Top Indian Songs of the week 18th December 2022

Here is the list of Indias' best songs from across the independent and movie music space. After listening to more than 350 songs across languages and states of India. Do drop in your comments at the bottom of the article. If you are a musician submit your song on the website or DM me on Instagram.

1. BESURI
Music - Ajay - Atul
Lyrics - Ajay - Atul
Singer - Vasudhara Vee
Language- Marathi
Genre- Filmi Melody/ Western Classical Fusion
Just last week I reviewed 'Ved Tujha' from the album 'Ved' by Ajay-Atul and these giants of Indian music prove their worth with another massive hit in the same album. In my opinion, this one is superior to the earlier song with some scintillating scores. When you have Vasundhara Vee doing the lead vocals, you probably have a winning formula already and this is the second straight week featuring a song of hers after last week's 'Garden Variety Hater' with Shalmali Kholgade. Ajay and Atul write, compose, program and arrange with Vijay Dalal being the recording and mixing engineer. The song is loaded with Pianos, Synths, Keyboards, and a persistent strings section. The sound design is fantastic and I had no doubts that this would climb to the number 1 spot in India for the week, the moment I heard it. Vasundhara sings it with such panache, and I have not heard many vocalists who can improvise and do vibrato with incredible ease and efficacy. Chinmay Mestry is the asst. sound engineer and the track is mastered by Donal Whelan. Who else but Rithu Vysakh could have played the Solo on the Viola and Cello with such impeccable style and grace? This will go down as one of the vocal performances to remember.
 

@ajayatulofficial @rithuvysakh @vasundhara_vee @chinamay.jpg
2. AINA
Vocals - Kaushik Ramachandran
Music, Lyrics - Catastrotrophic Disintegration
Language- Hindi
Genre- Hindi Rock
Hindi Rock bands are plenty, especially in the regions of Mumbai and Pune, and this is the first time I am featuring this band called "Catastrotrophic Disintegration", and Ill soon be listening to all the tracks in their debut album "Aaina". The title song is a heavy rock track infused with the goodness of Indian classical music, and 'Aaina' is probably set in Raag Charukeshi. Kaushik Ramachandran is the lead vocalist and he has vocals that allow him to tread into both the rock genre and classical Indian style. We can hear the influence of the guitarists Akash Prabhakar on rhythm guitar and Nandkishor Kumavat on lead guitar. Kunal Dalvi is both the lyricist as well as the drummer and the bassist is Pratik Borgaonkar. Kunal is a bundle of energy on the drums and the electric guitar solo is fierce once we get past the 3rd minute.

 @catastrophic_disintegration

3. CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSE
Composed by Sanyanth Naroth
Written by: Sanyanth Naroth and Abraham Zachariah
Produced by Easy Wanderlings
Vocals - Pratika Gopinath
Language- English
Genre- R&B, Soul
'Caught in a Parade' will certainly go down as one of the best indie EPs of 2022 in India and I have already reviewed 'Mayflower' a month or so ago. The song was slow, and sober and grew on me thanks to Nikhil Dsouza's vocals and the usual musical creativity of Easy Wanderlings. This one is the perfect example of the band's superior quality in composition and the talent pool that they boast of in terms of instrumentalists. Pratika Gopinath is the lead vocalist and she just serenades me into oblivion with her voice and the best line for me is "Everybody loves you, nobody needs you". Sanyanth Naroth composes the melody with lyrics by Sanyanth and Abraham Zachariah. The Clarinet in the interlude is played by Patricio Böttcher and Pedro Alvide, and what makes this a very enjoyable R&B/ Soul track is Varun Venkit's percussions. Abraham plays the drums and all the guitars are strummed by Sharad Rao. We can also feel the presence of Synths and Keyboards and it is Nitin Muralikrishna who does all the programming including the strings. The use of trumpets and trombones in the background gives the song the texture of Latin Jazz and Zion Mathew handles all the additional keys. I love the introduction of the flute towards the end, played by Siya Ragade and accompanied by backing vocal harmonies featuring Sanyanth Naroth, Sharad Rao and Joel Johnson. Shardul Bapat, Kartik Tate and Arnav Lalsare play the Violins. The track is mixed by Nitin, and mastered by Ronak Runwal.


 @easywanderlings @graysparkaudio @ronakrunwal @palindromamusic @sanyanth @pratika.gopinath @malayvadalkar @radrao.g @shardulbapat @siyunever @zionmathew @abezch @sakshicrajan

4. SAATH
Vocals by Amira Gill, Haricharan, Sathyaprakash
Written by Kausar Munir
Music- Santhosh Narayanan
It has happened after a long time, and I just can't wait for the rest of India to find out about the incredible talent and abilities of composer Santhosh Narayanan. He is without doubt India's finest composer in my opinion and I felt elated when he first posted on Instagram about his project with Ashwini Iyer Tiwari on a new web series. The song is breezy, and melodious and makes for some loop-worthy listening. Santhosh excels not in in the underlying melody alone but also the arrangements and production that go into making the final product. The guitars and Ukulele are played by the talented multi-instrumentalist Aditya Ravindran, while all the strings section arrangements are by Karthik Manickavasagam. The first few seconds, the song starts and with the opening guitars and Ukulele, you know it lies right up there in the Santhosh zone of quality. The vocals must definitely belong to a seasoned artist, such is the authority and conviction in her delivery. No, it was Amira Gill ,who has been featured by me a few times especially working with Amrit Ramnath in 2022, and gets a great opportunity to perform for Santhosh. The opening lines tread along being very soft and classical, and that is why Amira's delivery is so pure painted with a tinge of Hindustani classical infusion. Santhosh gets the perfect vocalists for this one with Haricharan and Sathyaprakash being two male performers with gifted vocals. Amira displays that she possesses so much vocal variation and a wide range just in the lines "aa milke kaat le saare mushkilein" and then "manzilein safar mein ek saath hein" on wider ends of the vocal range. The interlude on the Violin immediately made me think if this was resembling a song composed by Govind Vasantha. I later find out that the Violin was played by the man himself, hence the quality. The song has so much to offer with a long pallavi and anupallavi, lasting close to 90 seconds. Sathyaprakash is so good that you feel your heart being moved by his voice when the stanza begins. I love how the lines"meri jaan, tu mere liye naa bani", are sung differently by the male lead just before the interlude. The presence of strings and the upright bass is so impactful. The best line of the stanza is "Na hai tu andhera, na hoon mein ujala", with the harmony of male and female leads and when the notes transform into something magnificent " bondh boondh mein bhi, milke samundar banein", you just end up surrendering to genius. and here too Amira soars into the high pitch with amazing elegance and impact. The last line with a synth loaded "Mere liye tu na bana" is where Santhosh gives a modern touch, deviating from the rest of the track, and even the Sathyaprakash and Amira move away from the classical touch to something more playful.

@musicsanthosh @dsathyaprakash @amiragill @haricharanmusic @kausarmunir @adityaravindran95 @karthikmanickavasagam

5. SINGARA SIRIYE
Music: B Ajaneesh Loknath
Vocals: Vijayprakash, Ananya Bhat, Nagraj Panar Valtur
Music Production: Bobby C R, B Ajaneesh Loknath
Language: Kannada
Genre: Filmi Melody
I know it is delayed, but it is better to feature it than completely miss or forget. Everybody talks about 'Varaha Roopam' because of the controversy (read my article), but this song is a masterpiece in its own right and reminds me of the heydays of Maestro Ilaiyaraja. Ajaneesh plays the keyboards, but I love how it starts with a folk song right at the beginning performed by Nagraj Panar Valtur. The way Ajaneesh moves from this part to the melody shows his genius, and he uses the bass guitars and flute by Kiran as a bridge. Once Vijayprakash starts we hear the wonderful rhythms by Kalyan Chakravarthi, and live percussions by Venky & group. The strings section is mesmerising and it is Chennai Strings Orchestra, conducted by Yenzone Baghyanadhan. Ajaneesh and Ganesh Karanth are heard on the backing vocals. The best part about the vocals is that Vijayprakash sounds mischievous while Ananya Bhat sounds shy and hesitant, just like the protagonists are shown on screen during the song. Also if you notice when Vijayprakash sings, it is the funky bass guitars that add decibels, but it becomes the serious sounds of the strings when Ananya sings. Kudos to the vocalists for bringing out that emotion to perfection. Balesh plays the Nadaswaram in the second interlude. The track is mixed and mastered by Sajayan Kumar with recording engineers Sajayan, Biju James, Narasimha Kruthi and Ashwin Prabath.


@ananya_bhat_official @b_ajaneesh @vijayprakashvp

6. MAANGLOON
Performed by Romy
Written by Kabul Bukhari, Romy
Language: Hindi
Genre:
This is another candidate for best EP/Album of 2022 and I will be featuring a few more songs but let us start with this one composed and performed by Romy. To me, it sounds like Raag Hamsadhwani straight away. The vocals are terrific, sung at a high pitch and accompanied by interesting rhythms. The flute solo, string section and acoustic guitars all decorate the interlude but the thumping percussions take the cakThe stanza is well-written and composed with Kabul Bukhari and Romy working together. I love the line "Tujhse tujhe, rabb se tujhe maangloon" and then followed by the humming.

@mainhoonromy @kabulbukhari  

7. NA JAANE TU NA MAIN JAANU
Sung by – Vishal Dadlani & Shilpa Rao
Music Composed by - Parth Bharat Thakkar
Lyrics by - Chirag Tripathi
Music Arranged & Produced by - Jarvis Menezes
Language: Hindi
Genre: Filmi Melody/ Pop
Manas Kumar plays the violin right at the beginning and you know that there is something to expect in this song. The Piano and drums dominate most of the instrumentals right at the beginning and it is refreshing to hear Vishal Dadlani after a long time. The interlude is a clincher as Manas' violin steals the show, and Parth must be appreciated for the wonderful composition of the melody. The arrangements and production credits per se go to Jarvis Menezes, so he is the man to have wonderfully arranged this interlude as well.  In fact that bit of the interlude was apparently written by Jarvis. Shilpa Rao takes over in the stanza and Parth and Jarvis experiment very well with the sounds and the Chords never sound repetitive or uninspiring for once. The humming is a fitting way to end the song and the production of this song is just breathtaking.

 @parthmusic @vishaldadlani @shilparao @chitrivichitra @kavyalimaye17 @himanshushirlekar255 @chinmay.jpg @samirdharap9 @manasviolin
8. DO YOU CARE
Performed by: Meba Ofilia
Written and arranged by: Mebarisha Rynjah, Adiel Massar
Produced by: adL
Background vocals: Dappest
This is the second song from Meba's album after featuring 'My best behaviour' last week. This gets you into that mood of nodding your head right from the beginning and the stringed instruments pique your interest without wasting any time at all. I also sense maybe the presence of upright bass, and before I could pinpoint we get some violins, violas and cellos in the background. Dappest is the one involved in the background vocals and that keeps coming in between Meba's lead vocals and the instrumental arrangements. The Keys along with those finger flips all play second fiddle to Meba's amazing delivery. Listen to the part where she sings, improvises and does the vibrato around 'what you want, what you need, there is a thin line if you see'. Adiel Massar, Mebarisha Rynjah can pat themselves on the back for the arrangements, that is nothing short of genius. Adiel does the production while he and Mebarisha write the lyrics.


 @mebaofilia @dappesst @fraapemusic @emerdjence.in @cassidygodwinmusic @_adlmusic

9. MERI ZUBAAN
Singer - Kamal Khan
Lyrics & Composer - Jaani
Music - B Praak
Arranged and programmed By Gaurav Dev, Kartik Dev
Language: Punjabi
Genre: Filmi Melody
I feel alive not just listening to good music, but living and experiencing the consistency of terrific musicians who keep creating at an envious frequency. For all those who believe that music today has fallen off the cliff, just check out my weekly charts and here after Ajay-Atul's 2 songs in 2 weeks, we have Bpraak and Jaani combining for the 3rd song in the album 'Moh' to be featured in my weekly rankings. Paras Nath blows you away constantly with his flute interventions, and unlike the other two songs, it is not Praak as the vocalist, we have Kamal Khan singing here. The tune and melody are not new and sound like something we would have heard. It is the programming, arrangements and production that sets it apart from the rest. Listen to the interlude on the Flute solo and you will be mesmerised by Paras' performance. Bpraak produces and it is Gaurav Dev and Karthik Dev on arrangements and p[rogramming, so they deserve the huge credit. The rhythms and keyboards do enough to elevate the song. Gurjinder Guri & Akash Bambar have done the mixing and mastering. The outro is phenomenal with Kamal's humming and Paras playing the flute probably in the Darbari scale.

10. ZARA PAAS TOH BHAITHO
Performed by Shreya Ghoshal
Written by Rajib Mona, Ravi Basnet
Produced by Life & Music
 
For those of us who are fans of 1990s Bollywood music, this could be just what the doctor ordered. There were many talented musicians back then, like Jatin-Lalit and Nadeem-Shravan who paid a lot of attention to the underlying melody and also made sure there were a lot of live instrumentals. Here too Rajib-Mona, the composers start things off with a Saxophone, and then the strings section and guitars decorate the song enough even before Shreya Ghoshal sings a word. Ravi Basnet is the lyricist and we have Shreya being at her best, emoting like many modern-day singers cannot even attempt. The way she sings " Zara paas to bhaitho", you are tempted to sit right next to her and listen. The acoustic guitar interlude is something we have been missing for quite a while, and with the strings, I am certainly transported back in time. A major push comes from the arrangements and production and that is why Rajib Roy Chowdhury deserves credit

 @shreyaghoshal @rajibdroychowdhury @uniyalsona @movementcreationsllp
11. RUBAAIYAAN
Music by Amit Trivedi
Vocals by Shahid Mallya
Written by Swanand Kirkire
Language - Hindi
Genre - Retro Melody
I have already said this feels like a true comeback by Amit Trivedi, and to have 3 phenomenal songs in one album is worth raising a toast for. Rubaaiyaan is sung by Shahid Mallya, a fine singer and I am happy he got this opportunity to deliver a fantastic song. The clarinet right at the start draws you in and the rhythms and keys all point to a golden time in Indian music as well. It is accompanied by the Woodwinds and strings section. The best-sounding line is when Shahid sings " Dil di Rubaaiyaan", and I am melting in joy. The interlude is rich with so many things happening, like the introduction of the Sarod mingles with the Clarinet and strings, and the gentle Tabla in the background. It shows that Amit as a composer was hugely impressed and inspired by the music of the 1960s and hence he can re-create that magic and yet sound original. The last line with both SHahid and Sireesha sounds like a dream. Swanand Kirkire pens the beautiful, emotional words.
 

@itsamittrivedi @sireeshabhagavatula @shahidmallya @anvita_dee @swanandkirkire  
12. LAUT AA MERE DES
Music Composed & Produced by: Salim Sulaiman
Lyrics: Shradha Pandit
Singers: Shreya Ghoshal, Sattar Khan Langa
Music Co-Produced by: Raj Pandit, Anshuman Sharma
 
It is a juggernaut, the Bhoomi project and every sing that gets composed, produced and performed hits the right note without disappointing the music lover. Salim-Sulaimain duo now call up Shreya Ghoshal in 2022 for this track after "Muraliya" in 2021. Along with Shreya's ingenious performance, we have the rustic, folkish exuberance and earthiness of Sattar Khan Langa. Muheet Bharti and Nyzel D'lima play the guitars and it is the Mandolin by Tapas and Muheet that keeps intervening at important junctures. Shreya keeps you glued with her opening slow aalap-styled singing, and then Salim-Sulaiman get their A-game on with the heavy synths and keyboard influences. Salim plays the Piano and keyboard along with Anshuman Sharma and Raj Pandit. Amir Khan Bhiyani plays the Trumpet and we also get to hear the bass guitars by Rushad Mistry and Darshan Doshi on drums. I cannot point it out right but I feel both Desh and Kaapi( Pilu) Raagas are in the mix of things. The moment when Sattar Khan starts is such a high pitch and he delivers it with such style. The traditional percussions come into play with Satyajit Jamsandekar, Naeem Khan on Tabla, Aslam Dafrani and Satyajit on the Dholak as well. Raj Pandit, Muheet, Habib Khan and Kheta Khan all join the party through the backing vocals and chorus. Kheta Khan plays the harmonium and Feroj Khan plays the Morsing. Closer to the 4th minute, Shreya takes over completely and performs with such stylish and subtle vibrato, as though she has been handed a free hand to sing the way she likes. Aftab Khan has mixed the track along with mix assistant Vatsal Chevli. The recording engineers are Aftab, Raj and Muheet.


 
@shreyaghoshal @shraddhapandit @salimsulaimanmusic @nyzeldlima @rushad1981 @anshuman.sharma1 @rajpandit17 @muheetbharti @mixedbyaftab @sattarkhanlanga @
13. KHAMOSHI
Music - Kolama
Vocals - Ashwin Thomas
Language- Hindi/Malayalam
Genre - Rock Fusion
Ritic Joel plays the Keyboards and also produces and mixes this beautiful fusion track that brings the best of both worlds of Alt-Rock and Indian Carnatic Classical music. Just like Samil-Sulaiman has mastered that art, there are bands like Kolama in India that perform in this genre of Indian Rock fusion. Ashwin Thomas is the lead vocalist, and then Blesson Jacob and Edwin Antony are the guitarists. The song starts with a tinge of Abheri Ragam ( similar to Bhimpalasi in Hindustani). Kevin Verghese is the bassist and the pounding drums are played by Thomson George. The way Ashwin shifts from Hindi to Malayalam and back is seamless.


@ash_thomas_156 @kolamamusic  
14. ONE - KUKUBH
Performed by Kukubh, Mayank Sharma
Written by Kukubh Megwal
Produced by Kukubh Megwal
Genre - Alt-Rock
I loved the song 'Pacman' by Kukubh and Mayank Sharma a few months ago and I have been waiting to feature his next. Well here it is, and it is nothing like you can predict. That is what makes the song very exciting and Kukubh provides exactly what a music lover needs, quality combined with creativity. It sounds like a normal Soul/pop song with just the gentle guitars by Kukubh Megwal's vocals and bass by Mayank, but I dare you to think that way. The composition is quite complex and Kukubh does one step better with the programming and production. The use of the strings section is just beyond compare and he excels in getting the arrangements and execution spot on. The lines" I have been living here, but I see no difference" just comes out of the blue and that is the mark of an intelligent and committed composer. Just pay attention to the exuberant strings section in the background during these lines, accompanied by electric guitar and drums. This is a 9-minute track and so expect many moments of magic it will be a true music lover's delight. Kukubh also brings in the Flute and woodwinds to add to the incredible spread already on offer. When we near the 6th minute it is just spoken word poetry along with the guitars. Enjoy the silence and tranquillity after the initial half of belligerence.

 @kukubh @mayankmy2k
15. WIDE AWAKE
Lyrics: Rehaan Adhikary, Ashwin Sriram
Vocals: Alyssa Christensen (vrchvic)
Co-Production: Jonathan Pfarr
Language: English
Genre: Dance-pop,
I am a huge fan of the band like the "Alan Parsons Project" and when I hear this song by ASHWYN, I was reminded of their work, and this is a massive compliment to Ashwin Sriram,
the indie singer-songwriter from Bengaluru. He has been featured in my charts before for two songs viz. "Pyaar" and "Sell My Soul". I listened to his debut EP called "SKAR" and I did love the sounds, but this was my pick. Ashwin produces the track along with Jonathan Pfarr and the lyrics are written by Ashwin and Rehaan Adhikary. I have been impressed by Ashwin's vocals before, but here he gets in additional vocals by Alyssa Christensen. The best compliment I can give to the score is that there is no way I can resist dancing to this tune. It is a massive basket of energy and that is thanks to the production. The scintillating keyboards and rhythms are what make me feel alive while listening to the song. Alyssa is just incredible with her vocal texture. The track is mixed and mastered by Zach Caraher with Ulana and James Littier on vocal engineering.
 

 @ashwynmusic @vrchvic @itjfarr @ulanaofficial @big_z_music
16. GUM
 Written and composed by Piya Podder
 Produced, arranged, mixed and mastered by Barun Sinha
 Language: Hindi
Genre: Ballad/Lullaby
It is her 3rd single and the first one in Hindi, and she makes it a hat trick. I did feature and review her earlier songs 'Tornado' and 'The world keeps turning', and this one is as good if not better than her two prior singles. It has some amazing arrangements and live instruments, and the sober, melancholic nature goes well with the title "Gum" I guess. Barun Sinha is credited with the Keys and he also plays the Mellotron, electronic drums and bass guitars. We can hear the sound of the Strings section and there is nothing more intense and pathos-generating than the sounds of violins and violas. I love how the notes shift when Piya sings "EK waqt tha" and pay attention to the Piano and the haunting female harmonies. Archit Anand another bright musician plays the Piano. I can feel the pain when Piya sings "Hoon main Gum". Barun must be congratulated for the creative arrangements especially of the vocal harmonies, strings and Keys, as he is the producer and mixing/mastering engineer as well. Piya Podder not only sings but also composes and writes this haunting lullaby to perfection. Mukul Jain and Aman Saxena are the recording engineers


 @piyapodder @baroons @archit.anand19 @mixbymukul @aman_saxena @aninyag @ferriswheelstudios
17. KHO GAYE
 Performed by Taaruk Raina
Written by Taaruk Raina
Produced by Himonshu Parikh
There have been questions and debates about this series on Netflix, but in terms of music, this did better than most out there. Taaruk Raina who stars in the series is an actor/musician and it is such a heartening thing to see a budding artist score well, and that too to figure amongst India's best music. He has written, composed and performed the track and it doesn't hurt to have a star producer like Himonshu Parikh on your side. The Piano and Keyboards drive the song and it is Taaruk's vocals start getting better as he renders the title line " Main tera, too meri, dheere-dheere se kho gayein". Taaruk surprises me positively with his vocal stability and not only provides a fresh texture but also is a welcome change from the Arijit Singh imitators. The bridge section is excellent as it goes "sochate the hum kee kabhi bhee na ruthen" with excellent production in this phase and some good high-pitched singing as well. The drums and keyboards combine elegantly with the humming and electric guitars and you will feel lost in this musical bliss just as the title lines suggest. It is all Himonshu's brilliance that comes out in full vigour.

 @taarukraina @himonshu
18. MAULA MERE SAATH
Performed by: Avishek Dasgupta ft. Winterchild
Lyrics, composition and vocals - Avishek Dasgupta
Curated and produced by - Gourov Dasgupta
Programmed, mixed & mastered by - Pritom Dutta
Language: Hindi
Genre: Heavy Metal
This is one more artist I have not featured before, and I guess I am glad I did not miss out on this track. Avishek Dasgupta has gone solo almost thanks to his lyrics, composition and vocals and it sounds very much like an Alt-Rock number inspired by the greats like Bryan Adams. Anowar Munu Hussain plays the Piano right from the get-go and it always works well to have Pianos in a rock number. The strong coarse vocals of Avishek suit the genre and the accompanying guitars by Vivek Khati and bass by David Roy keep things steamy. The song is a project where Avishek, the frontman of the Bengaluru band Winterchild, goes solo and then employs the might and magic of his bandmates. Avishek's vocals even remind me of frontman Axl Rose of "Guns N Roses". The closing stage is an excellent rendition with the Piano, electric guitars and drums concurrently elevating our pulse.

 
@winterchild_band @vivek_khati @rainmaker400
19. FEEL OKAY - TSUMYOKI
Written and performed by: Tsumyoki
Produced by: Tsumyoki and Bharg
Language: English
Genre: Dance-pop
'Pink Blue' was a fantastic track that made it to my weekly charts a few months ago. That is when I was first impressed with this musician, Tsumyoki. It is absolutely fine to create music in line with the latest trends, but one needs to have a core melody or tune that is worth your time. It is just the sound of the Ukulele at the star, but as the song progresses Bharg and Tsumyoki get the production spot on. In a lot of moments, they use some amazing Harmonies that are executed and arranged to perfection. The vocals in the background keep following with a lag and that is impressive like the lines "Take a minute to breathe", and the harmonies follow it with just " to breathe". The small short grunt that Tsumyoki does is interesting after the lines" Lemme take a moment just to breathe in and rest". The track is mixed and mastered by Bharg. The introduction of the strings is another smart and worthy move.


 
@bhargkale @tsumyoki.eth

20. SQUEAKY CLEAN - PEEKAY
Performed by Peekay
Written by Jonathan Edward, Pranati Khanna
She has a stylish moniker 'Peekay', well if you have lived in the US these are common ways of shortening names, and that is what Pranati Khanna calls herself. She is a very talented singer and this song is purely a recognition of that talent more than anything else. Jonathan Edward and Peekay produce, compose and write this track which is Soul-pop in nature. The bass guitars and lead guitars play a vital role in adding all the funk and style and they are as important as Peekay's sizzling vocal delivery. Let us not forget the well-arranged vocal harmonies, without which the song will look flat and uninspiring. Drona Acharya has done the mixing and mastering.

@peekayindia @but_does_it_chug @maybedrona @ranii_kaur
21. PERFECT VIEW
Performed by Polar Lights
Written by Sungjemmar Jamir, Temjenmoa Jamir
Language: English
Genre: Alt-Rock
How many times must I keep saying this? India must count itself lucky for the presence of this abundant musical talent from NE of India. This Nagaland-based rock band released its debut EP called "To feel human" and I loved two songs in particular, viz. 'Perfect View' and 'Fallout'. I strongly urge readers and listeners to check out the album, especially these two tracks. If you are a fan of bands like Coldplay you will fall in love with this band's work. The band members are Mar Jamir on vocals, Temjen Jamir on lead guitars, Lanu as bassist, Moa Pongen as the drummer and Nash on rhythm guitars. Mar and Temjen are lyricists and composers. The lead guitars and drums are just classy and once you start Mar's voice you know Indian music is right up there with the best in the world, if not better. I like the fact that the accompanying instruments don't take away too much of the focus, and Mar's vocals. Listen to him go falsetto as he sings "We're just hanging on a string". The writing is important too as the band displays sense and sensibility with lines like "My love went blind at the sight of a diamond ring". 'Fallout' is slightly faster in its tempo and this song has a greater emphasis on the bass guitars, lead and rhythm guitars and drums too. And wait for the solo on the lead guitars just after the 2nd minute and that is when your heart races.
 

@polarlightsofficial  

22. GHERE
Music Composed, Produced and Arranged by: Parag Chhabra
Lyrics: Vayu
Singer: Vivek Hariharan, Parag Chhabra
Rap performed and written by: D’Evil
Music Producers: Parag Chhabra, Zrya, Nakul Chugh
Language: Hindi
Genre: Dance-pop
Parag Chhabra is someone that you should keep a close watch on. In this entire album "An Action Hero", only his scores were worth it, and I am not willing to waste my time and energy on the songs composed by Tanishk Bagchi. Parag is cut from a different fabric compared to many Bollywood composers who get far greater opportunities. You can check out his song "Paracetamol" from the album 'Good Luck Jerry' which was featured by me a few months ago. 'Ghere' is my favourite song from the latest album, and it not only has some amazing singing, but it is also an example showing how a fast-paced number can be interesting and fresh rather than just a mish-mash of old songs. Vivek Hariharan is such a brilliant singer and I hope he is used more, other than just songs by Anurag Saikia. He brings in all the energy on vocals along with Zyra's electric guitars. Vayu is another brilliant writer/composer who has worked on the song's lyrics. The production is immense thanks to Zyra, Parag and Nakul Chugh. Listen to the brilliant backing vocals with some sensational pan-Indian talent like Kalyani Nair, Aditya Ravindran, Nidhi Saraogi, Siddhesh Japtap, Karthik Manickavasagam and Zyra. That sultry and stylish female vocals we hear right through is that of Mellissa Srivastava. The fantastic arrangements of the Choir is, where Karthik brings in his forte. Mark Twain plays the classical guitars and you can sense this towards the outro of the track. The track is composed, arranged and programmed by Parag with his assistant Siddhesh. Deepak Sugathan is the mixing and mastering engineer, and Rupjit Das is the recording engineer.



 
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