Top Indian songs of the week 10th July 2022

1. I don’t sleep enough

Vocals – Anubha Kaul

Written, Composed – Anubha Kaul

Producer – Aman Jangwani

The duo has just been one of the best when they work together on various projects. Aman Jagwani and Anubha Kaul have done phenomenally well and that is why I have always featured their work like “This Place” and “Hope” at the top of the India charts. Now, this is a hat-trick of features and before listening to this, I strongly urge you to listen to the other two tracks I have mentioned in the lines above. Anubha is just insanely good with her vocals and I get tensed here thinking how she will hit the notes on the way down in the lower scale, but she does it like a walk in the park. The keys come along and decorate the background, and the way she hums it lingers on in your head, just before those beautiful lines “I dream a little too much, and I still don’t sleep enough”. Aman has excelled in leaps and bounds in production and the quality of output is a testament to the man’s work. The layers of vocals behind the main track are interesting and create an aura of infinite space and hence add to the mystery and intrigue of the message in the song. Aman also mixes the track, while it is Ayan De on mastering.

2. Ilamazha Chattin

Music: PS Jayhari

Singers: Pradeep Kumar, Nithya Mammen, Amrita Jayakumar

Musicians  - Charu Hariharan, Sandeep Mohan, Varun Kumar, Rithu Vysakh, Abin Paul, Avinash Satish, Donal Whelan

Lyrics – Santhosh Varma

Genre – Melody

Language - Malayalam

I just read the names of the vocalists, and then I knew the song will be an absolute belter. It is a shame that Pradeep Kumar doesn’t sing more in other languages, as he hands down have one of the most pleasing voices in the industry. The Pallavi is as pleasant as one can find any romantic song with Sandeep Mohan aiding on guitars. The anu pallavi part where he sings “ariyum kuttalam aruvi thullatam” is beauty packed into a few lines. The introduction of the Ghatam by Charu Hariharan adds a nice local and rustic flavour even before the interlude start. Varun Kumar plays the flute in the interlude and then we are served a treat with Nithya Mammen singing those lines in the moderately higher scales. How can one sound incredibly sweet like a truckload of sugar dumped on you?  I wonder what Def Leppard would do singing “Pour some sugar on me”, if he heard Nithya sing. Here in the charanam is where I felt there was a tinge of Shankarabharanam Raagam. Paulson gives a tease in the background with his solo on Sitar towards the end of the stanza, but I love how the anupallavi is used to connect the charanam and pallavi once again, especially when it is the most melodies line in the song. Paulson goes beyond just a tease in the second interlude, and we have Amrita Jayakumar on vocals in the humming. How skilled is PS Jayhari the composer for having two completely different tunes for the 2 stanzas and there is so much he has offered like the way songs in movies have been in the 1980s and 1990s? I am supremely impressed with PS Jayhari and this is the second time after his song in Tamil “Sellama” a couple of months ago. He also has done keyboard and rhythm programming. Rithu Vysakh plays the strings as a constant support element throughout the song, with Sandeep also playing the bass guitars and Mandolin. Avinash Satish, Sai Prakash and Akshay are the recording engineer, and with Abin Paul on mixing, Donal Whelan does the mastering.

3. Sun Bhi Le

Composer - Vishal Mishra

vocals- Arijit Singh & Vishal Mishra, Prateeksha Srivastava

Lyrics - Raj Shekhar

Musicians – Shomu Seal,

Language – Hindi

Genre – Light, melody

I have told many times that Vishal Mishra is a shining light amidst all the darkness surrounding Bollywood music, and he proves it yet again. The movie could be small and low-budget called ‘Ittu si baat’ but the generosity of music is big and abundant. For starters just notice how the poster has the words “Vishal Mishra Musical” and sadly barring South Indian Cinema nowhere else will you find such huge importance given to a music composer. I am glad Vishal smashes this one and after a long time, we have Arijit Singh's number that touches your heart. The last time that happened was back in May when we heard Somesh Saha’s “Maan le”. Prateeksha Srivastava gives a Rajasthani/Gujarati folk tone with her vocals at the beginning, and the Shehnai sounds like an influence of Raag Saranga. Arijit then just strikes you hard making it impossible to focus on anything else. The Keys and programming of all sounds are just phenomenal and all that is thanks to Vishal himself who takes care of arrangements too. Stop everything you do and just listen to an AR Rahmanesque interlude with the humming, guitars and strokes by Shomu Seal. It does probably have a flavour of Raag Yaman Kalyani here and I could just play this part on loop a million times. The rhythm programming will bring a smile to your face by getting the right elements like the Dholak, Kanjira etc at the right time. Shadab Rayeen does the mix and master with Pukhraj Sonkar and Anup assisting. Trihangku Lahkar is the recording engineer while Kumar Gaurav Singh assists Vishal.

4. Ultay Hor Zamane

Music Producer, Composition & Singer - Kanishk Seth

Poetry - Baba Bullehshah

Musicians - Wei Xiao, Ricky Young

Kanishk Seth is someone I eagerly look forward to when he releases something, because he has the knack to fuse classical Indian music along with techno and modern sounds, without corrupting either and he only lets the lines between them naturally blur. It is a skill that not many can claim to be good at, and here is another proof of his sublime expertise in doing that. I fell in love with the live instrumentals used here as they delivered a very fresh sound and the fusion is even better because it gets global exponents an opportunity to exhibit their work. Kanishk has composed, sung and produced this number while the original poetry belongs to Baba Bullehshah. Wei Xiao’s Violin and Ricky Young on the electric guitar just make this one heavenly experience. The swaras are by vocalists Yatharth Sharma and Devashri Manohar. The opening lines to me had some Shivranjani Raag influences. The interlude is filled with the fantastically haunting Violin and the guitars soon follow suit. The outro is magical with the concoction of the Violin, the swaras, the programmed sounds and a mild humming. Kanishk truly excels here even at the mixing and mastering, especially because there are too many components to coagulate perfectly. 

5.  Osaarilaa Raa

Music – Rahul Raj
Singer -  Sid Sriram 

Lyrics: Rehman 

Musicians – Sumesh Parameshwar, Haritha Raj

Language – Telugu

Genre – Light, Semi-classical, melody

Rahul Raj is a fantastic composer and I have been thrilled to listen to his brand of music always. This is not the first time I am featuring this brilliant musician, but definitely his first foray into Telugu. Rahul infuses melody and that too with a mix of classical Raagas and it just not only makes the listening but the reviewing process too way too much fun for me. Sid Sriram becomes a natural choice as the lead vocalist for such melodies whereby he can bring his Carnatic experience to the table. I could definitely hear Aabheri and Sri Raagas, but Rahul says there is also Madhyamavathi in the mix. Sumesh Parameshwar is just killing it with the acoustic and bass guitars especially. Haritha Raj is just a supremely talented Veena exponent and she just breezes through competing with the westernized guitars. Rahul’s arrangements are breathtaking in that he introduces the bass guitars and Veena almost non-stop in the stanza and it keeps the whole segment fresh and catchy. Any words like catchy, would not do enough justification to this beauty but this is loop-worthy beyond doubt. Let us not forget the rhythm programming too, which is quite impressive. The track is mixed by Harishankar V and mastered by Pablo Schuller. 

6. Aa Brahmanenba 

Music – Bharath BJ

Singing – Mehboob Saab

Lyrics – V Nagendra Prasad

Musicians – Keerthy Narayanan, Siddhart Kamat, Nelson

Language – Kannada

Genre – Pathos, semi-classical

Bharath BJ has been featured on my page for a fabulous Kannada song a few months ago called “Rangu Raate” sung by the indomitable Vijay Prakash. This too is from the same movie called ‘Wheelchair Romeo’ and is sung by Mehboob Saab with heaviness and a sense of Pathos which is very much intended. The song is definitely having some mild influences on Raag Maand, especially in the Pallavi. Siddhart Kamat who has been featured a few times plays the guitars but a lot of credit goes to Keerthy Narayanan who does the programming. Nelson plays the solo on the Violin in the interlude and Bharath Bj tells me the number is loosely based on Raag Khamaj, and you can easily sense that with the way there are similarities with the super famous Bollywood number “Zindagi maut na ban jaye” sung by Sonu Nigam in ‘Sarfarosh’. The track is mixed and mastered by Bharath himself.  The second interlude is grand in style and execution like a symphony and Bharath does exceedingly well in getting the basslines in place to add groove and funk to a semi-classical slow song. Mehboob Saab gets all the emotive elements on the dot with his delivery and impressive but under-played vibrato.

7. Babul - Richa Sharma

Performed by: Richa Sharma

Written, Produced: Dhruv Ghanekar

Language – Hindi

Genre – Folk Fusion

Just a couple of weeks ago I showered praise on Dhruv Ghanekar for his splendid show and only saviour for the movie ‘Dhaakad’. The title track sung by Vasundhara Vee was emphatic with solid energy and orchestral grandeur. This is the second track I am recommending and this is no less. Clearly, the album is one of the best we have heard in Bollywood in 2022 and although that is not a very difficult thing to achieve considering the quality of Bollywood music, I can assure you that Dhruv’s score is as good as any we have heard in Indian movie albums in 2022. Richa Sharma is flawless in her delivery and the song starts off like an old classic song from the 1960s steeped in pathos. Then Richa just blasts away and Dhruv’s creative use of electro and techno sounds to modernize works just as well. The Punjabi folk tone becomes apparent in the production where Dhruv dominates the scene. Dhruv tells me that the folk is based on Raag Bhairavi, although with my limited knowledge I also heard some Raag Revati. Richa’s expression and modulations are hugely influential ingredients in the outcome of the song.

8. Confide 

Composer, Producer – Moosa Saleem

Lyricist, Vocals– Moosa Saleem, Jeremiah de Rozario

Language – English

Genre – Country, Pop

Moosa Saleem is one of the busiest music producers around and if I am not wrong, he has produced at least a dozen tracks in 2022, which is phenomenal and I must admit this is the first of those I am featuring and reviewing. Jeremiah de Rozario is a highly rated singer and for the first time, he is featured here singing for another musician’s production. Rozario brings in that element of western vocals that is apt for a song like this and the guitar riffs merge very well into the tone of the track. I feel there is the slide Guitar in use as well and that is why it belongs to the Country style of music we hear a lot from the US. The hummin and the vocal arrangements create a mesmeric effect .

9. Fakira Episode 3

Singer: Divya Kumar

Composer & Arranger: Harshit Chauhan

Lyrics: Avinash Chouhan

Musicians - Milton Daniel , Savio Fernandes, Prince Mangan, Sanchit Mhatre & Rishi Shankar, Bhuvanvignesh V Vengurlekar, Preet Chapla & Prashant Fodkar, Sahil Shivram, Phulchand Bhatt, Jyotsna & Ruchika Chauhan

Language – Hindi

Genre – Folk fusion 

There are not too many better singers than Divya Kumar if you want to get the rural, classical and folk sound and tone right. I have been a huge fan of his style of singing and he has even worked his trade down south last year with D Imman the composer. This song is foot-tapping good and it also possesses so much of freshness and richness in the tune that it is a singer’s as well as a dancer’s delight. The strokes we hear are played by Milton Daniel and with Savio Fernandes on guitars, Prince Mangan is the bassist. You can hear some very local Indian percussions in the background played by Sanchit Mhatre and Rishi Shankar, but the drums are by Bhuvanvignesh V Vengurlekar. The way the opening lines end remind me of the song by Vishal Mishra called “Udta Teetar” in the album ‘ Saand Ki Aankh’. Sahil Shivram plays the harmonium in the background and in the interlude with a delightful solo but the western keyboards are by Preet Chapla and Prashant Fodkar. The way the drums, bass guitars, Keys, combine so beautifully with the Harmonium and Indian percussions can only be heard, experienced and appreciated more than my words. Jyotsana and Ruchika Chauhan are the additional backup vocalists on chorus and Phulchand Bhatt also plays some of the Indian percussions. Akash Sawant mixes and masters while Samir Dharap assists and Rahul Sharma is the recording engineer.

10. Mann Mera - Anubha Bajaj

Singers: Anubha Bajaj, Karm Solah

Composers: Anubha Bajaj, Karm Solah

Producer: Anubha Bajaj

Language – Hindi

Genre – Indie Pop

I played this song a while back and I was just dumbstruck but the simple yet powerful tone and tune. It had to do with Anubha Bajaj’s singing and she keeps it tender in the beginning, letting the guitars do a bit of load-pulling. Then as the scale heightens she amplifies the energy and you feel the emotion in both instances. Anubha and Karm Solah are the composers and vocalists with the former producing the track as well. Karm also brings in the vulnerable emotional side to the vocals and the keyboard programming is guiding the track without letting the song become monotonous at any time. The humming in the background just before the bride segment begins is another fine element. The label is BGBNG and the representatives are musicians Raghav Meattle and Shambhavi Singh, and the track is mixed and mastered by Somanshu. Richa Bhembre does all the artwork.

11. Doorame 

Music & vocals - Rahul Sipligunj

female vocals - Manisha Eerabathini

Musicians - Rakesh Chary, Arun Chiluveru

Language – Telugu

Genre - Melody

Rahul Sipligunj creates this romantic number and it has shades of Shankarabharanam and Maand Raagas. He has composed and sung while Manisha Eerabathini is the female vocalist. The track reminds me of “Intha Siripinay” by Karthik Raja when he sings “ Nuvvu ne nane thedalethu le”. Arun Chiluveru is the hero of the track for some of his brilliant strumming. The interlude with the female humming by Manisha also has very likeable notes. The rhythm programming is impressive thanks to Rakesh Chary who also does keyboard programming. JB handles the mixing and mastering.

12. Still around 

Lyrics, composition & vocals: Parth Gadhvi 

Language- English

Genre – Pop

Musicians – Sachin Nair, Sujal Verma 

For a musician from Mumbai, who learnt guitars only after he turned 16, he does quite well and his vocals are gentle and dreamy. Parth Gadhvi plays the guitar and he has written, composed and performed this track. The strings in the background are like a strong foundation for the track to progress and propagate. In an otherwise simple composition, the singing and arrangements make it a very pleasant experience. Sachin Nair deserves credit for the production, mixing and mastering which gets the song to the desired output level. Sujal Verma does the additional programming and assistance in mixing. 

13. Jee Bharke

Written, composed and sung - Sruthi Vj

Produced - Richard Andrew

Musicians – Yogesh Pradhan

Language – English & Hindi

Lyrics translated – Simran Jain

It is always refreshing to have new artists surprise you, especially if the song is this good. Sruthi Vijaychandran or just Sruthi Vj is from San Francisco and in this number she showcases her colossal training in both Western and Classical Indian music. She might have gotten some splendid support in the form of bassist/producer Yogesh Pradhan from one of my favourite bands ‘Girish and the Chronicles’, and he has done all the arrangements and programming for the track. Bengaluru-based Richard Andrew Dudley has produced the track along with mixing and mastering but the song is Sruthi’s brainchild as she writes, composes and performs with impeccable delivery. I personally felt Sruthi was more raring and explorative with her vocals in the English lyrical segment compared to the Hindi parts. This could happen when singers are singing in their natural linguistic habitat where there is very little focus on pronunciation and so on, so in a way, I wished Sruthi performed entirely in English. The Keys, bass and Tabla combine well in the background. The notes in places reminded me of how “Wake me up when September ends” by Green Day sounds. Simran Jain writes the Hindi lyrics. Sruthi freewheels towards the end with some impressive aalap. Jaimee Dudley does all the additional programming.

14. O Sajna

Music, Vocals – Sougata Dey

Lyrics – Vashkar Ghosh

Language – Hindi

Genre – Semi-classical Fusion

Sougata Dey has this very earthy voice and he utilizes well to sing this track which has a lot of Yaman Raag influence. The composition is Sougata himself and the introduction of the Tabla in the opening line when it gets repeated the second time is great to hear. Babin Das handles all the arrangements, sound design and mixing and the way the electric guitar and bass guitars hover over the Tabla is splendid as a collective soundscape. Vashkar Ghosh is the lyricist. I just wished the stanza and especially the landing was composed as well as the opening lines which are just melodious beyond words.