Top Indian Songs of the week 22nd October 2023

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Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 22nd October 2023. 

Here is the SPOTIFY Playlist of the Top songs of the week

1. Immortalise

Performed by The Flying Fish, Varun Udaykumar

Written by Aaditya Surve, Aaron Braganza, Shishir Sharma, Suyash Kinjal Medh, Varun

Udaykumar

Language: English

Genre: Alt-Rock

I am yet to listen to the EP called 'Waves Shattered', but when I heard this single, the music felt like an Immortal being. The Flying Fish is a 4 piece Mumbai-based band that focuses on instrumental music. This is no wonder that the quality oozing from this single is pristine. 

The band has Aaditya, Shishir on guitars, Suyash on drums, and Aaron on bass guitars. The vocals belong to Varun Udhayakumar and he brings in all the emotions along with the accompanying instrumentals. The delivery is very much along the rock genre that the song belongs to. Varun gives an immersive experience with his higher vocal registers and a tone that carries an attitude. This is visible in his humming. The electric guitar solo is mild in parts and the backing vocal harmonies elevate the song's texture.

The tremendous drums and guitars give a spell-binding touch to the song, but Varun blows away the listener with his vibrato and innovative improvisations in the outro segments. 

@aaronbraggy @aaditya274 @rainvioletsky @beegradehero @suyashmedh @shishir1689 @theflyingfishindia

2. Sunoh

Composers: Ankur Tewari & The Islanders

Lyrics: Javed Akhtar, Dot.

Vocals: Tejas

Language: Hindi

Genre: Pop/Rock

We have all been waiting for "The Archies" and when it gets released later this year, expectations will be running high. Ankur Tewari who has been involved with the creators of 'Made in Heaven', Reema and Zoya, gets a call for this project of theirs as well. Ankur composes this song, but it involves a galaxy of amazing indie musicians viz. Dot. , Tejas, Shivam Mahadevan, Zohran Miranda, Jehangir Jehangir, Nathan Thomas, Aria Nanji, and Rhys Sebastian.

The song takes us back to the 1960s and 70s and the resemblance to 'That Thing You Do' by "The Wonders" is there for us to appreciate and cherish. The amazing guitars that accompany from start to finish are by Zohran, with some energetic thumping drums by Jehangir. Tejas is one of the most gifted indie singer-songwriters I have come across and his vocals are the perfect addition to this song. He brings in some tenderness of the young age and a style that is necessary for this style of Pop/Rock.

The song's funkiness comes from Nathan's bass guitars, but that Jazzy saxophone by Rhys makes this one delightful ride. Aditi Sehgal a.k.a. Dot. is an amazing artist I featured her fantastic EP last year, and here she has penned the English lyrics, sung the backing vocals and also acted in one of the lead roles. She is accompanied by Shivam and Aria on backing vocals. Jehangir needs immense praise for constantly innovating and playing the drums without inducing a moment of boredom or predictability. 

The horns section comprising the trumpets and trombones, is conducted by Suresh Lalwani with Raina Andrade as the score assistant. The tracks are mixed by Hersh Desai at Island City Studios and mastered by Adhithya Sivakumar. The recording engineers are Adhithya, and Jehangir, with assistance from Harsh Karmakar. The album is mastered by Ashyar Balsara with additional music supervision by Faustin Missier

@ankurtewari @tigerbabyofficial @zohranmiranda @tejas1989 @nate08music @thejjsticks @thearchiesonnetflix @dotandthesyllables @saxontoast @shivammahadevan @ariananji @hersh.desai.9 @adhithya.sivakumar @ashyarbalsara

3. Premalekha

Performed by Damini Bhatla, Krishna Tejasvi

Written by Damini Bhatla , Siddhant Mishra, Sri Harsha Emani

Produced by Siddhant Mishra

Language: Telugu

Genre: Ballad/Pop

Damini Bhatla is a talented musician and what I love about her work is that she performs in her mother tongue Telugu in most of her indie projects. The South is dominated by movie-based music so when indie musicians perform in their native tongue, it creates an avenue for many youngsters to take inspiration and follow. A music lover like me is also enthralled when I have more variety now in the indie space. 

This song scores high in the competition about everything else and that is why Damini and Siddhant Mishra need to be complimented on the melody. Siddhant who is a very capable as well as consistent composer/producer, produces this song as well. Sri Harsha Emani writes the beautiful words in Telugu while the lead vocalists are Damini and Krishna Tejasvi. 

The Keys turn on the melody and then Damini cranks it up a notch with her delivery and mild and moving ghamakas. The pallavi is the highlight of the song with the lines "sagasagaala premalo, thamari vonthu immani" with an unpredictable twist in notes at the end of the second set of lines ending on " vonthu immani". Krishna's voice is dreamy and teeming with love, complimenting Damini's quite well. 

The entire pallavi is composed by Damini with Siddhant handling the charanam's melody. He has done a commendable job in producing this with the keys and rhythms. The stunning saxophone interlude reminds us of AR Rahman's album called "Duet" which was filled with saxophone interludes. There are some segments in the song where I sense some Raag Maand. The charanam has its moments too with my favourite being "samaram saantham nee valle telisele prema", with Damini and Krishna singing in unison. This could well be the poster love song in Telugu for 2023. Damini once again composes the outro humming. 

@daminibhatlach @siddhant581 @i_sriharshaemani @krishnatejasvi 

4. Jee Ki Gathariya

Singers - Rekha Bhardwaj

Composer - Vishal Bhardwaj

Lyricist - Vishal Bhardwaj

Music Producer - Debarpito Saha

Language: Hindi

Genre: Tumri

The series on Sony Liv called " Charlie Chopra" is a mixed bag and so is the music. This is my favourite song from the album and we have the amazing duo of Vishal Bhardwaj and Rekha Bhardwaj on compsition and vocals. Vishal shows that he still has traces of the genius he once exhibited at will. The music is haunting and it belongs to the Carnatic Raaga Subhapanthuvarali or the Todi thaat in Hindustani classical music. 

The choice of the Indian classical percussions adds that serene beauty and authenticity to the tone. The saxophone interlude works quite well in transmitting the pathos of the song. The stanzas are short but the overall composition and the brilliant Saxophone interludes by Mysore Harish Pandav along with the mild Piano interventions work wonders. Debarpito Saha deserves all the credit for the production, arrangements and programming. The tracks are mixed by Salman Khan Afridi and mastered by Alok Punjani. 

@vishalrbhardwaj @rekha_bhardwaj @debarpito @alokpunjani @mysore_harish_pandav 

5. Bhool Jha

Singer: Arijit Singh Ft. Piyush Shankar

Music Composer: Piyush Shankar

Lyrics: Rashmi Virag

Music Producers: Abhijit Vaghani, Piyush Shankar & Prasanna Suresh

Language: Hindi

Genre: Light Music/Pop

I wouldn't say that there is newness and freshness to the tune, we have heard similar songs before that share the same tone and melody. But it scores high on many other elements of arrangements and production. Piyush Shankar has written the melody and he too offers something worth cherishing as we enter the stanza(antara and sanchayi) segments of the song. Arijit's vocals also have a lot to do with the familiarity of the tune. My favourite line is "Na bacha yahaan hai kuch, tere liye ", immediately followed by "woh jo tera hoke na raha".

Rashmi Virag writes these wonderful lines, and the song's producers are Abhijit Vaghani, Piyush Shankar & Prasanna Suresh. Naveen Kumar plays the heartwarming flute in the interlude and he is accompanied by exponents like Sanjoy Das on acoustic guitars and Arbaz Khan on electric guitars. The grand symphony of strings is arranged and conducted by the brilliant Deepak Pandit and we have the live strings by the Bombay Strings comprising Shyam Jawda, Dilsad Ahmed, Sushil Varma, Raju Padhiar, Manoj Jawda, Neeraj Rathore, Rajesh Kapoor and Dev Dutt.

The tracks are mixed and mastered by Shadab Rayeen with Pukhraj Sonkar & Anup Gandharla as mix assistants. The recording engineers are Parth, Chakir, Surjit Ghoshmazumdar and Bhaskar. 

@piyush_shankar @sonalc23 @abhijitvaghani @therashmivirag @arijitsingh @aayushiivermaa @tseries.official @naveenkumarflute @sanjoygtr @shadabrayeen @arbaz_a_khan @officialprasannasuresh @deepakpandit_31

6. Alone

Written By: Dhruv Visvanath

Produced by: Dhruv Visvanath

Language: English

Genre: Indie Pop

It is typical Dhruv, with that killer guitar strumming, like plucking the veins near the heart. The song is composed, written and produced by Dhruv Visvanath and he is alone many times when it comes to the phenomenal end products of a musical project. The layers of vocals create an A Capella effect.  

The words are beautifully written, "I Know you can't stand the sight of me, that's why it's better if I leave you alone". The humming that comes like layers of waves are immense and not only are they amazing in execution, but also in arrangements. The rhythms are interesting, feeling like a Reggae or a Calypso number, and the trumpets add to this effect. Ayan De is the mix/master engineer.

@mrdhruvv @paralightsmusic @awal @indiemusic2020

7. Na Bol

Performed by Vidhya Gopal

Written by Vidhya Gopal, Alok Ranjan Srivastava

Produced by Siddharth Pandit

Language: Hindi/Traditional

Genre: Classical-Jazz fusion 

I recently reviewed this EP by renowned singer-songwriter Vidhya Gopal called "Par". It had 3 excellent songs and I would recommend lovers of Classical and Jazz fusion music to give it a try. This is the second song I am featuring in my weeklies from this EP and this one with a titillating Jazz concoction is produced by one of my favourite composers/producers Siddharth Pandit. 

Vidhya wrote the melody herself and lyrics along with Alok and also performed the vocals with an incredible amount of twists and turns also called ghamakas. The Piano and the percussions are mildly following in the background with that hint of an upright bass. The production is outstanding, allowing Vidhya to experiment and rise higher vocally, while also ornamenting the track. She is at the peak of her power and teases the listener with her delivery. 

@vidhyagopal_ @hashtag.jazbaat @panditjeeee 

8. One Agitation

Performed by Abhishek Hazarika

Written by Abhishek Hazarika

Language: English

Genre: Rock

Pure, unadulterated rock, well that is what Abhishek Hazariya offers us with this single. He calls it 'One Agitation' but with the rousing electric guitars, nerve-wracking drums and high-octane vocals I can only think of 'One Admirarion' as the most suited title. 

After more than 2 minutes, we get a mild pause and the solo on the electric guitar takes over, all the Rock Gods would have been pleased with this segment. I would be now tempted to listen to his album 'Brightendash', which has this song as a part of the collective. Abhishek has played the lead guitars, has composed and performed the vocals. Paras Khanna is the bassist and drummer and he has also done the mixing and mastering. 

@abhishekhazarika @iparaskhanna @abhishukla08 @rahulzee19

9. Sundown

Performed by Chai Lenin, Trosk

Written by Chaitanyasre Lenin

Produced by Chaitanyasre Lenin

Language: English

Genre: Classical Pop

Fusion seems easy, just bring together two different styles and mix them at will. Well, not many get it right, Chai Lenin is this young artist who excels at it and that is why her Classical Pop works for me all the time. It never seems forced, but it is organised, seamless and natural. The dreamy pop moves into a Carnatic aalap before you even can wink your eyes. 

The song is written with the melody and lyrics by Chaitanyasre a.k.a. Chai and she also gets an A+ for vocals and production. The arrangments are carried out in splendid style by Trosk and he is also the mix/master engineer. 

The song's tone makes you visualise a walk into the words, with the sounds of nature. Chai says that the songwriting process was hugely cathartic for her, well as a music listener, the listening process was immensely cathartic for me too. The mild Piano keeps things subdued for the initial parts and then the keys and rhythms add style. She piles on the quality with a swara delivery. I am not able to recognise the Raag here, but when I spoke to Chai the last time, she did talk about exploring Anya Swaras where one traverses without committing to a particular Raag. If at all I can sense anything I may have heard some Kalyanavasantham or Keeravani Ragam. 

@chailenin @troskmusic @abhishekcjayaprakash 

10. Can I Not Go

Performed by The Venom Berries

Written by Ciboni Vaz, Shock Wave

Language: English

Genre: Rock

The Mumbai-based Rock band has 4 members and they are being featured for the very first time, but based on the impressive single, I am most certain that this is not the last time. Maahir Siddique is the lead vocalist of the band and he is accompanied by Ciboni Vaz, the bassist.  

It is Ciboni and drumming artist Shock Wave who have written the song and the 4th member is guitarist Rui. The solid lead guitars and energizing drums waste no time in getting us introduced to their brand of music. The intro section is longer than most that we hear and I was straight away reminded of celebrity bands like 'GreenDay'. Maahir's tone does sound like Billie Joe Armstrong in places. 

The song is complete as a rock number, leaving nothing wanting. The drums and guitars are ecstatic and of supreme quality, with production value matching some of the world-class rock bands. The solo on the electric guitar comes in nicely as an interlude towards the end.  

@thevenomberriesband @maahirrrr @ciboni_vaz @ruijgoes @shockvavee

11. Break Up

Singer: Gur Sidhu

Lyrics: Veet Baljit

Music: Gur Sidhu

Producer: Nav Sandhu

Language: Punjabi

Genre: Indie Pop

Gursimran Sidhu a.k.a. Gur Sidhu released a new album called "Special Delivery" and it had some enjoyable songs, but this one stood out. He is a singer-songwriter in the Punjabi Indie space and has also composed music for Punjabi Cinema. This song is composed and sung by Gur, with lyrics by Veet Baljit and Nav Sandhu is the producer.

The acoustic guitar takes the cake at the very beginning of the song, and once we hear Gur's vocals, we just wonder who would want to break up with someone with such a voice. I'm kidding, still, as a music lover I love the tone of the song, with the mild flute interventions in the background. Nav Sandhu makes the arrangements and programming quite enjoyable. B Sanjh is the mix/master engineer. 

@gursidhuinsta @bsanjhofficial @sandhuxnav @veetbaljit_ @browntownmusicofficial 

12. Wonder

Vocals: John Reynolds

Composed, Performed by So Much To Carry

Language: English

Genre: Alt-Rock

This Hyderabad-based band is like a breath of fresh air, especially because I have always been exposed to amazing rock bands from Delhi, Pune, Mumbai, Kochi and NE India, until now. John Reynolds is the frontman with his vocals and lead guitars. Aaron Pranay on guitars, bassist Praharsha Deep and drummer Kevin Joseph are the other band members.  

The opening intro guitars are terrific, with some enviable sound design. Aaron and Kevin also play guitars here and then with a minute gone by we hear an outstanding bass guitar intervention by Praharsha. John doesn't shy away from using his falsetto tone to great effect. The writing is very relevant and touches the heart. I also like the bridge section with a touch of the Piano, but when he sings " It will never be the same" we hit the Rock mode in all its purity. The electric guitars and drums are invigorating and the jugalbandhi they are involved in is one of the highlights of the song. Daniel Sharma is the mix/master engineer. 

@somuchtocarry @kevinjoseph___ @ronyreynolds @aaronpranay @praharsha_deep @eshanthmendez @michelle_golconda

13. Jugnu

Performed by Anmol Jaswal

Written by Anmol Jaswal, Rajat Mathur

Language: Punjabi

Genre: Indie Pop

I had no idea about Anmol Jaswal from Jammu, and I am glad I came across this EP called "Dhun" by this singer-songwriter. My favourite from the EP is Jugnu as Anmol writes, composes and performs this gentle melody. 

The guitars and ethnic strings pull the heart deeper into the song. The bass guitars and rhythms start making the song sound stylish, but they all play second fiddle to Anmol's beautifully crafted vocals. There is beauty in his delivery, vibrato, and even in the places he decides to take a breath in. The harmonium interlude came unexpectedly and stole the show, and the notes written for this segment are also attractive. Rajat Mathur has co-written the song with Anmol. 

The melody, arrangements and performance more than makeup for the short duration of the song. 

@anmol_jaswal @kanishka374 @adit.guptaa 

14. Chehra 2.0

Singer: Hanita Bhambri

Composer: Hanita Bhambri

Lyrics: Hanita Bhambri

The songs in the movie "Thank You for Coming" were just below ordinary with a remixed version here and there. This one alone stood out and made my time worth it. Hanita is a fine indie musician and here she goes solo, writing the lyrics, composing the tune and singing it too. The chorus segment is magical with some excellent words as well. 

The bridge section is nicely composed as well and we get some excellent arrangements of vocal harmonies, guitars and keys. Hanita's vocal texture is lovable and adds some raw beauty as well. 

@hanitabhambri