Top Indian Songs of the week 2nd Oct 2022

1. Ek Din

Vocals/Guitars: Raman Negi

Song Produced by : Gaurav Chintamani & Raman Negi

Language: Hindi

Genre: Rock

Ever since the band's frontman Raman Negi left 'The Local Train' in 2022, he has never looked like alighting or even stopping from his destined track towards stardom and excellence. I have featured "Mehroom" and "Koyla" already this year and we now have another single of his and it rises to the top of the chart last week. You once again get that "Sweet Home Alabama" thanks to splendid guitars by Raman and Gaurav Chintamani on bass. Let us not forget the creative Vaibhav Ahuja who just experiments with the drums, without ever getting dull and predictable at any given moment. You cannot stop yourself from singing along once you memorise these lovely lines. the electric guitar solo somewhere near the 2.30-minute mark is inspiring and that is followed by harmonies as well as accompaniments on Keyboards. Raman and Gaurav excel as producers with the latter also mixing and Chris Athens mastering. There is a wonderful introduction of a layer of Horns that make this track truly awesome. This is the kind of song that should make teens, Millenials and Gen X all go wild at parties. Raman is fantastic as a vocalist ranging from soothing to downright aggressive in the delivery. Maan Boruah handles the direction of the project, and the artwork is by Anirudh Bansal. 

2. Paravakal

Performed by Chinmayi, Govind Vasantha

Written by Anwar Ali, Govind Vasantha

Produced by Govind Vasantha

Language: Malayalam

Genre: Melody

As a movie 19(1)(a) got some mixed reviews with good acting but slightly weaker writing. However, I am sure none will have any qualms or complaints about the quality of the music for this movie. Govind Vasantha is in prime form and I loved 2 songs in the movie. I would rate "Paravakal" higher than "Badharile" number. You need 5 seconds to fall in love with the number as the solo Violin by Govind destroys your facade of focus and concentration in whatever other task you are doing. If the Violin wasn't enough to convey the gravitas and pathos, Chinmayi bludgeons you with her deeply impactful vocals. Kudos to Govind as he is one of the few who continues to give songs to a singer unjustly punished by the Tamil movie and dubbing artists' space. Govind and Anwari Ali have penned the words, but you don't need to know Malayalam to surrender to the magic happening here. It is like the violin notes are speaking to me and we can hear the Piano and guitar strumming also adding to the effect. A soulful Flute solo in combination with guitars creates a beautiful interlude and then Chinmayee sings the notes that we heard on the opening solo Violin. The last phase is where Chinmayee reaches for the higher vocal scales and she sounds marvellous and keeps your attention glued. "Badharile" is sung by Veetrag, with lyrics by Anwar Ali. Veetrag is phenomenal and one will certainly fall in love with his vocal quality and emotive delivery. It has a Qawwali-styled texture with opening lines sounding like Raag Madhuvanti. Bassist Naveen Napier and guitarist Durwin D'Souza handle the strumming and create eloquence with percussions by Shruthi and Shekhar. The wonderful chorus team consists of Anu Thomas, Angel Anto, Aarya Janardhanan and Preethu Mary George. The recording engineers are Avinash Satish and Praveen, with mixing and mastering by Rajan KS. 

3. Believe

Written, Sung, Composed and Produced by: Vasuda Sharma 

Language: English

Genre: Indie pop fusion

Vasuda Sharma a couple of months ago was supremely impressive in this single along with Arnav Magoo called "Tere Bina". If she was a vocalist in that number here she has written, composed and produced as well featuring a brilliant violinist Layth Sidiq. He is an award-winning violinist, composer and producer of Iraqi-Jordanian descent and he is the artistic director of the New York Arabic Orchestra. Layth plays the scintillating solo here and aren't we blessed to hear Layth and Govind in the top 3 songs of the week? At the end of the Violin, we hear Jack Haigh on the acoustic guitar and everything else we hear is programmed and produced by Vasuda. Her vocals are accompanied by violin arrangements which are handled by Layth. The interlude is one joyous ride where we just have to close our eyes and listen to the splendour that Layth takes us through. The song has an indie pop flavour but it is the violins that add a classical touch. It is simply a masterclass of how creative arrangements and instrumental aid can elevate a song and I Believe there are resemblances to the Hamsadhwani scale in certain segments. The track is mixed and mastered at KC Studios. 

4. Too good to be True

Performed, Written by Gagan Yadav

Produced by Gagan Yadav, Saksham Dhar

Language: English

Genre: Ballad

It exactly fits the title, as the more I heard this single by Gagan Yadav, it did feel "too good to be true". He has this magically uplifting voice as Gagan writes, and performs with delectable poise. he does even better with some solid arrangements as we hear the guitars and strings as well. The strong point to note here is that the strings arranged have some specific trajectory that they follow and the notes are not a copy of the main melody. Saksham Dhar has co-produced the number, and just last month he produced a gem called "Imai" composed and performed by Sahana LV in Tamil. Gagan delivers a note-worthy vocal performance as he reaches for the higher scales with some grandness and also explores a bit of falsetto to sound stylish and vulnerable. Anshul Guglani makes his presence felt on drums without ever disturbing the tonality of the song. The lines are beautiful as well as he sings " A thousand years won't change my minds, you helped me see when I was blind, I cross my heart and hope to die with you". Just past the 2.35-minute mark, a violin solo brings on some sadness, but soon enough we have Anshul thumping on drums and add to that Gagn's words and singing provide the shining light of hope. 

5. O Kala 

Music Director: Neelesh Mandalapu

Lyrics: Rakendu Mouli, Nikhat Khan 

Singer: Chinmayee Sripada

Music Production, Orchestral Arrangement, Sound Design: Raja Rasaily

Language: Telugu

Genre: Melody-Fusion

Is she better than Shreya Ghoshal? Well let us not make it into some kind of competition, but just enjoy what each has to offer. This is Chinmayee's second song of the week and both being in the top 5 is a marvellous feat. With Chinmayee's soft and tender vocals and the guitars by Krishna Pradhan the song begins with a soothing impact. The flute solo arraigns the interlude, accompanied by strings in the background. The stanza continues with an extension of the melody but we have some excellent arrangements in the form of a more predominant strings section and that is thanks to the Budapest Orchestra handled by Kostas Vaporidis. The song is composed by Neelesh Mandalapu but equal credit goes to Raja Rasaily who has done the orchestral arrangements, production and sound design. Once we cross the 3-minute mark we hear a phenomenal segment fusing Western Classical music with Classical Qawwali style. As the strings fade away slowly the Harmonium by Ustad Akhlaq Hussain Warsi and Akshay Jadhav's Tabla take over. This is is the most unexpected twist and Neelesh truly impresses with his score and contributions to additional production and sound design. The vocalists performing the Qawwali are Sameer Khan Royal, Aman Khan, Uzair Ali, Kapil Thapa and Nawaz Ali. If the first section of the song was soothing, we now enter a space of tranquillity. The track is mixed by Farhad Dadyburjor and the recording engineers are Vijay Dayal, Chinmay Mistry and Avinash. Ashwin Raman assists the composer and Shaikh Shamsheer is the musician's fixer. 

6. Tere Bin

Singer : Aditya Narayan

Lyrics: Nas?ra

Song Composed, Arranged & Produced by Meghdeep Bose

Language: Hindi

Genre: Retro Fusion

In Meghdeep Bose I trust, that could very well be a standard tagline for me. He is one of the best producers/composers out there and this song in particular is a masterclass to all those also-rans in the music space who are bereft of ideas and want to recreate a version or music similar to the older hits. Meghdeep has composed, produced, and arranged this wonder that just brought a smile to my face. Meghdeep plays the acoustic guitar and the Mandolin which comes in the opening segments. The Tabla and Dholak are played by Girish Vishwa and Hafiz Khan and we have a fantastic set of performers on the backing vocals viz. Abin Thomas, Anshith Kunwar, Gyanita Dwivedi, Juhi Mahagaye, Parvatish Pradeep, Pritam Senapati and Snigdha Pious. Aditya Narayan who in my opinion should be singing so much more than he is has done a fantastic job in evoking the 1990s Bollywood. Listen to the mild interventions on the electric guitar by Jerson Antony and also we have those delightful Indian hand percussion played by Pratap Rath and Girish Vishwa, while Keyur Barve plays the stick percussions. The line is so melodious as Aditya sings " Sirf tere hi hai, mere raat har din subah" and kudos to Nassra for the lyrics. Meghdeep makes it grand with the introduction of the strings section played by Cochin Strings' members Francis Xavier Devassy, Harald Antony, Josekutty, Carol George, and Albin Jose. The point where I was astounded was when Meghdeep gets that famous hiccup sound reminding us of "Koi disco mein jaayen", and we have to thank Abin Thomas for that performance. The interlude is another excellent symphony on the strings and we have Neelesh Mandalapu and Kostas Vaporidis on the score preparation. These guys are having a great week with 2 songs in this week's list. The female humming reminded me of "Dil Toh Pagal Hai" title song, and this is the whole idea of this number. Meghdeep shows his true skill with an enchantingly melodious stanza and the keyboards and strings all add such vital layers to the song. Enjoy the outro with just Aditya's vocals, Keys and Strings with rhythms and percussions vanishing away. The track is mixed and mastered by Hanish Taneja, and the recording engineers are Raaj Jagtap, Sanket Tole, Anushree Manjrekar, Jonathan Joseph, Lokesh Singh and Pritam Senapati. Gyanita Dwivedi is the Production Executive and Pritam is the Studio Assistant. 

7. Payroll

Music Produced: Steve Manovski

Programming: Steve Manovski 

Lyrics: RIKA, Steve Manovski, Sam Gray, Maria Hazell, Kemar "Kranium" Donaldson

Language: English

Genre: Pop/Reggae

Steve Manovski is a multi-instrumentalist and producer who has worked with some astounding musicians and here he works with RIKA and Kemar "Kranium" Donaldson for a cool and enjoyable number. I have featured RIKA before for a song called "Love to you" back in October 2021. I heard this and I was sold thanks to the scintillating delivery by RIKAand some witty lyrics written by a team comprising of RIKA, Steve Manovski, Sam Gray, Maria Hazell and Kranium. I can picture myself driving my vehicle in slo-mo and windows pulled down, listening to this and making a grand entrance at a party. I love the lines " I work for my money oh, I don't need my body on your payroll", something that we all have dreamt of saying, and musically I love the part which goes "So you got a million dollars" which has harmonies backing up. Kranium's vocals come to join later and we just feel the song getting better thanks to some wonderful keyboard and rhythm programming. Steve Manovski has programmed and produced the track with Lex Barkey on mixing and mastering. 

8. Best Friend

Vocals- Perp, Varun Agnihotri

Production- Varun Agnihotri

Lyrics- Urmila Sivadas (Perp)

Language: English

Genre: Indie Pop

I recently attended a live gig by Trishita Recs, who I am a fan of, and there I stumbled upon Varun Agnihotri who not only performed but also played the guitars. I have been tracking him since and this single with Varun teaming up with another talented singer Urmila Sivadas(Perp) certainly caught my attention. Urmila is a fabulous vocalist and she has penned the lyrics talking about her friendship with Varun. I cannot think of a better song for an evening of rest and resplendence. Perp just shines with her Contralto type of low-scale singing and even there she manages to bring a very delightful little vibrato. You better pay attention to the whistle sound that just accentuates the song beautifully. Varun plays the acoustic guitar and the Keys are by Aditya Ahir. Varun later joins with his male lead vocals, and I believe the song's true standout feature is the technically sound vocal harmonies like an A Capella style which have been perfectly arranged. The guitar solo is stunning right towards the end and it feels like Varun's production has left no stone unturned for this one. Dishaan Gidwani has mixed and Ayan Dey has mastered the track. All the artwork is handled by Ashudeep S. 

9. Chardi Kala 

Composed by Sonny Singh 

Produced by Wil-Dog Abers

Language: Punjabi

Genre: Western/ Folk Fusion

Let us stand up and give an ovation to this wonderful debut solo album by Sonny Singh. This Brooklyn-based musician has given exactly what the heart and ears want. A very folkish Punjabi song can be modified and decorated into something that resembles a Western Classica/Jazz of sorts is truly inspiring. Sonny sings and composes the tune, and I have loved 2 more tracks in this album also by the same title "Chardi Kala", which I will be featuring and reviewing subsequently. The track is produced by Wil-Dog Abers and the ups and downs the song treads and the very beginning remind me of a Shaadi ki barat. Wil-Dog plays the bass guitars and you can listen to how cool the notes are if you pay attention, he also plays the Mellotron. The Tabla gives a traditional Indian tone thanks to Neelamjit Dhillon and he is on the Alto Saxophone as well. The Horns section is quite elaborate with Sonny playing the trumpet, and Warren Huang playing the Tenor Sax. Just close to the 2nd minute the song has a beautiful twist with percussions dropping away and the Trumpets and saxophone dominating. The high-pitched humming kind of inspires you like an anthem, with Ganavya on backing vocals, and here I sensed some Raag Shivaranjani. The last 1 minute has many live instruments playing like the drum set by Mario Calire, Keyboards by Carey Frank, Jonathan Goldberger on guitars, Dominic Johnson on Violin and Jake Leckie on the Upright bass. The track is mixed by Patric Avalon and mastered by Justin Weis. 

10. Anaconda

Singer: Gur Sidhu 

Lyrics: Kaptaan

Music: Gur Sidhu

Language: Hindi

Genre: Dance Pop

Just leave it to the Punjabis to sound cool and extravagant. Gur Sidhu sings and composes this smashing number that is heavy on the Alt-pop and Alt-Rock space. The heavy electric guitar is accompanied by what sounds like the Esraj to me (it could also be the Sarangi). The singing is energetic which is true for most Punjabi numbers but a minute into the track, there is a beautiful shift to a folkish style guided by Jasraj Lailna's Dhol. I wouldn't be surprised if you stopped reading this and went off to shake your legs. Nav Sandhu is the producer and he gets the tonality spot on. The usual whistles, harmonies, and humming all of which make for a great Punjabi number are present. Kaptaan is the lyricist. The producer uses the Esraj in a few places which are wonderful interventions. The music label is Brown Town Music. 

11. Komallo

Singers: Sanah Moidutty, Yazin Nizar

Lyrics: Ananth Sreeram

Song composed and arranged by Simon K.King 

Language: Telugu

Genre: Melody Fusion

It's a triparty agreement that you will not want to discount. Composer Simon K King works with vocalists Yazin Nizar and Sanag Moidutty and it is the equivalent of a Tiramisu cake that I will have at any time of the day. A folkish humming is followed by a very current melody probably set in Yamankalyani Ragam. Kalyani Nair, Sushmitha Narasimhan and Padmaja Sreenivasan form the harmonies accompanied by Godfray Immanuel's delectable guitar strumming. Sanah has one of the most attractive-sounding voices in the industry and God does she put it to good use. No matter what language she performs in, she can sound very fresh, original and incredibly sweet. Vasanth David and Kalyan are stunning on rhythms and to my mind, it is one unforgettable highlight of the track. Yazin Nizar is one unique vocalist who chooses his songs wisely and whenever there is a need for a high-pitched delivery Yazin is the man for the job and he shows exactly why during the second stanza. Lalit Talluri plays the woodwinds and he intervenes just at the right moments. The second interlude is where Lalit sizzles, teases and leaves you wanting more. Shilvi Sharon is the music manager. The track is mixed and mastered by Balu Thankachan. Ananth Sreeram is the lyricist

12. Tu hi Bata

Singers: Nikhita Gandhi, Siddhant Bhosle

Songwriter/ Composer: Siddhant Bhosle, Nikhita Gandhi 

Lyricist: Shloke Lal, Nikhita Gandhi, Siddhant Bhosle 

Music Production: Siddhant Bhosle, Somanshu 

Language: Hindi/English

Genre: Indie pop

It has been a while since I featured the talented Siddhant Bhosle and I am glad that I got this opportunity to listen to this very pleasing number, and Siddhant teams up with another vocalist who is at the peak of her powers right now, Nikhita Gandhi. My only complaint as a reviewer and music lover is that she probably accepts most projects that come her way without being choosy. Anyway, I am thrilled that Nikhita and Siddhant have written, composed and performed this together. Shloke Lal is someone who is level-headed and when I spoke to him a couple of months ago, I could sense a very honest and hardworking writer at play. The last time I featured his "Din Aur Raatein" I was impressed by how effortlessly Siddhant would move from English to Hindi lyrics and back, a feat not all can do. He does this once again here with another expert in Nikhita. The track is mixed by Abhishek Ghatak and mastered by Jonas W Karlsson. The title line and what follows are just incredibly pleasing to the ears. When Nikhita gets a song like this she will just hit it out of the park and the way the two leads combine to sing together also makes for some glorious listening. Credit must go to Siddhant and Somanshu who have produced the number for getting the sounds just right. 

13. Tuta Pull Wahan 

Singer | Lyrics | Composition- Deepak Rathore 

Music Produced and Engineered by Angad Singh Bahra @Uneven Studio 

Language: Hindi

Genre: Indie Pop

This engineer-turned-musician has been on my radar for a while now, and I have been fond of his songs. Deepak Rathore has written, composed and performed the number. This is however the first time I am impressed enough to feature and review a song in the top 15 in the nation for the week. The song has a very likeable tone and with its simple guitars and lead vocals, Deepak holds your focus at every instance. The pause just before the title line is a moment of magic and then when the lines continue, Deepak manages to give us a memorable lullaby and you just feel the emotion when he sings "Tu ghar aaja". The strumming of the guitars is so vital to driving the message, theme and style of the song. Angad Singh Bahra has produced, mixed and mastered the number and credit goes to him for envisaging and executing the sounds to perfection. The humming by Deepak stays in your head long after the song is over. Deepak's vocals and delivery kind of remind me of Lucky Ali and that is meant to be a terrific compliment from my end. 

14. Raahi

Music: Venoz

Vocal Composition and Lyrics: Aatif Anzar

Language: Hindi

Genre: Melody Fusion

Surprise packages like these can make one's day, and even if there is an envelope of darkness, shining bright light will find a way. Venoz a.k.a. Aruj Arya has produced this number and we have Aatif Anzar writing, composing and performing this absolute stunner. The singing is breathtaking and Aatif has not only got a great voice, but he also does very skilful things with them. The use of guitars, and Tabla is a magical concoction and for a lot of great reasons the song reminds me of Pritam and Arijit's "Channa mereya", maybe because of the wedding setting also. The song scores heavily on vocals, arrangements and production as well. 

15. Madano

Composer, Singer - Aabha Hanjura

Music Production & Guitars - Kalyan Baruah

Lyrics - Neeraj Rajawat

Language: Hindi

Genre: Indie Pop

It is only when I went to Kashmir this year in April, I could understand and appreciate the beauty of the land and the love of the people. However much before I landed there, I was already aware of the talented musicians and the soothing nature of their folk music. Aabha Hanjura is one Kashmiri artist who strives hard to bring that music to the ears of the rest of India and she has been quite successful too. This song is a wonderful melody that gets the right treatment and it is Kalyan Baruah's production that paints the song with the most delightful brush. Aabha has composed and sung this gem with accompanying guitars by Kalyan. The keyboard and rhythm programming are just present to play second fiddle to this melody and Kalyan ensures nothing is overdone. The interlude for example keeps the song's tone mild and mellow. The bridge section is neatly composed and provides the mild variation needed. The sounds of the electric guitar can be heard in the distance and along with the acoustic guitars and drums, we get a wholesome and pleasant number. Neeraj Rajawat is the lyricist and he writes these beautiful words like how amazingly Madano is the title referring to Lord Krishna in Hindi and it also means "the beloved" in Kashmiri.

16. Ninde Koode

Performed by - Joash Mathew

Written by - Joash Mathew

Language: English/Malayalam

Genre: Indie Pop

Out of the blue, I came across this EP by Joash Mathew called "Pills" and there was some interesting music, but the one that stood out for me was 'Ninde Koode'. It starts with one of my favourite instruments the Kazoo which feels like an offshoot of the mouth trumpet and Nadaswaram. Joash has written, composed and performed the song and it follows the perfect trajectory of a pop number aided by guitars, keys and bass. His Malayalam lyrics come all of a sudden and I love how the two segments coalesce though I prefer his English delivery better. There are not too many variations in the notes, but the clear highlight for me was the electric guitar solo that improvises and adds a very classical Indian touch before ending with the opening notes. 

17. Kabhi Kabhi

Singer, Composer: Anumita Nadesan

Production: Vaibhav Pani

Lyrics: Siddhant Kaushal

Language: Hindi

Genre: Indie pop

Anumita Nadesan has been now sort of a regular on my weekly charts and it has to do a lot with the producers she works with. If last week it was Pinacolada Blues (Kevin Shaji) who produced "Tera Nishaan" that appeared in the list, it is now another sensational producer's turn to put Anumita's song in this week's list. Vaibhav Pani the guitarist/producer does a fine job and turns this composition by Anumita shine with an even brighter lustre. The guitars and keyboards are heard mildly but Anumita ups the ante with her vocals as we progress into the track. The electric guitar and rhythms act as an interlude but the innocence of Anumita's vocals impresses upon us more than anything else. Sahil Shah plays the drums and Jason D'Souza does the mixing and mastering. Closer to the 3rd minute we get a noticeable shift in the tempo and the drums catch up this is a very likeable race to the finish line. Siddhant Kaushal is the lyricist. 

18. Laparwah

Singer, Composer: Anchit Magee

Language: Hindi 

Genre: Indie Pop

Anchit Magee is a very unassuming indie musician and he has been featured before by me this time it is from his EP called "Adhoore". I really liked the tone of 'Laparwah' as it had an inherent sadness and longing. I pfobably will feature another track too from the 5 song EP. The introduction of the vocal harmonies works well for me and it creates some deep intrigue. The guitars are played by Anchit with the bass played by Aum Chandran. The constant strumming of guitars and Andhit's magnetic voice do the trick. The track is mixed and mastered by Adamya Bajaj at the Tiny Room Studio.