeshdudhane @raghavmeattle @kritiiedwankar @shivani_singh02 @sonam_vjha 

14. Saware

Singer: Ishan Mitra

Music Director: Ishan Mitra

Lyricist: Barish

Language: Bangla

Genre: Light Music

Mood: Romantic

Ishan Mitra has been featured a few times by me, and here he sings and composes a delightful number, that kind of resembles a 2000's Atif Aslam Bollywood song. The lyricist is Barish and the song's music production is also done up by Ishan. The rhythms and keys are delivered with elegance. It also reminds me of "Hey Shona" by Vishal-Shekhar especially when we hear the chorus segment. 

The interlude has this shining armour of a riff played on the acoustic guitar. This is the highlight of the song for me as it oozes immense style. The stanza gets back to allowing the lead vocals to the focus and Ishan continues to rock us back and forth with the melody and singing. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Shiladitya Sarkar. 

@ishan.mitra_official @saregamabengaliofficial 

15. Pehli Baar

Songwriter: Ritwick Das

Composition: Ritwick Das

Produced By: Ritwick Das, Prajjawal Pant

Language: Hindi

Genre: Rock

Mood: Romantic

The faint electric guitar and the high-pitched singing in the intro remind me of something of the works of Rod Stewart or maybe Bryan Adams. This is the second time I am featuring Ritwick Das and this probably is one up on his earlier single. The intensity on the keys and drums gathers pace as we hit the chorus segment the second time around and it gets into your bloodstream. 

The constant presence of guitars and the harmonies create a very soothing feeling while Ritwick goes silent on the lead vocals. Prajjawal Pant and Ritwick take up the responsibility of musical production and it is a fine outcome for sure. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Prajjawal with recording by Abhishekh Sekhri at Kintsugi Studios (New Delhi)

@this_is_das @prajjawal_pant