Top Indian Songs of the week 13th November 2022

Here are the best Indian songs of the week 13th November 2022, picked from over 350 song releases across the nation

1. Udd Ja Re

 

Performed by Raghu Ramasubramanian, Tushar Vashisht

Written by Raghu Ramasubramanian, Tushar Vashisht

Language: Hindi

Genre: Indie pop, Ballad

This song rises to the top of the list in the entire nation and is proof that good simple music can trump noise and complexity any day. The song is written and composed by Raghu Ramasubramanian and Tushar Vashisht and the duo have also performed the number. It reminds me a lot of Osho Jain's style of music, with just a guitar or Ukulele and vocals. Before we delve into the song, I wanted to share what I learnt about Tushar Vashisht. This guy is an Univ Of Pennsylvania graduate who went to work under Nandan Nilekani in the "AADHAAR" Project. This guy sounds like a polymath to me and he was also the founder of "Healthify me" the health app. Now he is also a singer-songwriter and I realised I have already reviewed his lovely song "Bharam" in early 2021. This is a wonderful number that shape-shifts into various styles as we go along and we have Raghu playing the guitars. Raghu Dixit's studio has been used for sound recording and it is Anindo Bose who has mixed and mastered the track on Plug 'N' Play Studios. Arjun Bhat handles all the artwork. The introduction of vocal harmonies as well as the mild Tabla percussions gives a new and nice texture. Tushar's vocals are solid and helped in maintaining the soft-pop flavour thanks to Raghu's strumming. The Keys play along and even as we approach the mid-point of the song we never are prepared for what we are about to hear. At around 1.5 minute mark some style creeps in with just the Keys, vocals and string bass guitars. Behold the sexy rendition on the electric guitars by Raghu and you wonder if you listening to the band 'Eagles' performing live. The song talks about spreading your wings and flying and maybe we all can take inspiration from Tushar's song as well as life and achievements to never stop experimenting and branching out. The last 40 seconds are a treat to the ears with a solid rock style. The vocals soar into a higher pitch, and the drums and guitars set the tone. 

 

2. Sleepwalking 

Written, Performed by Andrea Jeremiah

Produced by Andrea Jeremiah & The Jeremiah Project

Language: English

Genre: Indie pop

We have all multi-faceted stars in the charts this week. After Tushar Vashisht we have Andrea Jeremiah who is an actress, model and singer-songwriter. This is her first English Debut album and after listening to the whole collective, I was very impressed with two songs namely 'Sleepwalking'and 'Flavors' which is also the album's title. Andrea has sung in many movie albums for various musicians in Kollywood but this has to be her finest work yet. The band comprises of some very exciting musicians in the Indie and movie space like Keba Jeremiah on guitars, David Joseph on Keyboards, Leon James on programming and arrangements, Krishna Kishor on percussions and Naveen Napier on bass guitars. Andrea's vocals are nothing short of splendid and I wonder why she never sings much more in Kollywood. Probably she doesn't get the kind of songs she deserves. The Organ Piano and drums are gentle but present and make themselves heard. Krishna's percussions are never run-of-the-mill, and he constantly innovates and changes every role played by these musicians is worthy of appreciation, like the oozing style from Naveen's bass guitars. The song with its underlying tone resembles the great Gloria Gaynor's "I will survive" but this is certainly many notches lower in tempo. The last gasp explosion on electric guitars by Keba Jeremiah is spell-binding and just makes you keep wanting more. The other song I also love in this album is called 'Flavors' and this is a bit peppier and equally draws us with Andrea's vocals, and some synths and keyboards adding glamour. The best line is "I'm drowning in the flavours of your love", especially the second time she sings it with some twist and teases at the falsetto pitch. 

 

 

3. Sabun dil 

Music Production - Osho Jain, Varun Agnihotri

Language: Hindi

Genre: Indie pop

I featured Osho Jain back in 2020 and I was drawn to his simple songs, but after that, I did somehow believe he could do more to add weight to the quality of a song. Well here is 'Sabun Dil' and it is exactly what I wished and hoped for. The song straight away ropes in some good synths along with rhythms and keyboards, and don't forget the harmonies. Varun Agnihotri who has been reviewed by me before as a singer-songwriter features here as the guitarist and Jivitesh Kharbanda is the bassist. The line that stands out for me is " Usne raat bhar kagaz pein, khud ko sajaya". The song has some retro pop thanks to the keyboards and where did that Classical Indian swaras come from? Utkarsh Amarpuri mixes and masters the track with recording engineers Naval Chikhliya and Hersh Desai. Osho's vocals probably will be amazing to suit movies with a sarcastic and funny setting and I hope musicians soon give him a shot. 

 

4. Mayflower

Composed and Written by Sanyanth Naroth

Produced by Easy Wanderlings

Vocals - Nikhil D'Souza

Language: English

Genre: Soft pop

This is one of the finest songs I have heard this year and the 8-member band from Pune probably has also just released one of the best Indie albums of 2022 in India. It is called "Caught in a Parade" and I will be reviewing e more songs at-least . Last year I did already feature "Makin my move" and the band prides itself on some of the most talented musicians in the land. On top of this, they get a song to be performed by Nikhil D'Souza, well then what do you expect? I am always glad that this guy goes solo and sticks to Indie projects because Bollywood has never used his potential with their below-par quality. Sharad Rao starts with his acoustic guitar accompanying Nikhil and he also plays the bass and electric guitar. Sanyanth Naroth who composes numbers for the band also plays the guitars in this number, along with Malay Vadalkar who also does some of the backing vocals here. The moment Nikhil melts you with his delivery singing "Caught in a parade" we hear the Keys by Nitin Muralikrishna and Zion Mathew and the touching strings in the background. Nitin takes care of all the Strings and Horn section programming along with the Organ and Synths. Siya Ragade teases you with the gentle flute and we have Sanyanth, Sharad and the mesmerising Pratika Gopinath on backing vocals. I am not exaggerating, but every note every beat of every instrument makes my heart grow fonder. Abraham Zachariah plays the drums with 3 violinists engaging us in Shardul Bapat, Kartik Tate and Arnav Lalsare. The song is recorded and mixed by Nitin with Ronak Runwal on mastering. Other sound engineers involved in this magnificent project are Adhithya Sivakumar, Hersh Desai, Joel Johnson, Tushar Kangarkar, Snigdha Updhayaya, Ashish Kukreja, Adhi Tavo, Sid Kul and Mithil Nagercenkar. 

 

 

 

5. By your side

Performed and written by Variation 4

Language: English

Genre: Blues/Pop

This Manipur band is brand new and with just one year since its formation 'Variation 4' has delivered a knock-out punch with this one. The 5 members are Jenny Thomte as the lead vocalist, Donald Lalsang Donny as a guitarist, Lian Suanlal Guite as the Keyboardist, Muansiam Naulak as the bassist and drummer David Hz. The Keys open the song and we have Jenny's vocals it is clear here that she uses her voice quite effectively, treading across various segments of the vocal range. The song is reminiscent of some of the great global pop numbers we all probably have been exposed to back in the 1990s and 2000s. The guitars are extremely stylish and for the keen-ear bassist Naulak raises the funk element. The interlude with just guitars, bass, drums and Keys creates a mood worthy of dance. When the vocals begin again, just listen to Jenny exploring the higher ends of her vocal range now and she uses some excellent improvised vibrato too. There is a nice bridge section and on either end of that, the drumming gets exciting. I can visualise how technically brilliant and hair-raising the band would sound in a live show. Jenny reminds me of Samantha Noella. 

6. Ready to breathe

Vocals, Music, Lyrics: Rahul Advani

Produced: Bani Hidir

Language: English

Genre: Jazz-pop, 

It seems like a case of reverse 'Brain Drain' of Brain Gain rather as this sorted and talented musician heads back to India from UK. Rahul Advani not only composes, writes and sings but also plays a couple of instruments in this track. The amount of live instrumentals used is huge and when that happens it scores better than others for me. It takes me back to the 1990s of great pop music and the production by Bani Hidir ensures that music lovers can feast on multiple things. Bani plays the drums, and guitars and is also the recording engineer for the track. Two things stand out in the crowd viz. Rahul's Piano and Rohan Advani's bass guitars as they appear like distant but vibrant colours in a painting. We have Rishabh Sharma on the lead guitars, but the reason the song appeals is because of its Soul or Gospel- styled harmonies. We have a star-studded line up including Tejas Menon, Maalavika Manoj, Sara Wee and the UWCSEA Canatbile. They hit it out of the park when the guitars and keys perish, the drums throb and Rahul sings " You made me feel like I was on top of the world", and here we have an A Capella effect from the vocalists. The guitars past the 3rd minute are a beautiful treat to the ears and then like I expected we have a full-blown Church carrol, with the Piano and the claps as percussion. The track is mixed by Nizam Aziz and mastered by Scott Hull. All the artwork is Siddharth Bhatia. 

 

7. Boom Padi 

Vocals: Shreya Ghoshal and Osman Mir

Music - Souumil & Siddharth

Lyrics - Priya Saraiya

I have not seen this movie yet on Amazon Prime, but the music is catchy and worth a spot in India's music charts. Multiple composers have worked on different songs in the movie and the best ones are "Boom padi" by Souumil Shringarpure & Siddharth Mahadevan, "Ae Pagli" by Gourov Dasgupta and "Kacchi Doriyaan" by Anurag Sharma. There are a slew of Gujarati songs that cater to the Navratri season and festival every year, and this too sounds repetitive at the very beginning, but as it plays along you get tempted to tap your feet and move your body. Souumil and Siddharth compose the music with all the fantastic rhythms by Sivamani and Siddharth. But Shreya Ghoshal makes it sound fabulous with her singing, energy and style of delivery. The live instruments and the arrangements set this song apart from the crowd as well. Souumil & Siddharth have produced and done the arrangements and the major instrumentalists on board are Paras Nath on Flute, Yogesh More on Shehnai and Tapas Roy on strokes. In such dance-themed songs, a good chorus team is necessary and we have brilliant singers in Shivam Mahadevan, Yashita Sharma, Darshana Menon, Shrinidhi Ghatate, Souumil Sringarpure and Siddharth Mahadevan. Osman Mir the expert joins in the stanza and the Gujarati festive flavour comes to the forefront, especially in the last minute with the fast-paced lead and backing vocals and rhythms. Ameya Mategaonkar mixes and Gethin John masters the track. AKashdeep Sengupta is the music supervisor. The beautiful lyrics are penned by Priya Saraiya 

 

 

8. Tu Kaun hai

Original song by Shadow and Light (Anindo Bose and Pavithra Chari), and Salim Merchant

Vocals - Pavithra Chari, Salim Merchant 

Lyrics - Pavithra Chari, Shradha Pandit

Language: Hindi

Genre: Pop/ Fusion 

Just like we always want two big stars to align, like a great actor and a great director to work together in a movie, we also want a great composer and producer to work with a talented vocalist. The wish has come true. I have been a huge fan of Salim-Sulaiman as a composer and producer in the last 3 years and Pavithra Chari is one multi-faceted vocalist who can smash a Hindustani or Carnatic Classical song or a peppy melody with equal ease. Anindo Bose and Pavithra are a duo who call themselves 'Shadow and Light' and their brand of music conjoins with the Merchant brothers for this delicacy. Salim and Pavithra are the lead vocalists, with lyrics by Shradha Pandit and Pavithra herself. The strong presence of synths and keyboard programming is the doing of Anindo as he arranges and produces the number. Pavithra lets loose with a humming at the beginning and you just pay attention to her modifying her style to make the rendition sound like a Jazz or Pop number. The Keys and drums are gentle accompaniments and the song heavily travels on Pavithra's shoulders with a push from Anindo's production. Salim sings in the stanza and he brings a very tender and melodious tone to the proceedings. The words say " accha insaan banke to dekh" and such music truly can make your heart feel warmer and bring out the best moods for happy and good living. Anindo mixes and masters at Plug 'n' Play Studios. IN true Salim-Sulaiman style the song closes with some unpredictable shift of notes and that is where the brothers always stand out and excel. 

 

 

9. Rollercoaster

Music Composer & Producer - Mikey McCleary

Vocals - Mikey McCleary, Nisa Shetty, Simetri Sisters, Heat Sink

Lyrics by - Mikey McCleary

Language: English

Genre: Dance-pop

I did mention last week that Mikey Mccleary is at the top of his powers composing songs with great frequency and immense quality. This is one more to that list and gets the synth-pop and dance-pop styles spot on. Other than the song production and composition, Mikey also sings this one, and he gives me a Rick Astley vibe. Nisa Shetty who is now a regular on AR Rahman live concerts and who has also been featured by me sings this with elan and one groovy attitude. I also hear some styles and influences that Salim -Sulaiman use in terms of keyboard programming and synths, all said and done, this is one enjoyable number. Simetri sisters (Simran and Riya) and the band Heat Sink perform on vocals. In-fact these were the top 4 winners of the NEXA Music awards a couple of years ago judged by AR Rahman. Heat Sink comprises Chirag Todi, Raag Sethi, Protyay Chakraborty, Meera Desai, Nayan Kapadia and Pritul Chauhan. The track is mixed and mastered by Mikey

 

 

 

 

10. Wasteland 

Written by Pryti 

Vocals/Guitars/Bass/Keyboards/Synths - Pryti

Producer - Justin Hill

This British Indian has been a huge fan of Metal music, and she is a brilliant vocalist and song-writer who likes to stay in the rock genre. Pryti is also a multi-instrumentalist and that is why she goes entirely solo on this one playing the guitars, Keyboards, bass and synths. Wow, am I thrilled to hear more of her work or not? She gets together with Justin Hill who has produced this single a,d I also will soon listen to other singles in the currently released EP. Feel the energy and power of ere music straightaway with reverberating drums, tantalising synths and electrifying guitars. The vocals are charged up and she doesn't take any half-measures in getting the message and emotion across to the listener. It feels like a female vocalist being featured in a Linkin Park single, and that is a massive compliment in my opinion. Things are looking bright for this talented artist and she emerges like a 'diamond from the wasteland'

 

 

11. Sau Aasman

Vocals | Siddhartha Sarkar

Music & Lyrics: Nawazishein

Language: Hindi

Genre: Indian folk-rock

This Hindi folk rock band from Pune was featured by me for a fantastic single called "Saajan" back in 2019 and now I am glad to feature them again with an ever-better song. 

Abhishek Noel's keys and Lakshya Sharma's acoustic guitars get things started, with Akash Gupta soon following on drums and percussions. Siddhartha Sarkar' engages with his emphatic voice bringing in a sense of vulnerability as well. Siddharth Sagar plays the bass guitars along with Lakshay's lead guitars. Within a minute or so Siddhartha goes all out with his vocals reaching higher scales and generating a classical aalap. The lead guitars take the centre stage in the interlude giving a rock flavour, and as soon as the stanza begins it is Noel's keys that drive the song forward. I like the ending stages of the stanza which is dominated by the funky bass. The band show their true mettle (metal) in the outro with heavy drums and lead guitars, transcendental and it takes you places that you never dreamt of. Abhay Koyadwar is the recording engineer and Pranav Agashe has mastered the track.  

 

12. Pi Ko Rijahoon 

Composer: Aabhas - Shreyas

Lyrics: Ravi

Singer: Aabhas

Language: Hindi

Genre: Melody

The duo of Aabhas and Shreyas Joshi create some of the best melodies in 2021 with 6 singles at least that I fell in love with and also featured on my weekly charts. Here they are again to serenade and carry you into oblivion. Shreyas plays the guitar creating the mood, and the joyful, serene voice of Aabhas makes you feel the love written in words by Ravi. Naveen Kumar is right up there with the vocals, with his solo on the Flute. I am sending some Darbari in this song and the impact of the flute gets stronger in the interlude. Aryaman plays the drums, along with some fantastic percussions by Kahaan that sound like the Mridangam. Kamran is the bassist and Hrishi Giridhar is on the electric guitar. Aabhas just teases you with his vocals and delivery and the brothers handle all the arrangements and production. Joshua Singh is the recording engineer and Shreyas mixes and masters the track. Listen to some excellent background notes on the guitar and flute. Naveen creates just a symphony of flute layers in the end and it is like a dream that keeps getting better. 

 

 

13. Gaayab

Song Performed by: Raman Negi

Music: Raman Negi

Genre:

Vocals/Guitars: Raman Negi

Raman Negi's music has been the most consistent and satisfying in the indie space for me in 2022. I started out writing reviews back in 2019 but never tracked or knew of him or his association with 'The Local Train'. There have been 4 different singles by Raman that have been featured not just in my top 15, but among the top 5 in the nation every single time. Raman plays the guitars and as always his close associate and stunning musician Gaurav Chintamani is the bassist. Gaurav has co-produced the single along with Raman and the former also is the recording and mixing engineer. Raman's vocals are solid, but his delivery has a unique style that suits a Alt-rock song like this. After an initial couple of lines, the song gets incredibly pulsating thanks to Vaibhav Ahuja on drums as well. The humming towards the end is something that just sticks to the head. The track is mastered by Chris Athens. 

 

 

14. Paravasinchele

Singer: Chinmayi Sreepada

Lyrics: Shreshta

Music: Judah Sandhy

Language: Telugu

Genre: Melody

It is heartening to see Judah Sandhy back in business, as I know he belongs in that category of India's finest young composers. He also gets Chinmayi to perform the vocals and Shreshta to write the lyrics. The classical Veena sounds inviting at the very beginning and there is some influence of Raag Hamsadhwani. The introduction of acoustic and bass guitars modifies it into a lovable pop melody. Chinmayi sings it like a walk in the park, and Judah creates a wavy interlude with loaded instruments like the guitars, and Flute. The stanza is all Chinmayi and her emotive, expressive singing, but Judah brings in his creativity using the flute and Veena interventions and arrangements in the background.

 

15. Out of Love

Composer - Raashi Sood, Raja Kumari

Singer - Raashi Sood, Raja Kumari

Lyrics - Ammy Gill, Raja Kumari

Music Producer - Hiten

Language: Punjabi/English

Genre: Dance-Pop, Rap

There is nothing quite like a Punjabi song that feels new and original because most of them are anyway created with enormous oomph. Raashi Sood and Raja Kumari come together to compose and perform with lyrics by Ammy Gill and Raja Kumari as well. Hiten produces this single and also mixes and masters the song. The synths and keyboards pick up steam and what starts as a folkish Punjabi number becomes studded with style and glamour. This is one perfect party number that you can sing along and dance to non-stop helped by good vocals and Hiten's fantastic production. The song only gets better when Raja Kumari raps like a champion and the way the Punjabi and rap verses mix is a delight. 

 

16. Nadia

Singer: Isheeta Chakrvarty 

Language: Hindi/Traditional lyrics

Genre: Fusion

'The Darshan Doshi Trio' has always been very experimental and delivers very unique fusion creations and this one is exactly like the ones I have heard and adored. Darshan plays the drums, with Hashbass on bass guitars, synth bass and Abelton. This traditional masterpiece set in Raag Desh called "Nadia" has had many cover versions and this one deserves attention for its rock-style treatment and enormous percussion focus. Rickraj Nath is on guitars and the lead vocals is by the well-established and trained vocalist Isheeta Chakrvarty. The lead guitar solo pushes up the adrenaline, and then like a Jugalbandi Isheeta and the instrumentalists engage in a tete-a-tete to the listener's delight. The track is mixed and recorded by Chirag Jaisinghani. Darshan plays the drums like only a machine can on a Duracell battery that keeps going and going and going. 

 

17. Twice over

 Written and Produced by St. Cyril

Language: English

Genre: Rock, Punk-Rock

These two brothers are just like another set we had in Aabhas Joshi and Shreyas Joshi. These Mumbai-bred lads are Sarthak Karkare and Shashwat Karkare with the former on vocals and guitars and the latter playing drums. You hear them and it can be understood where some of their inspiration comes from, Green Day, a punk rock band I have always loved. I have heard a few of their recent numbers but this one definitely works quite well for me. The guitars are just fabulous and the way the notes are written triggers joy and energy in me. It sort of reminds me of the super famous number "That thing you do" by 'The Wonders'. Vocal harmonies and drums are important layers to keep this engaging and fresh also. Zain Cacuttawala has mixed and mastered the track. The last portion with the lead guitar solo is a treat. All the artwork is by Mehek Malhotra.

 

18. Veyil Kaayum Theeram

Music Composed, Arranged & Programmed by Varun Krrishna

Lyrics: Vinayak Sasikumar

Singers: Sachin Warrier

Language: Malayalam

Genre: Melody

It is about time that we had a Malayalam single on this list and it comes from Varun Krrishna who has composed, arranged and programmed this upbeat melody. There are influences of Raag Abheri, and I could be wrong if it is more of a Reethigowla strain. Remin Jose plays the pacy guitars, and Melvin J Therattil is the bassist. The song also feels like a very rich Harris Jayaraj composition, something out of "Varanama Ayiram". Vinayak Sasikumar is the lyricist and the gleaming vocals belong to Sachin Warrier. It is his delivery that breathes life into this song. Varun has mixed and mastered the song and the catchy rhythm and keyboard programming also add to the quality of the track. The recording engineers are Varun and Sanjai Arakkal.  

 

 

19. Lagan

 Vocals: Sukanya Chattopadhyay

Composed & Produced By: Midival Punditz

Lyrics: Traditional (Bulleh Shah)

Additional Composition: Balkrishan Sharma

Language: Traditional

Genre: Semi-classical, Fusion, Electronica

The first few seconds stun you thanks to Sukayna Chattopadhyay's belligerent style of delivery and the strength in her voice. It feels like an inspiration of Raag Bhairav to me and the composer is the Delhi-based duo Midival Punditz who has also produced the track. Gaurav Raina and Tapan Raj are artists who have been creating music for 2 decades now. You can just feel the energy thanks to the electronic influence and the creativity starts flowing from the production. Gaurav has mixed the track as well as and all additional composition is by Balkrishan Sharma. Many composers have used this old classic written by Bulleh Shah and created their versions, and this electronic one will be spoken about too. Sukanya is the shining star in this version, and I also love the vocal harmonies and arrangements. The artwork is by duo Thukral and Tagra. 

 

 

 

20. Just as Easily

Vocals, music: Frizzell D'souza 

Production, mix, and master: Varun Murali

Language: English

Genre: Indie pop

She's a very dependable indie artist who comes up with delightful soft pop songs aided by guitars and in this new EP "The Hills Know of You", I loved this track the most. The renowned producer Varun Murali at The Red Music Box produces, mixes and masters this fantastic single which is also well-written about a lover of the past. Arpith Mathew composes the acoustic guitar bits and they dominate the scene along with some nice percussions. The layers of vocals beneath the lead also is quite effective and engaging and let us not forget the poignant use of strings in the background. I am a sucker for Violins and any of the string quartets and here Violinist/Composer Shravan Sridhar plays the strings. The notes are the same as the song but they hit you with an extreme emotion when Sharavn plays the violin compared to the neutral and ponderous mood created by Frizzell's vocals. This interlude leads up-to the nicely written bridge section. The artwork is by Smaran Alva and Prathviraj Shastry handles the visuals.