This is the weeks best music from across the nation. Music from every state written in every language, composed as a part of Movies and by Indie artists is listened to and after analyzing more than 300 tracks released in the week ending 19th September 2021, I have rated and reviewed the 20 absolute best tracks in the country. This is truly India's ONLY multilingual music review and music curation page. Week after week , without any breaks you will get the review and links to the best work from musicians all over the country.  Find the full playlist of 20 tracks on SPOTIFY 1. Cheppake Cheppake https://youtu.be/RYjsDrNmFrM Haven't I been saying that Telugu music is probably re-scaling a peak of dominance and quality in the last year or so? Well If not, let me state it again with assertion. This took me back many years feeling like listening to a Ilaiyaraja masterpiece, and how much we miss them these days. If you were not brought up in South India, you wont understand what I am talking about. Chaitan Bharadwaj , Kudos to you for creating this weeks best Indian number and Deepthi Parthasarathy is splendid as the lead vocalist. The guitars by Arun Chiluveru are stunning from the get go, and we hear a mild flute also by Ravi Shankar. The strings section is elaborate and it fills your heart with joy and I feel Imam who has conducted the strings deserves a ravishing credit for this. The Violins are played by Sampath, Sastri, Babji, Sasi, Siva, Ramana, Mohan, Murali, Balaji, Balu, Vijay Bhaskar, Balaji, Viola by Sebastin, Baskar, Chandru, Vinaya Kumar, Gopi, Girijan, Hemanth, Anita Francis, Cello by Sekar, Viji and Double Bass by Francis. The intelude is a wonderful symphony with total dominance by Ravi Shankar on the flute. The verse and many instances have a second-line of chorus with female backing vocalists Vasa Pavani, Nemalikonda Manasa, Amrutha Varshini, Abhiikya Tanikella. Its amazing what a wide range Deepthi shows just within the verse itself as we also have SM Subhani handling all the middle eastern instruments that keep playing the layers and in the outro. Chaitan himself does all the keyboard and synth programming, with Hariharan doing the additional tone processing. The mixing and mastering is done by India's leading engineer Shadab Rayeen and assisted by Pukhraj and Milan. Chaitanya Prasad writes the beautiful Telugu lyrics. 2. Dhoore https://youtu.be/u07M5-qJp6E It makes me so happy that there are musicians creating such wonderful pieces with especially with elaborate array of live instruments. The number 2 song this week is from Malayalam and we have two spell-binding singers in the lead in K.S.Harishankar and Nithya Mammen and that itself takes care of 50% of the musical output. Now moving over to the creative side of things Ebin Pallichan is the brains of the song as its composer, programmer and arranger. Francis Xavier stings you with his Violin Solo at the very start and the whole grand show is by Cochin Strings comprising of Harald Antony, Francis Xavier, Carol George on 1st Violins, Josekutty, Francis Sebastian, Biju Panikkaveetil on 2nd violins, Mariadas, Jain MP, Danny on Viola, Albin Jose on Cello and Saju Jose on Double Bass. Josy Alappuzha then lays the mild groundwork for Hari to enchant you with his voice. Biju Annamanada is scintillating on the Veena and Sandeep Venkitesh gets the tempo going with his Tabla and Dholak. The title line is just filled with mystery and keeps you engaged. Nithya does a haunting humming in the intrelude followed by Josy's Flute and Biju's Veena interventions. Sumesh Parameswar keeps playing the bass and acoustic guitars for this one. After a high pitched end to the version, ""etho raavin maaya raagam thannu nee pranayame "" is a fabulous line and landing to reach the Pallavi and you just have to stand up in ovation for KS Harishankar's delivery. The secon interlude has a nice Dholak and Violin combination, and towards the end it feels like listening to ""Kadhalenum Thervezhudhi"" by AR Rahman. Nithin K Cheriyan is the lyricist and Nikhil Kakkochan has done the mixing, mastering and sound design and recording of string orchestra, woodwinds, percussion, guitars and veena. All assistance is provided by Louis Ansal, Mebin Dsilva and Prince George. Dhlolak is recorded by Shiju Ediyatheril and vocals recorded by Akshay Kakkoth and Sai Prakash. 3. Boonda Boondi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMQ6xwFbHbU&feature=youtu.be It is all in his name Meghdeep Bose. His music is like something that soars into the skies and touches the clouds (Megh) , his scores are 'deep' in creativity and finally when you have 'Bose' as your surname , do we have to debate about sound? He has been doing a terrific job in composing some stunning numbers and after creating the best Ganesh Chaturthi song ( Tu Hi Hai was featured on my instagram last week) here he creates a reverberating piece of music set in Miyaan ki Malhaar and Megh Melhaar. The vocals which are the most enthralling component of this number are by Shekhar Ravijani with lyrics by Manoj Yadav. Juhi Mahagaye and Trishita Recs( I'm a fan of her indie music, check her tracks I have featured on my blog) begin with their backup vocals and then it leads to Shekhar's amazing vocals with guitars, bass and strokes by Meghdeep in the background and the joyous percussions begin to take over with the female humming portions. Tejas Vinchurkar plays teh Bansuri to our delight especially the interlude. The Fames Studio Orchestra from North Macedonia is heavily involved in all the live instrumentals conducted by Sasho Tatarchevski with contributions from Laurent Koppitz as the sound engineer, Riste Trajkovski, Ilija Grkovski as stage managers, Teodora Arsovska as the protools engineer. All the strings scores are transcribed Japjisingh Valecha . What I love about the track is how the tune, and arrangements make us visualize the monsoon rains, and the fact that back up vocals are prevalent almost right through the track making the vocal arrangements also sound amazing. 4. Du Chokhe Harai https://youtu.be/F44qMzg6sXU This is a new web series in Bengali and they always never fail to astound you with great content visually and musically. Saswata Das does all the wonderful strings programming but the Esraj, a wonderful Indian string instrument, is played by Tathagata Mishra with design by Sravan Bhattacharyya and Dev Arijit. Ujjaini Mukherjee is at the peak of her powers singing this lullaby of sorts. Sourav Bhattacharya plays the piano with design by Dev Arijit. When the verse begins, there is also this humming in the background helped by the mild guitar strumming(design by Anitesh). Sravan is the composer and he has created a beautiful number here with some stunning live instruments. Ujjaini's magical voice is recorded by Gaurub Roy, with Shamik Guha Roy doing the mastering and mixing. The Esraj is a hugely impactful instrument in this track which is recorded by Avimanyu Chatterjee. Ritam Sen is the lyricist. There are some influences of Raag Gaud Sarang in this track. 5. Holding onto History https://youtu.be/a_0mMrfFi3U This artist took inspiration from Taylor Swift at a very young age and one must applaud Hungama's Artis Aloud which has promoted Krishaa as a singer songwriter with her debut single. Krishaa has written, composed and performed this amazing single which I loved right within the first minute. The superstar guitarist Nyzel Dlima has produced this track. The guitars in the foreground and strings programmed in the background are great accompaniments to Krishaa's vocals which are stunning to say the least. You will enjoy the female harmonies that decorate the track adequately and Nyzel's production stands apart in this track. Krishaa's sings about the deep emotions involved with break-ups and separation especially the ill-treatment, but it is not just the lyrics but the whole score that stays in your head and once its over, you do hold on to the history of listening to the number. Well done team Nyzel and Krishaa.  6. Know Your Hail Mary https://youtu.be/a7OJJ6O-mcA Brecilla Dsouza is a singer-songwriter trained in Jazz Vocals and hails from The True School of Music and she has been a busy musician touring many parts of India with her earlier bands ""My kind of blue"" and ""Queendom"". You can understand the training Brecilla would have obtained and skill that she possesses when you hear her in this track. The harmonies and Keys are important components that accompany the track right through. Pranav Kamat takes the credit for mixing, mastering and producing this number. I love the ""haa hu yee ha ha"" humming in the end with some great vocal interventions in the background. Yohaan Pissurlenker plays the bass guitars. Aafreen Ansari handles the artwork and is the artist manager.  7. Bheemla Nayak https://youtu.be/J5ee5OHIpIY A movie remade will not guarantee success just because the original is a well-made. The same holds true for music as well , and I must say that the title track gives me hope that S Thaman will do a fabulous job to at least match Jakes Bejoy's original. If Kalakkatha was fabulous in 'Ayyapanum Koshiyum' this track goes one step further in its sound quality and overall impact.  We have some established singers in Prudhvi Chandra, Ram Miriyala and Sri  Krishna along with Thaman himself. The woodwinds instruments with the folk music bit is a great start and that gets the job half done. Darsanam Mogulaiah and Alphons Joseph provide the backup vocals. The song has some amazing beats and percussion with Sivamani A on live percussions, and Dipesh Varma and team handling additional percussions and Vedachalam on the wood block.. Omkar Dhumal plays the sax, Shehnai and Oboe and Tapas Roy and Subhani handling the strings section. The song has everything needed to qualify as a great track with some fabulous sounds and make sure you have a great pair of earphones to enjoy all the intricacies. S Thaman has programmed and arranged the track but a lot of credit also goes to the engineering team with Shadab Rayeen mixing and mastering it with assistance from Pukhraj. There are many elements of the brass section as well in the track and the French horns, Brass trumpet and Trombone are recorded by Patric Chinnawaong. All the live violins, violas are recorded by Biju, conducted by Prasanna B and assisted by Ravi Raghav. Ramajogayya Sastry is the lyricist and Sri Krishna has done the vocal supervision. There is no doubt Thaman is talented but honestly this song is a much better display of his abilities compared to a lot of repetitive tunes he scores.  8. Anale Anale https://youtu.be/gW7XpvYfl5I A great composer-singer combination is like having a great crust and a delectable topping together making a delicious pizza. Ghibran is undoubtedly one of the best and the most consistent musicians in the country today and he gets in Haricharan to do the singing honors, Voila great pizza straight off the oven onto your plate! Bon Appetit it is. Gold Devaraj assists Ghibran as usual and Dr. V Sritharan is the supervisor. The Piano is a great addition to Haricharan's serenading vocals and Hary Nair and LJ Vijay provide all additional song arrangements to Ghibrans overall programming and arrangements. The humming "" pumpum pa pa pa"" is so delightful catchy and as expected Ghibran creates beautiful notes in the verse as well especially when the lines go"" aadhalai kadhali seivom naame"". The track is mixed and mastered by Abin Paul with Andria Miranda and Britto David doing the production management. N. Idhaya is the lyricist for this track and it is recorded and edited by Wesley and Chandrasekharan TK.  9. Ammadi https://youtu.be/yQHvaSalDxs Vijai Bulganin, is a trust-worthy name in the indie space and his consistent effort to delivery a popular yet melodious tune every time is note-worthy. He composes and sings this one with Nutana Mohan as the female lead. Lalit Talluri plays the flute like he always does in the interlude along with Subhani on the string instruments. Simeon Telfer is omnipresent on the guitars and also on keyboards and he has wonderful solo on guitars in the second interlude. Vijai is different from many composers that he even today focuses on creating a full-fledged track like the olden days with two stanzas, and two interludes. Nutana does her job as the female vocalist with perfection singing the whole stanza. Sathish Sebastian handles all additional keyboard duties, Robin Sebastian is the Melodyne engineer and Roshan Sebastian has mixed and mastered the track. Deepak Narayanan and Anand Gurrana are the recording engineers and Suresh Banisetti is the lyricist.  10. Mon https://youtu.be/_pSbTUQlOFc He has been on my radar for a year now but this Bengali single did really catch my attention and it is one pleasure ride if you love simple, soulful music. Ayushman Basu creates his 4th single here but his 1st in his native tongue called""Mon"". Mainak Bumpy Nag Chowdhury plays the bass guitars and Raja Chowdhury is on the acoustic guitars. Amit Chatterjee has done the mixing and recording with Arjun and Anu handling all the artwork. There is nothing complicated in the track except that Ayushman sings these beautiful sounding Bangla with great poise and it creates a sense of calmness as you listen. Raja's guitars are splendid as are the bass-lines in the background by Mainak. 11. Gallan Teriyaan https://youtu.be/BLqJ1V7cSmE https://youtu.be/BLqJ1V7cSmE I wish I could call them the ""Merchants of Venice"" , well that is how popular and amazing they are. The brothers Salim Merchant and Sulaiman Merchant are at it again with a superb song, this time not just producing it, but also composing. Jonita Gandhi is a grade-A singer with an impeccable voice, and even better diction in many Indian languages. Raj Pandit who is a close associate of Salim-Sulaiman sings the male parts and also co-produces the track. Muheet Bharti's bass guitars already start playing teasingly and I loved the surprisingly excellent vocals of Raj, and maybe I have never listened to him too much as a singer. There are a lot of techno-sounds that dominate the interlude but Salim-Sulaiman excel at infusing these into their melodies. Listen to the beautiful shift in notes when Jonita sings ""Dil toh aapka bhi rangrez hai"". Amitabh Bhattacharya excels at writing these beautiful lines. The track is mixed and mastered by Aftab Khan. 12. You And I https://youtu.be/m2Q1D7S_MlE Rajiv Khati rightly names this EP ""About time"" as he has been in the process of composing and releasing these for many years. I am just happy it finally released and that is the feeling I got when I heard the EP and this song especially. He writes, composes, plays the guitars and sings this extremely pleasant and enjoyable single. There is a huge resemblance to Jon Bon Jovi in Rajiv's vocal texture and delivery and isn't that enough to fall in love with the track. After the 5 minute mark there is a brief pause, and then there is probably a slight change in the time signature, but the track is equally poignant in the last 2 minutes. 13. Allorode Pillade https://youtu.be/Sza1-EIIwUo Sahithi Chaganti has been on a purple patch, singing some amazing numbers with very renowned musicians. Her vocals have so much oomph that is is impossible to avoid and not get drawn to. Siddharth Watkins is the composer and he has done a fabulous job arranging all these spectacular live instruments. The Violin by Sandilya Pisapati, and rhythms by Chiranjeevi Mothukuri stand out. Pramod Umapathi intervenes on his flute solo delightfully in more than a few instances. Subhani's strings are well timed and they keep charming you in the background layers, watch-out for the 2nd interlude. The track is mixed and mastered by Vinay Kumar, programmed by Geo Jos and the lyrics are by Remix Umesh. 14. Yah Haalaath & Paar Hoga Tu https://youtu.be/LmAK2NYwnVE The series has created a wave with very strong reviews and I am glad Ahuthosh Phatak has excelled at creating some spectacular music at-least in the songs. Ill have to watch the series to know how good the BGM is. Ashutosh also plays the keyboard, electronics as well as bass and acoustic guitars. I especially loved 'Yeh Haalaath' which reminded me of ""Lady in Red"" by Chris De Burgh, and 'Par Hoga Tu'. Jubin Nautiyal who is probably the busiest singer in Indian today does a remarkable job singing 'Yeh Haalaath' with lyrics by Niranjan Iyengar. It is a serene, somber number which you feel like listening to staring at th

 This is the weeks best music from across the nation. Music from every state written in every language, composed as a part of Movies and by Indie artists is listened to and after analyzing more than 250 tracks released in the week ending 5th September 2021, I have rated and reviewed the 15 absolute best tracks in the country. This is truly India's ONLY multilingual music review and music curation page. Week after week , without any breaks you will get the review and links to the best work from musicians all over the country. Find the full playlist of 15 tracks on SPOTIFY1. PensarteListen to this track and you will know the kind of talent that exists in the space o music today in India. This track is an automatic chart-topper and it gets one of the highest scores ever by me for singing. Sanjeeta Bhattacharya is probably the busiest artist today juggling a career in acting, modeling and music as we all would have seen her in recent ads by Colgate and Netflx's "Feel Like Ishq". Her greatest asset is her vocal delivery, and check her "Everything's fine" released a couple of years ago. Sanjeeta is a trained Hindustani vocalist but she is exploring genres of music that extend beyond geographical boundaries. Here she composes a soothing ballad and written in Spanish as Pensarte means "thinking of you". She credits Viayra Rivera Carino who worked with her in writing it. This track has Kaushik Manikandan on the guitar and Raag Sethi on the bass but they both play their role perfectly acting as the support cast to Sanjeeta's singing. This is a part of Compass Box Studio's Volume 3 collection of tracks produced by them and it has two more excellent tracks which I will talk about. I don't follow Spanish but I can sense hat she is singing it with impeccable diction and if you love music, none of the words matter. Sanjeeta takes you on a ride that has only ups and this is like a masterclass in singing and she must be applauded for composing this as well. Towards the end she includes the segment called "Zaidi Zaidi" which is apparently a Bulgarian folk tune and then you realize what the world of music has to offer. The team at Compass Box and Raag Sethi especially have to be thanked for bring such music to us constantly. The track is mixed by Protyay Chakraborty and Raag has engineered and produced it. The two other tracks I loved were "Baarish" by Aariz Saiyed who happens to be a stand up comedian, film-maker and musician. This track is all about some splendid violins by Protyay Chakraborty, Jyotirmay Menon on the drums, Chirag Todi on guitars and Meera Desai on the back up vocals. Its a fun track that feels like getting drenched in a nice welcome rain. Finally I love "We Shall Arrive" which is a sober serenading lullaby styled track composed and performed by Abhi Tambe from Bengaluru who was part of band called " Lounge Piranha". This is very much like an American Country song with Shankar Iyer in the guitar, Meera Desai on the backup vocals and Protyay once again creating some magic on the violin. 2. PaaniThis is a very unique track which has elements you will want to focus on every time you hear. Madhav Agarwal has composed, written produced and performed. His vocals are just way too effective in capturing your attention and the message he wants to deliver is impossible to neglect thanks to the vehicle we call singing. The beats are very different and they almost feel like the tapping of the window or knocking of the door but the rustic nature of it works. The Baansuri played by Kartikeya Vashist feels like a remedy to all our sins and illnesses. There are even multiple layers to the Baansuri and it feels like you will surrender to its power. Kabir Agarwal is splendid on the electric bass and you can hear it all through. The portion where Madhav sings in falsetto is remarkable, and it sounds like a sufi styled AR Rahman track which is terrific compliment in itself. The video was shot by Bhumanyu Nehra featuring the flowy, eye-catching dance moves by Seher Noor Mehra. 3. Chukkula MelamMani Sharma is a man on a mission and he has been is terrific form with songs in my list every other week and the best part is that all of them show some diverse style. This is from the album " Sridevi Soda Center" and has Anurag Kulkarni is top-notch form. The track is mixed and mastered by SV Ranjith with recording by Vickey. The guitars, harmonium and the Tabla start things off and then it is all Anurag's show. There is quite a lot of programming on the keyboards and it all comes together well. The Shehnai in the interlude is splendid and it fills your heart with joy. Anurag sings the verse with terrific ease and I love how the song ends in the charanam and lands on the pallavi. Kalyan Chakravarthy is the lyricist and V Venkateswarlu is the music co-ordinator. The secon interlude is a rock interlude with the electric guitar and drums, showcasing Mani Sharma's potential. 4. Miles to ColtraneLeave it to "The Revisit Project" when you want the best Jazz productions to come out of India. They are are band with some of the most talented musicians that India can be proud of and here they show you why. They have roped in Delhi based singer songwriter Chetan Dominic Awasthi a.k.a. Chezin and boy does he actually nail the vocals with Thor's hammer. The song itself is a dedication to Jazz geniuses of yesteryear, Miles Davis the trumpeter, and John Coltrane the saxophonist. Abhay Sharma is the on the sax here and he is a wonder who will just lift your spirits up with his performance. Not just that Abhay also is the man behind the lyrics and the composition of this track just like any of "The Revisit Project" creations. Chezin is on fire here right through as he reminds me of Michael Jackson especially his style of making these stylized vibratos especially the way he does after "Heard of Her". Karan Wadhwa is on his own trip making these splendid contributions on the bass guitar and Kanu Gangahar is on the guitar. Rythem Bansal is on the keys , and in the middle you will hear a super solo sax display by Abhay who simply sizzles. Vrnda Dhar is the female vocalist who is providing the back up here. Aditya Bhagavatula plays the drums and Varun Rajasekharan he percussions which all become very key to the success of this track. Mukul Jain mixes, records and masters the track and Navya Baranwal makes a debut for The Revisit Project as the person in-charge of making this animated video. 5. Mele VaanilRahul Subramanian has been in the business of music-making for a while now , composing for many movie albums in Malayalam, and this one is a testament to his ability. Vijay Yesudas is the singer and he is the ideal choice for this melody. Nikhil Ram's flute interventions are substantial and perfectly timed along with the acoustic guitars and bass guitars by another stalwart in Sumesh Parameshwar. The strings section becomes an essential element of the song thanks to Cochin Strings constituting Francis, Erald, Jain and Josekutty. The background vocals of female chorus sounds lovely during the verse comprised of Badhra, Narayanani and Nanda, and there is quite a lot of lovely humming as well. Sai Prakash does a fabulous job of mixing along with Balu Thankachan on mixing duties. The track is engineered by Nandagopan V and the songs creative excellence emerges as a result of Rahul's programming and arrangements. Joe Paul is the lyricist and Vipin Lal plays the percussion. 6. EventideShe is one of the best vocalists we have in our country today, let us not debate too much on that. Anoushka Maskey is the sizzler from Sikkim and once again proof that North East is the musical hub of India, if I may say so. She is a singer songwriter who can play the guitar and she just weaves magical threads with every note. Here she sings eventide which was composed by Anoushka and Cosmic Grooves whose original name is Pranay Bakshi, amusic producer from Mumbai. The song is about maybe a leaf out of Anoushka's book dealing with the dullness of life when dreams are placed on the back-burner. The bass guitars by Sahil Mathew which are fantastic all along in the second layer, and the drums along with the electric guitar sounds make this one enjoyable track. Swapneal Chatterjee is the music video director. 7. VacationGraduating from the level of just college students playing music Kitanu the 5 member band release their self-tilted debut EP with 3 tracks and I found "Vacation" to be the pick of the lot. All the composition, arrangements, recording and production are by the band. Ok when you read all this, just play the track and don't be confused if you hear the Sarod in the rock genre, well that is A+ for creativity and A+ for execution as well. Rohan Prasanna plays the Sarod with Omkar Raghupatruni on the electric guitars and they combine so well. Guru Ganapathi plays the drums with style and the buzzing bass guitars are played by Arman Handa. Siddhant Sarkar is the vocalist and he is par excellence delivering with passion words he himself has penned. The track is mixed Omkar and mastered by Marc Felish. At the 3rd minute mark enjoy the grooviness of the guitars and drums in the foreground with the Sarod playing backup. 8. Morning StarRaise you hands to applaud one of the finest singer-composers we have in Anupam Roy. His greatest assets are how he can compose contemporary music, also infusing good old melody as well. He also can alternate between a bangla single and an English one and to me his music always resembles bengali kheer kadam with layers of greatness. If you notice, many english songs by Indians, have an unnatural american accent, but that is the only way it sounds good. However Anupam can sing these words with more of a Desi style but he still renders it beautifully and effectively and that is something. he has composed, written and sung this electronic pop. There is a lot of Lo-fi influences and the whole team needs to be congratulated like Shomi Chatterjee on mixing and mastering, Subhajit Mukherjee the producer, Sayan Ghosh who recorded the vocals. Gairik Sarkar has made the video. This is a total trance-like track that is worth your time.9. Tu Na AayaMansa-Elroy as they come together and create music, this looks like a solid team. Mansa Jimmy has written the lyrics and sung this beautiful number, and all the composition and arrangements come under the realm of Elroy Vincent's contributions. There is some influence of Raag Behag in my opinion, with a heavy focus on harmonies and strings section. The whole atmosphere cerated here makes me remember Lukka Chuppi by AR Rahman. Now that I think of it there could also be some element of Raag Maand somewhere in here. Angeline Vincent, Elna Maria Vincent Sangeatha Jacob, Vineetha Jacob, Megha Lijo, Santa Sebastian form the harmonies team. The amazing strings we hear are by Joy Joseph and Anson Francis. John Joseph plays the acoustic guitar, Swaroop Sunil is on the electric guitar and Rithik Valsan accompanies on the indispensable bass guitar. The Cajon is played by Rahul Shenai and while Fredy Johnson mixes the track, Krishna Prasad masters it. 10. Baavre FaqirThe very first sound f the Harmonium makes me think maybe this is set in Raag Bageshree , and even when Kanwar Grewal outstandingly soars into the higher scales. Then as the song just progresses a but I now begin to wonder If it has influences of Raag kafi or Karaharapriya in Carnatic. William Koti plays the guitars in this delightful fusion of sorts and you can hear the savvy strumming. Bhai Manna Singh is the composer with lyrics by Dr. Harnoor Randhawa. Farry and Team (Pankaj, Jatin and Tinka) provide the perfect rhythm and a lot of variety in the instruments. Jyoti Nooran is the female lead vocalist with Nazamjeet Singh and Kasamjeet Singh as assistant vocalists. This is a truly sensational punjabi folk fusion number that will captivate you. Raman Khan is on the backing vocals, and the track is mixed and mastered by Aftab Khan.11. BlindedThere can be only one good thing about toxic breakups or any breakup for that matter. It ends up becoming the fodder for something great like a terrific song by an artist and millions tend to live through their own experiences by listening to the song and viscerally enjoying it. It is not just those words that can do the trick, although Nidhi Wagle needs to be commended for whatever she's written. The song lives on through the notes and singing and instrumental garnish as well and maybe that is why "Blinded" opens your eyes and ears into something wonderful and as the person responsible for writing, composing and singing this track she deserves all the praise and I am just not saying that blindly. The track is produced by Dev Modi with Nishant Mantoo mixing and mastering the track. The chorus plays a nice role and we have Perrin Mehtta, Alvina D'souza and Elaneer. There is a lot of keyboard programmin

  This is the weeks best music from across the nation. Music from every state written in every language, composed as a part of Movies and by Indie artists is listened to and after analyzing more than 250 tracks released in the week ending 12th September 2021, I have rated and reviewed the 17 absolute best tracks in the country. This is truly India's ONLY multilingual music review and music curation page. Week after week , without any breaks you will get the review and links to the best work from musicians all over the country. Find the full playlist of 17 tracks on SPOTIFY1. Lost in TimeThe best indian track of the week is by the duo called Alok & Sukhbir and what a way to release their debut single. The song starts off with some smashing flute solo by Shriram S who has been a regular in many chart-toppers in recent weeks. The guitars, keys and the flute make way for the Hindi lines and what I love about this track amongst other things is the way it alternates between Hindi and English track with a completely different feeling of a romantic ballad and a country song  all within just 4 minutes. Its Rishabh on the keys who is present all through in a very subtle manner. Gaurav Naagar does the recording with Parikshit on the mixing and Kohinoor Mukherjee on mastering duties. The entire deserves credits for creating such a wonderful output with the bass guitar sounds and even some strings in the background all conjoin effectively. Diiva Dhanoya has worked on the shoots for this video. The song is dedicated to Alok's dad on his birthday. 2. RihaThis was a track that immediately appealed to me when I heard it the first time. The Lost Symbols is appearing my list the second time in a very short time period, and their earlier "Khwaab" was a terrific number as well. The Lost Symbols writes, composes and produces this track and the rock band from India has Aman Raj as the lead vocalist Gunjan Soral on the guitars and Arun Singh Naruka on the drums. Aman's vocals is impressive right from the start with the solid strumming by Gunjan. The strings in the background is elaborate and takes away all the attention despite being in the background layers. There comes this interlude on the electric guitar and heavy drums suddenly followed by a pause in percussion and just the acoustic guitar. The end is just a symphony of strings and electric guitar and this makes for some wonderful hearing. The recording, mixing and mastering is by Underroot Studios. The artwork and illustration is by Pallab Baruah while Debasish Sarmah has handled the Animation.  3. Changing cities, RepriseI had no idea that Vishruti Bindal was a musician, and there she was suddenly reaching out to me and sharing he single "Changing cities, reprise". I listen to so many songs everyday and I just seemed to have forgotten about this. Then one fine day I just remembered and clicked on the link without any hope or expectations, because that is How I function and listen to new music. I was struck by awe and shock both in the positive sense and I kicked myself for delaying it, else I could have listened to this beauty much before. Vishruti is a musician from Bengaluru but now she resides in Valencia, Spain. The song clearly talks about changing cities and the emotions involved with that transformation. Her vocals transform too from being gentle and subtle in the low scales to impactful with heaviness in the higher scales. The keys are played Mateo Falgas and are a huge component of this track which is produced by Michael Shanks and Samar Mehdi who himself has appeared in my list and reviews twice for some fabulous numbers. Kanishk Seth and Nicholas Phang are the recording engineers as Michael Shanks does the mixing, Giorgio Schipani does the mastering for the track. Camille Silvero Lopez is the project manager and she is also involved in the artwork along with Rowanne Chang. Vishruti truly shines as a composer anf singer in this track which sort of feels like a collaboration of some global music talent. 4. Ethranaal I have been listening to Mujeeb Majeed many a time , and last year he had a smashing hit called Haram which came in the top 5 of the month of December. This one too is an excellent melody sung by Sinov Raj and Sruthy Sivadas who is slowly by steadily making great strides as a singer. The song is composed by Mujeeb and has some Kaapi Raaga influences. Dan Babu does a fabulous job in the interlude with his guitar solo, and makes it sound like a Latin Dance number. Asha G Menon has penned the lyrics. The song's supporting hero is definitely the guitars with a multitude of interventions. Akshay Kakkoth and Arjun B Nair are the recording engineers and as KP Jayashankar mixes the track, Abin Paul masters it. Antony Nikhil Varghese is the songs editor. 5. Saiyyan ToriMerchant Records keep smashing all records for producing the bets music i the country at break-neck speed and frequency. This one is a semi-classical form of Thumri sung, composed and written by Sharayu Date. She sings it with incredible panache and her vibrato keeps coming in at the right juncture making it stay in your heart for a long time. Saurabh Bhalerao has arranged and produced this beauty and I believe there is some Pilu Raag influence. Tanmay Pawar is unstoppable in his guitar as he strums to perfection all along and especially at the interlude which has a Turkish Clarinet programmed and then a wonderful aalap by Sharayu. The verse is elaborate and well structured and probably has some Bageshri notes in the beginning but it is wholesome with percussion and Keys in the background. Tushar Pandit has mixed and mastered the track6. Obulamma MM Keeravani is a legend in South Indian music and he has composed music for numerous albums, and here he shows he has still got what it takes to score at the best level. He has also penned the lyrics for this one and this is one delightful entry into this weeks list and reviews. Satya Yamini and PVNS Rohit are two rising stars and you will find them frequently singing in the lead in Telugu cinema and when you hear their delivery you will know why that is. The track is mixed and mastered and programmed by G Jeevan Babu and hence a lot of the songs positive impact comes from his contributions. Satya starts things off with her sweet vocals and then Rohit pounds you with his enchanting vocals, only to be drawn further with the stunning Keys. I was tempted to say that this song sounds a lot like "Innum Ennai enna seyya pogirai" by Ilaiyaraja and sung by SPB and Janaki epecially with the title lines( that was set in Gambeera Naatai raaga). But it also probably sounds a lot like "En veetu Thottathil" by AR Rahman and hence having influences of Neelambari Raaga. Dr. Ramachandra Murthy's flute comes and goes in the interludes and the verse is equally strong in melody. The flute and Rohit's singing are standout performances for me in this track. 7. Chal DiyeNilesh Patange sings and composes this beautiful melody and this is definitely a valiant effort for a debut. The singing is definitely pitch-perfect and serenading, but his contribution in arrangements is what delighted me the most. He also produces this track and kudos to him for this. Right at the beginning we can hear so much happening in the background layers, like the strings constantly paying and harmonies intervening. The introduction of the Shehnai is creative and works well along with some lo-fi and vocal sounds as well. The verse is one that is not just a repetition of opening lines, but Nilesh goes into making it different and enjoyable. Siddhesh Patange writes these beautiful lines, and Abhishek Khandelwal mixes and masters the track. Much is expected from Nilesh now , who has score the background music fro a few short-films and jingles. 8. Forced WandererDiyatom Deb is another musical talent coming from NE of India and he hails from one of the most gifted cities a.k.a. Shillong in Meghalaya. He is based in Delhi and is a singer-songwriter who has been part of multiple bands since 2009. The song is touching thanks to some excellent writing which talks about migration of the forced nature. He is trained in western classical and Hindustani classical singing and that is quite evident when you hear him perform. Diyatom also has played the guitars in this one with mixing and mastering duties held by Risshi Sachdev. The song starts off in a peaceful mode with just Diyatom's voice and guitars playing. Enter the wonderful bass-lines by Archit Agrawal and Melodica by Yashi Vikram and we are transported in to tranquility. Diyatom's voice is something that you just cannot stop loving in this track, and it only gets better as time progresses with Yashi also handling the keyboards. Yashi's vibrato on the melodica and Diyatom's falsetto are moments to cherish. 9. Kohra This tranquil track is composed by Moin Farooqui and Roshan Bhat and Moin plays the gentle drums in the track. The singing is from the vocals of Roshan Bhat who is perfect in his delivery and the vibrato too is just about right without overdoing anything. The track is produced by Moin, Kiran Kadadekar and Aditya Mohanan, with Aditya also playing the stylish acoustic and electric guitars in the track and Kiran adding comfort on the bass guitars. The harmonies work so well in this rock ballad of sorts. The union of vocals, electric and bas guitars and the drums is something that you can just enjoy through an auditory experience and i can never do justice through my words. 10. Qafila This Chennai based bad was formed in 2019 and create some good music in the rock/pop genre. The track is about a woman trying to get of external forces that haunt her from the past and take fresh control of her life in search of peace and happiness. Baidurjya Banerjee on the guitars and Paul Livi on the Keys do the curtain raisers even before Deep Das starts singing. Michael Timothy who is well know musician/ composer in Chennai in the indie space plays the bass guitars here in the background as Deep takes a deep dive in to the track singing in the higher scales. You will hear a lot of harmonies in the track as that is assisted by Varun Murali. The interlude is well arranged with Akkarsh Kashyap playing the Violin Solo. Judah Samuel helps guide the tracks tempo shifts brilliantly right through the track. Shashank Tyagi is the lyricist whose words convey the message of Qafila clearly. The outro with Deep's vocals in the base scale and Paul's keys is excellent. The track is mixed by Toby Joseph and mastered by Randy Merrill. 11. Sun Zara    Saptak Chatterjee is one of the first musicians I absolutely loved in the indie space when I doing music reviews since last 2019, as he had some smashing numbers in 2020. His style of fusing Indian classical with something more modern and western works brilliantly and he has one splendid voice which also is well trained which makes it a very potent weapon. This track has some notes resembling Raag Bhimplasi. The track is composed, produced mixed and sung by Saptak, with Madhur Chaudhury is on the bass guitars and Shrikant Biswakarma playing the guitars. Two more important roles are played Ishaan Tyagi on the keyboards and Dimpal Kumar on the drums. When the majority of indie musicians stick to compostions just lasting 3 minutes, it is impressive how Saptak composes tracks that are elaborate and cross the 5 minute mark. The outro on drums, electric and bass guitars is delightful. 12. Oh Kinakkalam

1. Ajab Shaan Singer - Junaid Ahmad Composers - Junaid Ahmad & Ubaid Ahmad Lyrics - Traditional Additional Lyrics - Irfan AliMusic Production & Arrangements - Ayashimusic Language: UrduGenre: Sufi-Rock It is not too often that we find music playlists and rankings devoid of music in India coming from the Merchant Records label. This song is so good that it beats all competition and rises right to the very top of this week's charts. Somebody I knew recently commented that Sufi Music revival and popularity have taken a beating after the fall of AR Rahman. Well, to them I tell it certainly hasn't and the Salim-Suliman brothers have been the guardians of that genre especially. This is a song dedicated to Imam Husain and his immeasurable sacrifice for love and humanity. Junaid Ahmad and Ubaid Ahmad are the composers of the tunes with traditional lyrics. We have the duo Ayan Joe and Srinath S Kumar a.k.a. Ayashi Music who have done a splendid production. The Rabab starts things off played by Ayan and the magnetic vocals of Junaid. Ejaz Husaain plays the Sarangi in the interludes, but the electric guitars and bass by Ayan create a beautiful western layer around the classical Sufi core. Srinath plays the engaging drums and Junaid other than the vocals also contributes through additional production. The humming, backing vocals, create awe and inspiration, but none like the electric guitar solo closer to the end which is truly mesmerising. The track is mixed and mastered by Hanish Taneja with Vatsal Chevli as mix assistant. 2. Varaha Roopam Deiva Va RishtamMusic: B Ajaneesh LoknathVocals: Sai VigneshLyrics: Shashiraj KavoorLanguage: KannadaGenre: Carnatic-Rock fusionWell, what can you write about this song that the world already doesn't know of yet? I am a huge fan of Ajaneesh Loknath and would easily call him one of the top 5 Indian music composers today and there is enough proof of that if you listen to his works or just read my website where I have featured a multitude of his songs. This was a song that mesmerised me as I saw the movie on the big screen. The movie is creating a Tsunami not just a wave, but a lot of the praise must go to the songs and BGM especially. Sai Vignesh who has been singing in Tamil as well sings this Classical Rock number to perfection. It reminded me of the numbers that 'Agam' the Kerala Rock band used to produce, and Ajaneesh here creates awe, and wonder and you will be petrified every time you hear it. The NAdaaswaram by Bala at the beginning is just a curtain-raiser and even that is astounding to hear. I assumed that there was some definite Ragam Thodi and maybe some Ragam Gaanamurthe too. When I later talked to Ajaneesh and Sai, I found that there are elements of Thodi, Varali, Mukari and Kanakaangi(apparently quite close to Gaanmurthe). The singing is beyond compare and I just feel pure divinity when Sai sings the swaras in the middle portion of the song. The use of the electric guitar played by the master Durwin D'Souza is the icing on the cake and it is what ultimately elevates the number to a place where you just surrender your senses to great music. Shashiraj Kavoor is the lyricist. The opening Pallavi and Anupallavi lines come along intervened by a segment on the Solo Violin by the genius Embar Kannan and what follows is pure magic. Ajaneesh even mixes that fabulous shout and howl of the Bhoota Kola dance taking us back to that visual beauty.3. Hymn of DharmaMusic: Nobin Paul Singers: KS Harisankar Lyricist: Nagarjun Sharma Language: KannadaGenre: SufiKannada Music is shining bright and the works of Rishabh Shetty, Raj Shetty and Rakshit Shetty in the movie space are well known now, but it is the music in their movies that deserves as much attention. I have featured 3 other songs in the amazing album called 'Charlie 777' and I am quite sure this will be one of the best music albums of 2022. Nobin Paul has been featured quite frequently since 2019 when I started reviewing and he employs one of India's most gifted vocalists KS Harishankar to deliver this beauty. Manonmani is one of the finest Sarangi exponents in India today and she lends her skills in the opening here, is it not amazing that the first 3 songs in India are all tilting towards classical Indian styles? This too is a beautiful Sufi melody with harmonies by Sanjith Salam, Pancham Jeeva, Pavan Kumar and Prajwal BG. Sumesh Parameswar produces the impactful sounds of the guitars while Josy Alappuzha plays the woodwinds. Sufi music would be amiss without the perfect percussions and who else but Sruthi Raj can fill that void by getting some amazing Indian percussions on board? The interlude has the Oud if I am not wrong, and the combined effect of guitars and bass teasing and playing with our minds. Harishankar is in fine form and he shows how a terrific voice is important to hold even a good song together. Nobin Paul excels at the arrangements and programming and he would have made some yesteryear Indian geniuses proud of this stuff. I cannot write enough about the role Sumesh's guitars play in the outcome of this number. The track is mixed and mastered by Balu Thankachen. Nagarjun Sharma is the lyricist for this Kannada original version. 4. Maybe its loveMusic, Vocals, and Lyrics by NaariProduced by Fink Language: EnglishGenre: Indie Pop, SoulJust as I write about this wonderful song by Nereaja a.k.a. Naari, she has released a full-length album called "Naari" and I cannot wait to finish this article and listen to the other 7 tracks. Some excitement is created right at the beginning with the guitars getting strummed slowly but with elegance. Naari takes over and she sings like a muse and all you can focus on is her shining voice that stands apart. The guitars, Keys and rhythms exist without tampering with the soul of the song which is Naari's delivery. Fink produces this number and he surely must be given credit for these apt arrangements. The introduction of harmonies just gives one more layer of depth to like and experience. The line "My nails were sharp" followed by sharper harmonies singing " sharper than you'' ever see", kudos to the creativity here. The video production is by House of Strength and all the DOP duties are done effortlessly by Paolo Zambaldi. The Piano is played just to lift your spirits and keep you afloat, and none of the brilliance ever comes to a halt. Naari does a fine and subtle vibrato and you will get stunned by the introduction of the Sitar out of nowhere. Just these Sitar notes make me wonder if I heard a bit of Raag Bageshri. This Delhi-based musician has piqued my interest. 5. BaalamaArranged, Composed, Produced and Mixed by Ashwin Shriyan Vocals and Audio Mastered by Aseem Dhaneshwar Language: HindiGenre: Indie PopDiscovering new music is something that tantalises me, and when I find beauty, it makes all the effort worth it. But you know what is even more satisfying? When a musician reaches out to me asking If I could listen to and review his music, and when I do, it stuns me beyond words. Now, this is how the story of "Baalama" transpired thanks to Ashwin Shriyan reaching out to me. He composed, produced and arranged for this number and used Aseem Dhaneshwar for the vocals. This guy is a fantastic musician as well and of late his singles have impressed me and they are in the pipeline for my weekly reviews (Tu Main & Dekhoon Jidhar Bhi). A cluster of brilliant musicians getting together can never get the output into something mediocre and this is proof of that. The lyrics are by one of my favourite musicians of 2022, Anurag Mishra and Prasanna Suresh who have been running hot in the indie charts in Hindi and Tamil does all the additional programming. The way Aseem sings " Baalama Ooo oo Balaama" I was sold and I did find a hint of Raag Bageshree. Daniel Kenneth Rego plays the guitars and Rahul Hariharan is on the drums, the way these two combine is a pleasant joyful ride for the listener. I love the layers of bass guitars and harmonies which add mild but essential layers to the song. Ashwin brings in a nice bridge section to add variation to the tune. For all its wonderful tone and texture the song reminds me of Shaan's old hit "Tanha Dil". Sancheeta Joshi handles all the album artwork with Zariya directing the video art. 6. MaaziVocals: Prachi GholeComposition, Lyrics: Danish AbdiProducer: Varun Murali @theredmusicboxLanguage: HindiGenre: Classical fusionThis is going to be one of the best indie EPs of 2022 released in India, and there will be a dedicated article on that later but for now 'Zard' by The Pariah Kite is just incredible as a debut EP by the duo and I recommend in fact urge all readers to go check out all the 5 songs. This is the second track in the EP I am featuring and people who follow me, know how tough it is to get two songs from the same EP into my weekly Indian reviews of best songs. Varun Murali is the dreamer and visionary who gets the production to such high standards and you can hear what I am talking about when you pay attention to the Keys and the strings in the background. The tune and the idea emerged from the brains of another member in the song a.k.a Danish Abdi. The arrangements are spectacular and they make the song multiple times more valuable than just the tune.  The reason a song becomes impactful and likeable, is the way the notes are written without rehashing older tunes and following a path of predictability. Danish excels at surprising me at every turn because when my mind tells me that the song is headed in a certain direction, there is a twist and that makes it more enjoyable. Prachi and Danish are a duo to watch out for because each of the 5 songs stays different and doesn't follow a similar style or genre. Prachi has to be one of the most impressive and explorative vocalists I have heard in 2022. She doesn't take half-measures and plays safe, and with every song, she tests her limits and comes out successful. Young as well as experienced vocalists should take a leaf off her page and be inspired to keep performing at the highest standards. The Keys are constant and the use of harmonies works quite well in the song. Shrreeya Sudhinndra handles the album art. 7. Manase ManasinaSinger: Varijashree Venugopal Music Director: Praveen - Pradeep  Lyrics: Santa Shishunala Shariff Saheb The song suddenly came out from the thick of the crowd like a bolt out of a clear sky, as I have never reviewed or heard any of the works of composers Praveen-Pradeep. This was a huge surprise as it had another brilliant vocalist who shifts gears between various kinds of musical projects around India viz. Varijashree Venugopal. She is at equal ease singing something very classical and traditional like this and something on the other end of the spectrum as well. This has traces and influences from Ragam Charukeshi. The programming by Varun Pradeep is a very pop-styled layering thanks to keyboard programming and synths. However, the interludes give all the classical Carnatic flavours. Manjunath Naidu does the mixing and mastering and the enchanting words are penned by Santa Shishunala Shariff Saheb. Varun handles the wonderful orchestration and arrangements of live instruments as well. 8. Naanaadada MaathellavaMusic: Arjun JanyaSinger: Sonu NigamLyrics: Jayant KaikiniLanguage: KannadaGenre: MelodyHe is Sandalwood industry's very own and I can only feel happy and thankful that at least some space in the music field recognises the might of this vocalist Sonu Nigam. The vocals of Sonu are something that will melt any heart and to this day he delivers every number with flawless precision and peak emotions. I am not sure if he has learnt Kannada, but if not I think his diction is top-notch, something even a Shreya Ghoshal will be envious of. The guitars, bass and wise choice of rhythms make this a solid romantic number and Sonu's expressionist vocals only glorify it even further. The stanza is just pure bliss as Arjun ramps up the melody quotient with bass guitar and Harmonica as instrumental aides. Jayant Kaikini is the lyricist. The killer second interlude is a breakaway from the song's overall tone, as we have a fast-paced Violin solo. Sonu Nigam becomes brilliantly innovative towards the end, with his delivery and does ghamakas and alterations like you would never predict 9. Koi Bol RamComposed by Sonny Singh Lyrics: Guru Arjan Sahib(5th Guru of Sikhs)Produced by Wil-Dog AbersLanguage: PunjabiGenre: Western/ Folk FusionI did mention how amazed I was by Sonny Singh's Chardi Kala as an album and here is one more track that truly deserves attention. Wil-Dog Abers plays the bass guitars and produces the tracks. The Horns section once again is splendid and just is an example of how great [roduction and instrumental arrangement is crucial to the ultimate listening experience. Sonny plays the trumpet, Warren Huang plays the Tenor Sax and Neelamjit Dillon on the Alto Sax. I loved the message in the song about polytheism and that we call Gods by different names, that is it. Ganavya on backing vocals and pay attention to the mild sounds of the Harmonium adding authenticity to the Indian-ness. Mario Calire plays the drums, 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. BismillahMusic: Indraadip Das GuptaLyrics: SrijatoSinger: Arijit SinghLanguage: BanglaGenre: MelodyIt is this title track from the recent Bangla movie "Bismillah" and in keeping with the title, the music is divine. Indraadip Das Gupta composed and arranged this song with programming by Shamik Chakravarty. Ashwin Srinivasan's tantalising flute solo set in Raag Charukeshi, atleast that is what I believed, and we get Tapas Roy sizzling on the Strokes.  When I later spoke to the musicians involved in the song, I came to know that it is a very close Raga called Parameswari. Together we are deep into a zone of trance, and then we hear Arijit Singh's vocals which to me are way better here than in most of the recent Bollywood songs. Ardent music fans will be able to spot the connection with another famous song "Teri Umeed Tera intezaar" by Nadeem-Shravan, especially when the opening lines conclude. Arijit is in prime form in the higher scales. Srijato is the lyricist, and Shom Chatterjee does the musical assistance. In the interlude, you can hear the mild Sarod played by Pratik Shrivastava and then the thundering rhythms follow. Subhadeep Mitra does the mixing and mastering, with Amey Londhe, Bhaskar Sharma, Shiladitya Sarkar, Sukanto Singha as recording engineers. The strings are nicely programmed in the background and we have a very typical aalap by Arijit towards the end. 11. Captivate meWritten by Kit ShangpliangArranged and Performed by Summersalt Language: EnglishGenre: Alt-RockWelcome to NE India, where we have India's finest musical acts and artists. Here is a folk fusion band that calls itself "Summersalt", and you will be more than ready to do a few somersaults just to hear them perform. The band consists of singer-guitarist Kit Shangpliang who has also penned the lyrics here. The band has Keyboardist Adorbha Shangpliang, guitarist Gregory Ford Nongrum(who has produced music on his own), vocalist Dawadhok Shangpliang, and bassist Baiaineh Shangpliang. The engineer in charge is Shantanu Hudlikar who has recorded, mixed and co-produced, and we also have Abhishek Khandelwal and Manasi Tare on the project. You just need 5 seconds and the vocals will floor you. The lead, bass guitars and drums create a concoction and right there you start tasting good music. It is not just waterfalls, butterflies and honeybees, but great music like this that can captivate you. One could have just expected the guitarists to take over and go solo, and we got what we prayed for, with a mild yet engaging bridge segment. Ashish Saha does the cover art. The outro is foot-tapping good and so keep playing it till the end. 12. Kabil Singer: Gurnam Bhullar Feature: Isha SharmaLyrics/Composer: Rony Ajnali, Gill Machhrai Music: Chet SinghLanguage: PunjabiGenre: MelodyIs it me who has realised quite late, or has suddenly an influx of good Punjabi music just picked up? I have been listening to all songs from across India over the last 3 years or more, and I must admit production quality improving with a focus on quality over popularity. Gurnam Bhullar is the singer and he has a very typical voice that sounds authoritative and you just cannot ignore it. Rony Ajnali and Gill Macchrai write and compose the melody which isn't something we haven't heard before. It is a rotted folk melody that you always connect with the land of Punjab. The producer is Chet Singh and you must listen to the conjoined forces of the flute, Violin and Keys in the stanza which elevate the song a few notches. The Violin solo accompanied by Strings in the background does even better in the second interlude and this is what music lovers will look for, a few moments of inspiration and creativity. 13. Rooh Written, Composed, Arranged and Performed by: MoongphaliVocals: Soham MallickLanguage: HindiGenre: RockSoham Mallick has been a musician I have been writing about and featuring in the weekly charts of India's best music, but I was never aware that he was part of a band, much less that I expected them to release something in 2022. Here we have the band 'Moongphali' and wow I was tempted because I am addicted to the nut. The frontman uses his vocals here to push forward a beautiful rock number that lasts more than 6 minutes. Joel Lepcha plays the guitars and Dhruv Sarker plays the drums ever so mildly. Soham sings and treads along a falsetto which sounds beautiful and not forced and he is also aided by some backup vocals. The bass guitars by Aradhya Khurana are constant, but it is the electric guitars that glorify the song with some improvised solo interventions. Just at the halfway-mark, we hear a solo piece that showcases Joel's potential thanks to the free-flowing nature of the segment. Yawan Lepcha does the mixing and Debangshu Roy does the mastering. I love this rock number as it feels complete with all the essential elements that tick for a number in this genre, and I hope to hear so much more from the band. This song has some deep inner meaning about a man's conversation with his soul, and it certainly comes out with a lyrical description. 

1. Ek DinVocals/Guitars: Raman NegiSong Produced by : Gaurav Chintamani & Raman NegiLanguage: HindiGenre: RockEver 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. ParavakalPerformed by Chinmayi, Govind VasanthaWritten by Anwar Ali, Govind VasanthaProduced by Govind VasanthaLanguage: MalayalamGenre: MelodyAs 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. BelieveWritten, Sung, Composed and Produced by: Vasuda Sharma Language: EnglishGenre: Indie pop fusionVasuda 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 TruePerformed, Written by Gagan YadavProduced by Gagan Yadav, Saksham DharLanguage: EnglishGenre: BalladIt 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 MandalapuLyrics: Rakendu Mouli, Nikhat Khan Singer: Chinmayee SripadaMusic Production, Orchestral Arrangement, Sound Design: Raja RasailyLanguage: TeluguGenre: Melody-FusionIs 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 BinSinger : Aditya NarayanLyrics: Nas?raSong Composed, Arranged & Produced by Meghdeep BoseLanguage: HindiGenre: Retro FusionIn 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. PayrollMusic Produced: Steve ManovskiProgramming: Steve Manovski Lyrics: RIKA, Steve Manovski, Sam Gray, Maria Hazell, Kemar "Kranium" DonaldsonLanguage: EnglishGenre: Pop/ReggaeSteve 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 FriendVocals- Perp, Varun AgnihotriProduction- Varun AgnihotriLyrics- Urmila Sivadas (Perp)Language: EnglishGenre: Indie PopI 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 AbersLanguage: PunjabiGenre: Western/ Folk FusionLet 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. AnacondaSinger: Gur Sidhu Lyrics: KaptaanMusic: Gur SidhuLanguage: HindiGenre: Dance PopJust 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. KomalloSingers: Sanah Moidutty, Yazin NizarLyrics: Ananth SreeramSong composed and arranged by Simon K.King Language: TeluguGenre: Melody FusionIt'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 lyricist12. Tu hi BataSingers: Nikhita Gandhi, Siddhant BhosleSongwriter/ Composer: Siddhant Bhosle, Nikhita Gandhi Lyricist: Shloke Lal, Nikhita Gandhi, Siddhant Bhosle Music Production: Siddhant Bhosle, Somanshu Language: Hindi/EnglishGenre: Indie popIt 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: HindiGenre: Indie PopThis 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. RaahiMusic: VenozVocal Composition and Lyrics: Aatif AnzarLanguage: HindiGenre: Melody FusionSurprise 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 n

Listen to some true stalwarts of Bollywood music, as they captivate you through their vocals, but don't ever discount new talent as well. We have utter domination with 9 songs in Hindi, and 3 in English, but the surprise package is a Nepali Song from a Darjeeling musician. 1. Jashn-e-GhamMusic Composer: Salim Sulaiman Music producer: Deepak pandit Singer: Pratibha Singh Baghel Lyrics: A M Turaz Language: HindiGenre: Semi-classical FusionWhen you get some serious talent like the one assembled here, what you will end up getting is excellence and superlative performances. No wonder this song rises to the very top and becomes this week's number 1 song in India. Salim and Sulaiman have been unstoppable, especially since 2020 thanks to their phenomenal Indie projects and here they compose the tune which gets produced by another genius Deepak Pandit, for whom I have huge respect. The song seems to be set in Raag Yaman and there are flavours of the composer Sanjay Leela Bansali in this too. Pratibha Singh Baghel is in fine form and you cannot expect anything less from this Diva as she uses every ounce of her ability to mesmerise you. Deepak's production reigns supreme ad you can hear the strings in the background by the Bombay Strings and Chennai Strings Orchestra. Just as the opening lines come to an end we hear the intervention on the flute solo by Navin Kumar and the rockstar Sitar exponent Purbayan Chatterjee goes for the kill with his solo in the interlude. Deepak along with co-producer Gaurav Vaswani bring in the great elements of Western Classical music and conjoin forces with the base melody set in Classical Hindustani. Prashant Sonagra plays the perfect percussional accompaniment on Tabla, and you will feel the weight of the world on your shoulders and Deepak's Solo Violin creates immense pathos. Pratibha's aalap is so mild, and perfectly cooked and is a lesson for some established singers and she uses it like a trump card when needed. K. Sethuraman does the mixing for Dolby Atmos and Stereo. The lyrics are penned by AM Turaz.  2. AndhekiSinger: Sunidhi ChauhanMusic: Puneet DixitLyrics: Shweta BothraMusic Arrangements & Production: Gaurav Vaswani & Shamita Bhatkar Language: HindiGenre: Latin JazzIt took me a few years to realize what a supreme talent Sunidhi Chauhan is. She has this unbelievable vocal quality and it is even more impressive because she can do wonders with that. A few songs here and there have registered even in the Tamil space back in the 2000s but a song like this is where Sunidhi stamps her authority. The song is composed by Puneet Dixit but the production is by Shamita Bhatkar and Gaurav Vaswani who makes it two in a row now this week. Shamita too has been featured in a beautiful song called "Heer ki kahani" last year with Nikhita Ahuja. We immediately feel a Latin Jazz texture thanks to the guitars and percussions, with Shomu Seal and maybe rhythm programming done by Shamita and Gaurav. The introduction of the Trumpets is pure Jazz divinity and the song's tonality also reminds us of some fabulous Bollywood Hits of the 1990s. All the effective backing vocals are designed by Shamita herself and the song's arrangements are a treat with some fantastic interplay of guitars, strings, trumpets and harmonies, the interlude is proof of that. Shweta Bothra is the lyricist who gets the message on point and we have K. Sethuraman working on mixing and mastering and Sanket Tole, and Ezekian Naniwedkar assisting. Rahul M Sharma, Samir Dharap and Tanay Gajjar are the sound engineers. The song has got a simple and relatable tune, and every element that is added as layers has just made this one outstanding number which is a string recommendation from me to your playlist.  3. YaadMusic Composer: Mukund Suryawanshi (Jam8 Studio)Lyrics: Saaveri VermaSinger: Sonu NigamMusic Produced, Mixed and Mastered by Sunny M.RLanguage: HindiGenre: Semi-classicalIt has been one of the best things to happen to music in 2022, and just like how the Bhoomi project by Salim-Sulaiman lights up the scene, Pritam's Roposo Jamroom project has just sizzled. I have now featured 5 of the 9 songs, and this composed by Mukund Suryawanshi has to be right at the top. Sonu Nigam is a natural and his vocals are ideal to suit this style of Ghazal/classical number where he brings out his best and the emotive delivery gets the listener completely involved as well. The Raag influence seems to be either Tilak Kamod or Desh in my opinion. The song has a brilliant mix of some western and some traditional thanks to Firoz Shah on the Harmonium and Udayan Dharamdhikari on acoustic guitars. Sunny MR showcases his class and skill in production, and he also mixes and masters the track. One just cannot keep up with the barrage of emotions that conquer our minds and hearts when Sonu Nigam starts singing with impeccable poise. Saaveri Verma writes these beautiful lines. Chinmay Deore plays the Tabla and percussions in a delightful mode without ever pushing up the adrenaline. We have Prachotosh Bhowmik on electric guitar and Rajkumar Dewan on bass guitar with all arrangements on guitars done by the master Roland Fernandes. Momin Khan's heartening yet slightly melancholic solo on the Sarangi comes in the interlude, and after that, you are lost in Sonu's exhilarating vocals. Dev Modi plays the drums and Mukund himself handles the keys and Synths. The upright piano is played by Rudrik Mistry and there is a wide range of engineers involved viz. Akash Mukherjee, Aaroh Velankar, Subhashree Das, Pranav Gupta, Shiladitya Sarkar and Pramod Chandorkar. As expected in the Jamroom project Brianna Supriyo and Antara Mitra are music supervisors with the latter also helping in curation. 4. ParacetamolSong Composed, Produced & Arranged: Parag ChhabraLyricist: Raj ShekharSingers: Jubin Nautiyal, Parag ChhabraLanguage: HindiGenre: Dance FusionThe movie is a remake of a Tamil hit called 'Kolamavu Kokila' and though there have been some ifs and buts about the Hindi movie, this song does stand up quite well against a mammoth like Anirudh who composed the score in Tamil. The song is nothing new in style or tune but some elements of execution, and arrangements truly had me wanting more. Parag Chhabra has composed, produced and arranged with Vineeth Jayan co-producing and Utsav Nanda being the additional programmer. The flute solo by Paras Nath in the interlude along with the Sitar in the background by Asad Khan and Sarang Vechalekar are truly inspiring and symbolic of what creative music should be like. Parag introduces a wonderfully inventive rap segment in the end written and performed by Soom T. That is not all, as we soon hear a Sufi vocal section as well by Navdeep Dhatra, Manish S Sharma & Pankaj Dixit. While Parag also is a vocalist here along with Jubin Nautiyal's lead, we have Shehnaz Akhtar and Sahil Akhtar on additional vocals. The way the line "Tu Paracetemol gol gol re" the second time around in every segment, the notes change so beautifully reminding me of Raag Revathi in Carnatic. The guitars are played by Utsav Nanda and Dholak by Jayant Patnaik. The track is mixed and mastered by Shadab Rayeen with mix assistants Pukhraj Sonkar & Anup Kumar. Chinmay Mistry and Rupjit Das are recording engineers with Deepak Suganathan as Premix engineer and Executive Producer. Raj Shekhar writes these inventive lyrics for the song. 5. Call You Mine Performed by DhayaWritten by Dhaya TK, Peter HuygelenLanguage: EnglishGenre: Indie popThe song is penned by Dhaya and Peter Huygelen, and performed by the former. A huge highlight that works for me in the song is Dhaya's magnetic vocals and she is stunning in her delivery. The song is aided by some heavy keyboard programming, but credit goes to some effective arrangements bringing in the electric guitars and strings in the background. The use of harmonies and drums sparkle too in the track, and it is as good as any indie pop song I have heard. Dhaya sounds extremely confident in her vocals and she uses the falsetto with terrific ease and efficacy. The song's production stands out. 6. Tum Sang Performed by Gautam KaleWritten, and composed by Prithviraj SinghLanguage: TraditionalGenre: Classical FusionIf you want a specialist Hindustani Vocal coach who not only teaches at the highest level but also keeps composing and performing originals in the indie space, I think there aren't many like Gautam Kale. I have featured him at least 3 or more times with some fabulous semi-classical fusion numbers and this one is right down his alley. This one is probably set in Raag Hamsadhwani. Vishal Khatri has produced the number bringing in some modern touches to this classical rendition, written and composed by Prithviraj Singh. I can hear the Jal Tarang as well as drums and they come and go in the interlude, but we have a more traditional percussion playing right through. The Keyboard programming is excellent giving the song such a different flavour and that is why this number is so high on creativity.   7. AwazVocals, written by Riko LamaMusic by Mall Road & Co.Producer/Engineer -Chandan Tamang (Mall Road Studios)Language: NepaliGenre: Indie RockRiko Lama is the performer in this amazing track that just stunned me when I heard it the first time. It is a fine number by an artist from this Darjeeling-based musician, and he addresses something that continues to irk Indian society. The words are written in Nepali which happens to be a widely spoken language in Darjeeling and Riko here talks about the struggles of the LGBTQIA+ community. His vocals are resplendent but that is not the only plus in this track, as Anuj Pradhan on drums, Gourav Gazmer on bass, Uzzual Sewa and Sailu Rasaily on guitars electrify the setting. The lead guitar notes are written with scintillating perfection and they are played with such amazing poise and heavily supported by the thumping drums. This is one rock number that can stand up against the best we have heard from the West, the face-melting guitar solo at the 4-minute is proof. Chandan Tamang has produced, mixed and mastered the track, and he is not new to me. I featured his production for Apurva Tamang's 'Kahi Kathai' a few months ago also produced at Darjeeling's Mall Road Studios. I will be also listening to the other 3 songs in Riko's EP called 'Kehi Katha Haru'. The voice is just something that will keep you hooked and I later found out that Riko is a contestant doing well in the Voice of Nepal reality show. I seriously hope and believe he can go all the way.  8. Neenu BagehariyadaMusic: Arjun JanyaSinger: Nihal TauroLyrics: Jayant KaikiniLanguage: KannadaGenre: MelodyArjun Janya is creating music at some enviable frequency and I am just glad that I get to listen to and write about these songs. Nihal Tauro is the vocalist and he too has performed for Arjun before. With Jayant Kaikini's lyrics, the song is all about the vocals and instrumental arrangements. The Veena solo followed by the female humming fills up the interlude and there are segments which make me think if the song is set in Raag Kaapi in Carnatic music parlance. The intervention on the strings section and Veena keeps coming and going while the guitars are a constant presence. The second interlude has a mildly intense Violin interlude but a moment that captivated me was the humming accompanied by the strong Indian percussion. 9. DariyaWritten by- Amit GanjooVocals, composition - Ramil GanjooLanguage: HindiGenre: Indie PopRamil Ganjoo has been around for a while now and he has always impressed, with his brand of music and vocals. This one is no different and for some reason, I had this track picked and rated by me but just forgot to write about it in the prior weeks. So here it is, delayed but never denied. The track is composed and performed by Ramil, with lyrics by Amit Ganjoo. There is a magnetic presence of guitars and we have to thank two talented musicians Ritaprabha Ray and Varun Agnihotri for the sensational strumming. I get the feeling of a perennial river flowing when I hear the guitars and this is backed by some vocal harmonies. There are moments with the guitars, harmonies and lead vocals that I feel like flying high into the sky and it is something that you have to listen to and experience yourself. The song has just a few lines that might repeat but the production and arrangements more than make-up for it almost making it like one unavoidable chanting. The track is enhanced thanks to the drums by Bharat and it is mixed and mastered by Utkarsh Amarpuri.  10. I'm not okayPerformed by The Speksy PscyentistWritten by Jyoshma Preema D'souza, Renston Jake FernandesConcept, Lyrics, Tunes, Music Arrangement and Performed by: The Speksy PscyentistLanguage: EnglishGenre: BalladI love it when new bands or artists blow me away, and this is one of them. 'The Speksy Pscyentist' is a duo and when they reached out I had zero bias or expectations, but when the song ended, I couldn't help but play it again a few times. That is the level of captivation I was put through. The duo is formed by Renston Jake Fernandes and Jyoshma Preema D'souza, with the latter writing, singing, and creating the underlying melody, and Renston handling the arrangements, programming, and production. The guitars immediately grab your attention without wasting even a second. This is what great music is made of. I have heard very few performances as good as this and Jyoshma D'souza is someone to really watch out for. The song is dedicated to a departed father and she brings all the emotions on board with her style and vulnerable delivery. The guitars in an interlude, the lyrics and the vocals all remind me of Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven". Vanil Veigas who is a regular producer for Grammy-winning Ricky Kej has worked on the keyboards, mixing and mastering for this track. The track's recording and cinematography are handled by Sebastian. I love the title saying the protagonist is "Okay" (not in brackets) but maybe she's not and the vocals also indicate this hidden emotion. 11. Khabar Vocal, Guitar : ManavLyrics: ManavMusic: Twin StringsLanguage: HindiGenre: Indie PopManav's voice, and his control over his vocals are a testament to his potential as a singer. Just go listen to 'Doorie' by him and the band and I promise that you will witness your heart melt in true appreciation for what you hear. He is the front-man of the band Twin Strings and their music is something I always cherish. The song has some standout performances on keyboards by Sahil and Sagar on guitars and Mohit Deen on drums. It is something that particularly reminds me of the great pop number "Nothing's gonna change my love for you" by George Benson. The texture and tone are similar and I have no problem enjoying this one as much as the older reference. I am glad the band is showcasing its diverse potential to compose songs on either end of the spectrum, and this one feels so different from the semi-classical "Doorie". The guitar solo plays heart-warming notes in the interlude, and the keyboard programming provides a very fine layer below the lead vocals. I love the moment he sings "hai silsila yeh Pyar ka", and the drums have a shift in rhythm by Mohit which deserves praise and attention. The shift in scales which works in most pop songs from the west does work well for me even in this number. Listen to the faint falsetto that Manav beautifully pulls off at the end of the line "pura sa lage jo tu idhar". The track is mixed and mastered by Mohit. 12. Tere NishaanPerformer: Pina Colada Blues & Anumita NadesanLyricist: Ritendra DirghangiLanguage: HindiGenre: Indie pop, Lo-fi, Pina Colada Bluesb a.k.a. Kevin Shaji is one tantalising producer and he always has the pulse of the music lover right on the dot. The Keyboard programming is rich and makes the song much more than its raw melody. I was elated to hear the use of percussion which had a tone that sounded similar to the Tabla and wow that was refreshing. Just then you hear the mild flute intervention, by Mushkan Rajani. The Sitar sounds are spectacularly programmed by Kevin who has composed and produced the number. Ritendra Dirghangi pens the words, while we have Abhishek Sinha on Violin and Akarsh Shetty on additional bass guitars. The interlude notes on Sitar made me believe that there is some Raag Hamsadhwani influence, and that goes true for the mild Violin interventions by Abhishek in the background. he truly excels as the stanza ends past the 2nd minute with a belligerent solo. Hanish Taneja does the mix and master, while Karanjit Narag does the artwork. 13. Mandi aa k NaaSinger: Tyson Sidhu (feat. Simar Kaur)Lyricist: Tyson SidhuMusic: Sir MannyLanguage: PunjabiGenre: Indie popThe song here is a stylish and very peppy pop number performed by Tyson Sidhu and the music is produced by Sir Manny. The lyrics also are penned by Tyson and the performance is evocative of a cool and passionate protagonist. The production and programming are something that elevates the likability of the song and the introduction of Si Kaur as the female lead vocalist also sounds extremely warm and is a welcome to the slightly more aggressive delivery by Tyson. The underlying melody is soothing and that takes care to make this song tick with the listener.14. GuftuguPerformed by Riya KukrejaWritten by Riya KukrejaLanguage: HindiGenre: Indie PopThis is an example of a simple song, done right. Riya Kukreja has written, composed and performed the song, which has the Ukulele as the main instrumental aid. I do hear some excellently arranged backing vocals, and the Organ Piano as well. It is all a sign of some good production work and this is what keeps us hooked. Mayank Saxena does the mixing and mastering. 15. Back To You Performed by Anamertis, Ritvik JakeWritten by Advaith R, Ritvik JacobLanguage: EnglishGenre: Indie pop, Alt-popAnamertis and Ritvik Jake write, compose and perform this pop Alt-pop number driven by some catchy guitar strumming, feel-good drums and arrangements of vocals. The song is pretty straightforward, but I have to admit that it is catchy, and a lot of credit goes to the rhythm programming. 

This week was all about some varied talent in the indie space across the nation. Some of them have been around for a couple of decades while some of them are barely into their 20s. 1. YaadSinger: Shafqat Amanat Ali Music Director: Naveed Nashad Lyricist: Vikram Choudhri Song Programming: Umair HassanLanguage: HindiGenre: Semi-classicalThe song is about separation and the departure of our loved ones. It is so timely because as I write this, I lost a close relative of mine too and the song couldn't have come at a better time. I could let myself take in the lyrics and music and it helped me cope with the situation better than any remedy. Vikram Choudri should be credited for the touching words and my eyes glistened with tears when I heard the line" Khuda ki tarah rehte hain won, mere aas paas". Shafqat Amanat Ali is splendid in delivering these lines and he has this Shankar Mahadevan tonality in his voice. The strings are programmed quite well by Umair Hassan to elevate Naveed Nashad'c composition. We can hear the mild acoustic guitars by Rahill Mirza along with the Cajon by Kashif Ali. The second interlude has a beautiful solo on the Sitar by Turab Ali Khan and this is where I could sense the Yama Raag influence. Shafqat's vocals are endearing and we have Wasif Nashad on the additional programming. Akash Pervaiz mixes and masters the track and Ali Faraz Guddu provides music assistance. 2. Rang De Singer: Sona Mohapatra Composed & Produced by: Ram Sampath Lyrics: Meera Bai Language: Traditional lyricsGenre: Semi-classical fusionRang De stands head and shoulders above the rest of the songs in the EP thanks to its amazing production and arrangements. Just a couple of weeks ago I reviewed the whole EP. Sanjoy Das plays the guitars (watch out for the brief solo) and with Nitish Ranadive on Tabla and lyrics penned by Meera Bai, the song is a charmer. I am not very certain, but maybe there is some Raag Kaapi influence somewhere in the number. The song despite its semi-classical touch sounds amped up in energy thanks to the solid keyboard and rhythm programming. The strings in the background along with the vocal texture and delivery carry that faint bit of pathos in the number. The best line for me is "apne hi rang me, rang de chunariya" both lyrically and musically. The track is recorded by Nitesh Bisht and like all the songs in the EP, Amey Wadibhasme does the mixing and mastering. 3. Easily Lyrics, Vocals, Composition: Shikhar CProducer: Aman Arakh Language: EnglishGenre: Indie pop, Alt-rockI loved the track "Moonbrain" by Shikhar a few months ago, and now this is Easily one of the best Indie songs I have heard in recent times. Shikhar once again impresses with his writing, and composition and his vocals are just dreamy and would make anyone go weak in the knees. He reminds me of James Blunt for some reason, and his falsetto is to die for. Aman Arakh produces the song with perfection, and the arrangements of guitars, drums, strings and harmonies all combine just beautifully. The wonderfully charged bridge section has some excellent electric and bass guitar support making this song one wholesome experience. He sings the line" I lost it so easily" with such ease and this second single from the upcoming EP creates a huge barrage of expectations for what is about to come. 4. High WireComposed, Written and Produced by Ashutosh Phatak Vocals by Vivienne PochaLanguage: EnglishGenre: JazzVivienne Pocha was smashing in a rollicking piece which I featured as one of the best instrumentals of May 2022. It is called "Gimme Some of that" and she worked with Shazneen Arethna on that number. Now Vivienne sings with some impeccable vocals and massive lung capacity in this song composed, written and produced by Ashutosh Pathak. The Baritone Sax played by Shirish Malhotra provides some excellent support and style in an otherwise brisk-paced Jazz number dominated by some scintillating vocals. Adrian D'Souza plays the drums and Ashutosh himself plays the guitars, bass and keyboards. When she sings " Walking on a high wire", once feels so thrilling as if you are walking on one itself. Ian Concesscio plays the Trombone. Then past the midway mark the style sort of changes with the brass section dropping off, and we get only guitars and Vivienne's mellowed-down vocals. I can feel the intensity when Vivienne calls out saying "You hold me, unfold me, you need me, you bleed me, you love me, you tease me, you got me!" This is some fabulous writing by Ashutosh and I can just imagine not dancing to this one. Tala Faral plays the Tenor Sax and Ramon Ibrahim is on Melodica. The song was part of an album that Ashutosh composed and worked with Vivienne on almost a decade ago, and it was performed live in many clubs. I'm thankful a streaming version is finally out. Jovian Soans has done the mixing and mastering. 5. Lost Composition: Ron ChaProduction: Ron, Jit ChalihaLanguage: AssameseLyrics: TraditionalGenre: Folk/Jazz fusionThis guy Ron Cha is one supremely talented composer/Pianist and he released a beautiful project called "Maati" as an EP a couple of months ago. I loved "Lost" the most in this touching intention and project to bring Assamese folk into our living rooms. Ron has produced, composed and arranged along with playing the Keys, but a lion's share of the credit must go to the folk vocalist Kalpana Patowary. There is a lot of similarity to Bangla's Baul folk music, but how brilliantly Ron uses the Piano, and hi-hat drums to give it a Jazz texture. Ferenc Nemeth plays the drums and it is Alexander Toth on bass guitar. The highlight reel is when Mylai Karthikeyan makes an intervention on Nadaswaram and I had my heart growing so heavy that I just wanted to cry listening to the notes probably set in the Charukeshi scale. Ron's genius is in fusing all these different elements, instruments and styles and giving us one masterpiece. Dave Darlington does the mixing and mastering and we have Jit Chaliha who has co-produced this project. Do check out the other tracks in the EP as it will be worth your time. 6. Pyaar ka IzhaarComposer: Shankar MahadevanVocals: Padmini Roy Produced: Ramon IbrahimLyrics: Rahul SethLanguage: HindiThis is one Hindi Melody that takes us back to the gold old days of Bollywood and no wonder it is ravishing, thanks to Shankar Mahadevan's score. Padmini Roy is the vocalist and the saccharine voice does wonders to your eardrums when you listen to this beauty. The use of strings in the background is generous and elevates the song's quality and this is all credit to Ramon Ibrahim who produced the song. I love the use of those percussions along with Keys and guitars. This is just what great music is supposed to sound like. I love the line " dil ki baaton se yun ghabrao na" and how the notes twist a bit. There is something about her vocal texture that makes it sound like a 1970's melody. Rahul Seth writes these beautiful emotional lines. The stanza is excellently composed and Ramon brings his A game using a multitude of instruments and he also mixes and masters the track. 7. MisfitsProduced by Toi IntoateComposed, Performed by Avora RecordsLanguage: EnglishGenre: Punk RockThe talent from North East of India never disappoints and with every new artist or band I feature, excitement and expectation both tend to soar. The band Avora Records was formed back in 2012 and hailing from Mizoram, it has 5 members at the moment viz. Stephen Hnamte, Ruata Renthlei, Khos Hmar, CK and Sanga Ralte. The song starts with some thrusting guitars and drums and it is Khos and Ruata playing the guitars with Sanga on drums. CK plays the bass guitars, but you will just get drawn further into the song thanks to Stephen's vocals. This is the kind of music that would make any western band get up and take notice. Recently when I met a famous music producer he commented that Indian music needs to go global and he would pick anyone from NE India to just perform at the highest standard in English. Just like he said and I agreed, we have this Aizawl-based band sizzle in every possible way. The bridge section is well composed, produced and executed too. Toi Intoate has produced, mixed and mastered the track and the song has been recorded at the Kings and Prophets Studios. There is an electrifying little solo on guitars towards the end and the whole song is one unmissable package.  8. KoshisheinPerformed by Nilotpal BoraWritten by Avinash Chouhan Nilotpal BoraProduced by Nilotpal Bora Rahul GajjalLanguage: HindiGenre: MelodyA recent series on Zee5 called 'Saas Bahu Achar Pvt. Ltd.' did quite well thanks to some simple screenplay and natural on-screen performance by the leads. For me, one thing that stood out was the musical score by Nilotpal Bora. A well-composed melody, this is written by Avinash Chauhan and Nilotpal, and the lines " girega uttega sapna, tootega jodega sapna, haregi na par apni koshishein" is relevant and inspiring at the same time. The vocals are also by Nilotpal along with his composition and production(along with Rahul Gajjal). The song has some excellent use of instruments like the Keys at the beginning and then the lovely guitars, especially the bass, as we proceed further. The solo Violin and the strings section in the background come together in expressing the song's intent and tone quite well. I had mild tears rolling when I hear the solo flute playing the same notes as the opening lines accompanied by strings, in the interlude. At a time when Hindi/ Bollywood music is struggling to keep up with the rest of India, Nilotpal does provide hope for the future. I love the introduction of the drums as the stanza ends and he uses it probably to induce greater confidence and spirit into the theme as well the protagonist's mind. Kiran Vinkar plays the flute, Shomu Seal, Kandar Pakalita, Suraj Rava and Varun Jain on guitars, and Mrinmoy Sarmah Baruah on Keys. I also recommend Sunidhi Chauhan's 'Boondo Ka Jharna' from the same album, which is beautifully composed and sung and probably a pathos set in Ragam Panthuvarali or Puriya Dhanashree.   9. TunnelPerformed by EvadWritten by Rishabhdev PanditProduced by Kabir HiranandaniGenre: Indie Pop, Alt-PopLanguage: EnglishI did a review and feature Evad's song called "Follow", very impressive last year. Evad's composition and vocals were matched equally by Kabir Hiranandani's production and that is exactly the case here too. The guitars and harmonies are two essential elements in the song, but so are the heavy Keyboards, Synths and rhythms. Rishabhdev Pandit has penned the lyrics which keep you guessing and intrigued. Evad's vocals do more than enough to invite you into that Tunnel. 10. Kujh palSinger:- Gurshabad & Mitika KanwarLyrics(punjabi):- Amrit SandhuMusic:- Honey DhillonLyrics(English/Hindi):- Mitika KanwarLanguage: Punjabi/EnglishGenre: Melody FusionThe fusion is just fantastic getting a simple Ukulele Pop song in English and then what we hear is a Punjabi Melody. Mitika Kanwar and Gurshabad are flawless in their vocals and their performances play a huge role in getting this number to become extremely likeable. Amrit Sandhu writes the Punjabi words while Mitika writes in English and Hindi. Honey Dhillon composes the melody while Bhanu Thakur does the mix and master.  11. AlakanandaMusic reimagined by Ravator Music  Lyrics trans-created in Hindi by Swaraj PriyoOriginal Lyrics by Maitrayee Patar & Shankuraj KonwarGenre: FusionLanguage: HindiShankuraj Konwar the brilliant singer/composer from Assam works with Ravator here to re-create an Assamese gem into a Hindi number. I have featured both of these guys on their projects many times, and I have been fond of Ravator's work as a producer. The last time I featured 'Falak' and this project is as worthy as his previous ones. Swaraj Priyo pens the Hindi words against the original Assames lyrics by Maitrayee Patar and Shankuraj. The tune is definitely influenced by Raag Hamsadwani. Bhav Narang on bass guitar and Harshit Shakar on the flute are impressive in giving the necessary layers to the song. Yash Tiwari and Ravator play the guitars and also handle all the instrumental arrangements giving the song some fantastic flavours. The song has a seamless fusion of Melody and classic rock elements and the introduction of drums, and electric guitars ensure the same. Listen to the marvellous solo on the Flute by Harshit Shankar playing at an unimaginable tempo, and he shows he is a phenomenal talent and true disciple of Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia. 12. Sakhiye SaavarisuSinger: Sanjith Hegde Music: Arjun Janya Lyrics: Shashank Language: KannadaGenre: MelodySome combinations are just there for us to treasure, like this one here. It is a song that is composed brilliantly by Arjun Janya and sung by the extremely dependable Sanjith Hegde. The way Sanjith brings style and substance to a song handed out to him is something that not many other singers in India can do at this level of consistency. The use of acoustic, electric and bass guitars in this number glorifies the track and it reminds me of Ilaiyaraja's " Kannan vandhu padugindran" sung by S Janaki. Arjun is a master of using a grand array of live instruments and we must just pay attention to the interlude laden with strings and the solo violin doing wonders. The stanza is softer and sober in comparison and Arjun's Keys help drive the song forward. The introduction of traditional Indian percussion and beats after the stanza ends is worthy of praise. Sanjith does everything in his armoury like using his variations, aalap, etc to excel vocally.  13. KhushnaseebiPerformed by Nanok, Siddharth BasrurWritten by Jai Vaswani, Manish Bhatt, Siddharth BasrurLanguage: HindiGenre: Lo-fi, Synth-popThe rhythm and the synths have a good thing going on, and then this nice enjoyable hook comes along probably played on the keyboard. Siddharth Basrur and Nanok get together for this very endearing number that provides some unique sounds. Manish Bhatt, Siddharth and Jai Vaswani write the lyrics, but unlike the words that say " boring si meri kahani", there is nothing even remotely boring about the song. The use of synths and keyboard programming is heavy in this number, but this song is one perfect example of how modern sounds and influences can still make a song sound terrific without being just moronic and original. The arrangements of vocal harmonies also work quite well.  14. SafarPerformed by SamaMusic/Composition: ADilLyrics: ADil and SamaLanguage: HindiGenre: Indie PopI just got a feeling like I was transported to the early 2000s when we had some enviable by duos and trios like Vishal-Shekhar, Salim-Sulaiman and Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. This song composed by ADil had all those lovely elements, a fast-paced texture, adequate guitars and a very solid vocalist in Sama. ADil and Sama both write the lyrics but some fantastic programming on Keyboards and production decorates the underlying tune. The harmonies and bass guitars too stand out for me. The electric guitar solo in the outro segment offers a fitting end. 15. HideWritten & Performed by AnushkaComposed and Produced by BøneheadProduced & Mixed by 7nation_Language: EnglishGenre: Alt-Pop, Synth waveThe song is something that belongs to the synth-wave genre, with the quality and nature of sound depicting fear and horror. Rightly so the song is titled 'Hope' and Anushka sings about "no walls to hide behind, sends shivers down the spine". The track is produced and composed by Bønehead, with mixing by 7nation_ and mastering by Audible Oddities. The vocals are dreamy and the decibel levels are always maintained low thereby creating and adding to the mystery. The accompanying harmonies have an additive effect that stylises the song even better in the chosen genre. 16. GodspeedSinger, Lyrics, Compose - Tyson SidhuMusic - Sir MannyProducer - Avtar Signh HaansNow just get up and do the groove, grind, and shake that body. I haven't heard an uber-cool Punjabi dance song this good in the last few months. I love the Keyboards and rhythms that accompany and they do more than enough to elevate a simple tune with some vocals that carry off the attitude and zest needed for the track.   17. Khi ho gayaSinger - Ronit Vinta , Sirazee Composer - Ronit Vinta, Sirazee Lyrics - Ronit Vinta, Sirazee Music producer - Ronit VintaLanguage: Punjabi/EnglishGenre: Indie popI love Raghav Meattle for their solid work in promoting new talents and good music through the BGBNG label. This is one snazzy Punjabi/English track that you would want to just listen to while walking and maybe do a few steps without minding the public around. Ront Vinta and Sirazee have written, composed and sung this stylish number. Ronit produces the song with additional programming help from DJ Ruchir. Raghav, Harshit Agarwal and Heer Kamdar are involved in the project representing the music label. Bily plays the guitars and the talented Hanish Taneja mixes and masters the track. I have never heard Punjabi words like "Tenu khi ho gaya" sound cooler than this before. Some exciting rhythms, keyboards, harmonies and basslines all keep me hooked on the number. 18. Pehli BaarSinger, Songwriter, Acoustic Guitarist - Jay AnandProduction - Mayank MehraLanguage: EnglishThis youngster has written, sung and played the acoustic guitars on this number. Mayank Mehra produces the number, and I love the use of the harmonies that keep following the lead in continuity. I think what I hear in the interludes are Trombones played just for a brief bit, and just that alone provides hope that this youngster has got a keen sense and I look forward to his work. Mayank must be credited with the programming and arrangements obviously, and these make up for the short duration and the simple melody of the song. Rishab Bose does the mix and master, and Akash Shivakumar is the recording engineer. 

This week I was quite impressed with some of the indie music, especially as I came across new bands and artists like ‘The Pariah Kite’, Sera Sanyal, Kukubh and this is what excites me to see fresh talent. However, we can never write off the seasoned stars like Amit Trivedi, Vidyasagar, and Shaan Rahman, who are all making comebacks to show that they have it in them even today. Brilliance also emerged from some usual suspects like Anupam Roy, Sagar Dhote, Kala Bhairava and Jakes Bejoy. I hope you enjoy this collection as much as I did. 1. RangVocals: Prachi GoleComposition: Prachi Gole, Danish AbdiLyrics: Danish AbdiMusic Production: Varun MuraliA few weeks ago a young artist reached out to me by the name Prachi Gole. She was a budding singer and one half of a band called "The Pariah Kite". She came to know about me because I had reviewed a song produced by Varun Murali at The Red Music Box, and he also was a producer for "Pariah Kite"'s upcoming 5-track EP. I was polite thinking maybe ill listen to it leisurely. Since this was a new band with their debut EP, I had zero expectations. So began playing 'Rang', and things starts slowly, but like a masterpiece movie which has its slow moments only to spring upon a surprise, this song just shifted gears from neutral to 6 in 4 minutes. Prachi Gole shows that she is skilled and blessed with a phenomenal voice and more importantly she is putting that to great use. The guitars and percussions probably don't belong together in the same track owing to their relative disparity of style and genre but it works quite well. I can hear strings in the background and that tells me this band is not just about a facade, but a strong foundation as well. Danish Abdi is the co-composer and the duo is to be taken seriously if you call yourself a music lover. I love the arrangements and huge credit must go to the master producer Varun Murali. You can feel the superior quality in the background harmonies, Keys, rhythms etc. Abdi's lyrics are impactful and drive home the message without wasting even a syllable. The song is about the first stage of depression or heartbreak where we always live in denial. That is why the title 'Rang' is chosen and we can relate to how the lines are questioning versions of the truth. The album has 4 songs out and I am already in love with the other 3 songs as well. I strongly recommend you listen to their album called 'Zard' which talks about the 5 stages of heartbreak. This Prog-Rock band from Bengaluru has raised the bar, I have been listening on loop thanks to Prachi's precious talents as a vocalist. 2. Viral ThodatheComposed And Arranged By Vidya SagarLyrics By Vinayak SasikumarSinger: Nakul AbhyankarLanguage: MalayalamGenre: MelodyWhen I keep saying that geniuses should know when to stop, I mean that most sensibly, not just for listeners but also for the performers. Vidya Sagar took a break from music composition and whether it was by choice or he just was not offered many in the last 10 years, I am not sure. When I heard this number I knew for certain that Vidya Sagar is back and after just a splendid song a couple of months ago called "Anandamo" featuring Abhay Jodhpurkar and Anwesshaa. I am glad to see Nakul Abhyankar get an opportunity in Malayalam, as the guy has a fantastic voice and I hope he makes it bigger across multiple languages and industries. His diction to me sounds perfect and the melody in the song is enriched even further by Nakul's singing. The Cochin Strings just hit the ball out of the park with such finesse on the violins, and it is Manonmani's Sarangi that just gives the stamp of Vidya Sagar's ingenuity. It is during this interlude that I sensed a hint of Raag Bihag. Nikhil plays the flute and all the fantastic programming is by Vishnu Shyam and only Vidya Sagar could have given us this rich music that takes us back to Maestro Ilaiyaraja's 1980s hits. The stanza is woven with such brilliant notes, and when the Pallavi starts again, Nikhil sizzles on the flute solo in the background. The second interlude feels like an entire Symphony Orchestra is employed and music like this isn't made often these days. Ganesan is on Rhythms, and it is M T Aditya Srinivasan who has mixed the track with assistance from Lokesh and Vivek Thomas has mastered it. S. Murugan is the recording engineer. There is also a hint of Raag Begada in my opinion. Whatever it is, this is one song to treasure and celebrate if you are a music lover. 3. Woh Galiyaan Singer - Monali Thakur, Shashwat SinghComposed By - Amit TrivediLyrics - Kausar MunirLanguage- HindiGenre- melodyJust like we saw Vidya Sagar displaying his potential after a break, here we have Amit Trivedi who I have been very critical of scoring a blinder. Like any profession, brief breaks can always inspire and help the performer rise higher, and Amit is in terrific form in this song for the album Shabaash Mithu'. Sadly, Monali Thakur doesn't sing many these days, but she grabs this chance quite well, singing with a wide vocal range and impeccable stability. The song is supposed to be like an anthem and so she delivers that oomph and attitude as well. The use of vocal harmonies helps in glorifying the spirit of the song. Shashwat Singh, another fine vocalist takes up the male lead vocals. The use of the flute and violins in the background is very effective and Kudos to Amit for some splendid arrangements and overall production. Kausar Munir is the lyricist who matches the song's intent with his words. The grand sounds of the flute, the strings section and Monali's vocals elevate the song by multiple notches. 4. All we need is loveSinger - Shaan, LopamudraComposer - Sagar DhoteMusic Producer - Sagar DhoteLyrics - Aditya Kalway (Hindi), Nikhil Chinchankar (English)Language: Hindi and EnglishGenre: Melody, Indie PopCan I just call him a sea of musical capabilities? Well, he is named Sagar, so technically that is allowed. He has to be one of the brightest young talents in Indian music and he never disappoints whether it is his composition or just production. Sagar Dhote is a fan of Santhosh Narayanan who to my mind is undoubtedly India's number 1 composer/producer, so I guess one can continue to expect unabating quality from him. The song opens with Lopamudra Bandyopadhyay's vocals and lyrics in English written by Nikhil Chinchankar. It sounds very much like an English pop song and as Shaan joins in as the male lead vocalist, it shines like a pleasant number helped along by Ankur Mukherjee's guitars. We hear some excellent strings in the background, arranged by Samarth Srinivasan. But just when the song turns on its head and the Hindi lyrics begin, that is when it starts sounding even more melodious. Lopamudra's singing is spotless as she reaches for the higher scales and even brings a mild vibrato at the end. Ankur plays the guitar, like a classic electric guitar (like the one played by Abhay Nayampally)or even a Mandolin ( modified and played by the genius Late U. Sreenivas). Aditya Kalway another proficient singer/composer has penned the Hindi lyrics for the song. The song soars into a territory where it just lifts your spirits, helped by the Keys and strings in the end. The track is mixed by Sagar, and mastered by Ajinkya Dhapare. 5. Ki MayaySinger: Shreya GhoshalMusic & Lyrics: Anupam RoyLanguage: BanglaGenre: MelodyWe have another Anupam Roy score here and this is for a movie album. He gets the Diva, Shreya Ghoshal to do the lead vocals and it feels magical to hear her sing in her native tongue. It begins with the classic Shehnai, probably because it is a wedding scene for the song. Rahul Chatterjee is fantastic to get the Sitar solo on point, aided by Joydeep Nandi on Tabla, who also plays the Khol in the track. The instrumentalists are all part of the Anupam Roy band and that is why we also have Kaustuv Biswas on bass guitars. The song, I thought, does have fragments of Raag Charukeshi and though there is only one word I understood "Bhalobeshi", I could see my heart melt thanks to the vocals, score and arrangements.  Anupam says that the song is based on Raag Jaunpuri. The stanza is short and sweet but it is never short of the melodic quotient. I love the second interlude which has a jugalbandi between the Shehnai and Sitar. Shamik Chakravarthy does all the programming and arrangements, with Debojit Sengupta on mix and master duties. 6. PacmanPerformed by Kukubh Mayank SharmaWritten by Kukubh MegwalProduced by Kukubh MegwalGenre: RockA video game that probably every kid born in the 1980s and 1990s played is the title and even inspiration behind this electric number. The song even begins with guitars and you wonder where this track is headed, just like life is threatening and dangerous while playing the 'Pacman'. Kukubh Megwal has performed, written, played the guitars and produced the number. If the rock Gods were listening, they would be proud and more importantly head-banging nonstop. I know one thing for sure, if I was playing Pac-man and listening to this song, I am destined to lose my focus and die out in the game. Mayank Sharma also has performed on this number and I am just glad I discovered this artist Kukubh, making my wait for the next single completely intolerable. 7. MarivilMusic - Shaan RahmanLyrics - Joe PaulSingers - Sanah Moidutty, Harib HussainGenre: MelodyLanguage: MalayalamI am a huge fan of Sanah Moidutty, and anyone in the industry should probably be a huge admirer of her voice which just sounds like a gift from the heavens. She and Harib Hussain are the lead vocalists in this catchy number once again composed and produced by Shaan Rahman who is making it a habit to be featured in these weekly charts. Like always Shaan depends on some fantastic synths, keyboard and rhythm programming. I must say that Harib impresses and it is difficult to shine when you are performing alongside Sanah. The Keys give a great layer with a flute intervention here and there, but there is so much only you can focus on when Sanah kills with her vocals. Joe Paul is the lyricist for the number. The outro is excellent with the flute, rhythms, keys and Sana singing an aalap and swaras. 8. BaateinWritten, and performed by Harish Lakhmani & Siddharth Pathak (Harry & Sid)Language: EnglishGenre: Alt-RockThese two guys who are now a two-piece band were originally a part of a band called 'Wagah Road' that was formed back in 2011. Harish Lakhmani and Siddharth Pathak have written, composed and performed this impressive rock-styled number with some very apt guitars and drums. The singing is exactly what a rock song would demand and the texture of the vocals doesn't let you down as a music lover, even for a second. The acoustic guitar solo in the middle is beautiful, but the electric guitar solo towards the end takes away the cake. This is music that stays true to a genre and can make music lovers believe in the power of good music. The moments of silence when the guitars and drums take a brief pause are as precious and well-timed as their solid re-entry.  9. LehreinSung, composed & written: Shrinidhi GhatateMusic Production: Rhythm ShawGenre: Indie popLanguage: HindiBack in 2019 when I was just beginning to explore new music all over India, I came across this album called 'Aayam' by Shrinidhi Ghatate. When there were so many musicians struggling to get a few consecutive hit singles, this artist gives a fantastic album with at least 5 or 6 memorable numbers. Shrinidhi continues form there in this new single written, sung and composed by her, with Rhythm Shaw, the guitarist producing it. I love the vocals as expected, but also the harmonies and arrangements. Rhythm's guitars can be heard in the background making quite an impression. The way the notes move into an unpredictable trajectory as she sings "jo bhee tha ab hai yaadon mein" stands out for me and once again the underlying spirit of the song changes as it goes "haalat badalange". Pankaj Porah mixes and masters the track and I cannot wait for the rest of the album to release. 10. Nannu Nenu Adiga Singer: Inno GengaMusic: Kaala BhairavaLyricist: Krishna MadineniThe movie did quite well and got rave reviews for the concept and effort. Kaala Bhairava has been in the thick of things and he is one of the more dependable music composers in Tollywood. He gets this singer Inno Genga to perform the lead vocals and he has the exact tonality and texture as Anirudh, the Tamil composer/singer and maybe that is why the song sounds even better. Krishna Madineni is the lyricist. The song has some terrific sounds and arrangements and it ranges from the Synths to strings then notice a nice shift in rhythms in the anupallavi, where some traditional percussion is played. Siddharth S has programmed wonderfully with also doing the mixing. The Violin and Viola are played by Sandilya Pisapati and interestingly the opening has a strumming of a guitar-like sound, but that is Sandilya experimenting by plucking the Viola, kudos to the ingenuity. along with some pleasant acoustic guitars in the interlude. The track is mastered by Shadab Rayeen. Krishna Madineni is the lyricist. The outro is spectacular as well with the Violins and that shrill vulnerable humming. 11. Love is Just a NamePerformed by Citizen Koi, Shreya Bhattacharya, SudanWritten by Hayden ScottProduced by Sudan, Hayden ScottLanguage: EnglishGenre: Alt-pop, Synth-popI have featured the producer Sudan for a few songs where he has worked along with Sidharth Bendi and all have been splendid numbers. He is also one half of the band 'Khoya Firdaus' and he has performed and produced this number as well. Hayden Scott a.k.a. Citizen Koi other than producing and writing, gets vocalist Shreya Bhattacharya to perform on this one. The influence of Lo-fi and techno sounds makes it very relevant today. The vocals of Shreya stick to your mind as she improvises with those mild vibratos and delivers with incredible style. If the harmonies in the background make the song smooth, the outro featured a guitar solo that amps up the interest and likability of the track. 12. Built To Fall ApartPerformed by Sera SanyalWritten by Sera SanyalLanguage: EnglishGenre: Indie popSera Sanyal goes solo in this Piano-laden number, and right from the beginning, the focus is all on the Keys. The introduction of the finger-snapping is very creative and pleasant, and Sera starts to impress with her vocals. The bass guitars and rhythms add beautifully, especially the notes on the bass keep drawing me closer to the song. I love the message and the lyrics of the number especially the title which is a happier version of "destined to doom". I would love to hear more from Sera in the future and I am sure she will only head up that ladder both as a singer and songwriter. 13. Naya EhsaasVocals/Lyrics/Composition: Aseem SharmaMusic Production/ Mix : Udit SaxenaLanguage: HindiGenre: Indie Pop, FusionAseem Sharma is one of the singer-composers who keeps silently coming up with very enjoyable and original music. This one too has all the facade of an indie pop song, but there is a classical undertone to it and in my opinion, it has influences from Raag Yaman. Aseem's delivery style is reflective of these elements and the soft and tender vocals make this a very enjoyable number. The line "mujhe uski chaandni mein rehna hai" is my favourite musically. Udit Saxena has teamed up with Aseem on various projects and he has produced and mixed the track. The song rests on the shoulders of some excellent keyboard and rhythm programming that gives the song an Alt-pop texture. Aseem has penned, sung and composed the tune and Graeme Durham masters the track.14. NeeyonnoralilMusic Composed and Arranged by JAKES BEJOYSinger: Vijay YesudasLyrics: Jyotish T KasiMusic Producers: Jakes Bejoy, Antony, Abjaksh S, Glady AbrahamThe solo violin is brief, but a noticeable curtain raiser for the show to begin and it is played by Raaghavendra. It is then a Vijay Yesudas special and we get a glimpse of his father's mesmeric voice. I have always claimed that Vijay probably should be singing much more than the opportunities he is getting. Jyotish T Kasi writes the heartening words and we have the support of some solid programming and violin interventions to help the song move forward. Jakes Bejoy is the composer and arranger for this and he along with Antony, Abjaksh and Glady Abraham produce the number. It is almost missable but a very brief Carnatic aalap ends the interlude, Daniel Joseph Antony has gotten the session prepared and arranged for it, with assistance by Maneeth Manoj. The recording engineers are Daniel, Jisto George and Midhun Manoj. The stanza has a change of percussion, as we move from programmed rhythms to the Tabla. It is again a nice feeling to have a song with two stanzas separated by 2 different interludes. It is during the closing stages of the stanza that I am tempted to think if there is some Raag Kalyani (Yaman) influence. The track is mixed and mastered by Sujith Hyder 15. TaashPerformed by - Abhijay SharmaMusic - Abhijay SharmaComposed by - Abhijay SharmaWritten by - ReVo LEKHAKGenre: Indie pop/ Lo-fiLanguage: HindiAbhijay Sharma composes, produced and performed this track and this is the second time that I am featuring this young artist. It was 'Sajda' a few months ago and this time Abhijay impresses even more with his tantalising vocals. ReVo LEKHAK is the lyricist and he discusses some of the dilemmas that the protagonist is facing. "Taash chunu yaa tere baatein chunu" Abhijay starts singing. The strength in his vocals and the impressive improvisations to the notes he brings on board are extremely likeable. I just wish this was a longer song with an antara as well. The track is mixed and mastered by Abhijay with album art by Harsh Kandpal. This is a project by The Shastras Music.

1. Maatu MaatalleComposed and Produced by Ronada Bakkesh & Karthik Chennoji RaoSinger – Vijay PrakashLyrics - Ghouse PeerGenre: MelodyLanguage: KannadaI am a huge fan of the band Pineapple Express and their brand of music bordering Alt-Rock, Rock, and Classical-Rock Fusion is something that will feature in some of the most original and inspiring works in India. Just a few weeks ago I featured a song called "Jazbaat" by the band as the number 1 song in India, and it is only later than this Kannada number was co-composed by one of the band members, Karthik Chennoji Rao a.k.a. KC. This outstanding number sung by the stalwart Vijay Prakash has Ronada Bakkesh also working on the score and this is quintessential Alt-Rock. NS Prasad on Mandolin and Ritwik Bhattacharya on guitars along with Narayan Sharma on the Violin, sparkle and help Vijay Prakash make headway into the track. We can also hear Narayan backing with his vocals, and the song just rises a notch when Vijay sings "Naa Ninage" and the instruments just take a pause, and once those words end, we get the drums and guitars back performing but listen to that mild Violin ripping open in the background. The stanza is mild and melodious with some scintillating vocal harmony arrangements, and you can listen to the song multiple times just to understand the plethora of elements at work in the background. This has to be one of the best vocal performances by Vijay Prakash in recent times. Ghouse Peer is the lyricist, and we have Anil CJ and Ronda on mixing, Nick Burchall has mastered the track with Akash Shivakumar, and Rangaswamy has recorded the track.2. DarunMusic, lyrics and vocals – Anupam RoyLanguage: BanglaGenre: Melody, Semi-classicalHis Instagram handle reads @aroyfloyd and damn Anupam Roy is worthy of being a part of Pink Floyd according to me, He is one of the most talented composers in the nation and he delivers every single time. Just listen to this brilliant semi-classical melody set in Raag Bageshree and the moment Abhishek Mullick opens with his Sitar, I guarantee that you will lose track sense of time and place. The Sitar solo is a stamp of the enormously pleasing Raaga, and when a stalwart like Bodhisattwa Ghosh starts playing the electric guitars to follow up on the Sitar, the world just becomes a magical place called paradise. Anupam Roy more than just scoring and writing is also the lead vocalist and even though I have to turn to my wife and in-laws to understand any sort of Bangla, the vocals and the sounds of words coming from the genius' mouth are good enough to titillate me. Kaustav Biswas on bass guitars and Sandipan Partial on drums just energise you with a western/ Alt-Rock influence. The most brilliant segment of the song is when he sings " Ja chowa jaay na, ja paowa jaay na, ja bojha jaay na, Taa toh darun". The electric guitar solo accompanies by Joy Nandy's Tabla is a creative mix to hear. The stanza is simple with just a few variations and then we get to the landing and opening lines, but the song is one joy ride. Nabarun Bose plays the Keyboards and just when you assume the song is over, we have a classical union of the Sitar solo and Tabla in the second interlude. The track is mixed and mastered by Debojit Sengupta, with Atmos mix by Debojit and Tirthankar Mazumder. The recording engineer is Srirup Chatterjee. 3. Aa KanasuMusic composed, produced and arranged by - Midhun MukundanSinger - HaricharanLyrics - Nagarjun SharmaGenre: Semi-classical Fusion, melodyLanguage: KannadaThis week is all about regional languages and they are kicking arse with some very different tones. Take this one by Midhun Mukundan, whos the composer for that critically acclaimed film "Garuda Gamana Vrishaba Vahana". The moment you have a fabulous vocalist and insanely talented instrumentalist on board, the song then just soars higher. We have Haricharan sounding cool, casual and brilliant in this delivery, while Abhay Nayampally plays the classical Electric guitar. The production and arrangements are supreme, and the credits for those too go to Midhun. Abhay sizzles on the guitars in the interlude and it does feel like we are listening to his mentor, the Genius U.Srinivas, and watch out for that solo piece at the end of the stanza. Hriday Goswami has mixed, mastered and recorded the track. 4. Amake NaoSinger: Debayan Banerjee Composer: Pralay SarkarMusic production/Arrangement: Debayan BanerjeeLyricist : Pralay Sarkar, Jyoti HazraGenre: MelodyLanguage: BanglaOriplast Originals is one of my earliest sources of great original Bangla music back in 2019 when I just began doing music reviews and it led me to discover brilliant musicians like Anupam Roy. Here we have one more edition of the project and it is Debayan Banerjee who sings, produces and arranges the track. It is Debayan's vocal texture that makes this song even more endearing. The percussions and harmonies are wonderful and effective additions and Sarangi's intervention along with some Keyboard programming come together quite well. The stanza is rich in melody quotient and so is the title line which sticks to your mind. The track is mixed and mastered by Debayan. 5. AsarPerformed by Anand Bhaskar, Anurag MishraWritten by Anand BhaskarProduced by Hrishi Giridhar & Anand BhaskarLanguage: HindiGenre: BalladIs this a dream collaboration or what? Well, you can call it that, and why wouldn't you when there some of the best musicians line up for a project? Anurag Mishra has a very refined and identifiable voice, amidst a truckload of copycats and imitators. He is also a very competent composer who I have featured multiple times and he sings this ballad produced by Anand Bhaskar and Hrishi Giridhar. Do these two guys need any introduction, I believe not. Anand also penned the lyrics and lent his voice to the track. The sounds of the strings and Keys dominate the background layers. The best line of the song is the one leading up to the title "Asar". Anurag's vocals at the baritone scales are so heartening to hear, and he employs them effectively. I just love the song's arrangements and production, as Anand and Hrishi, also bring in the electric guitars 6. With YouSinger and Lyricist - Vernon D'SouzaComposed by - Souvik Adak & Vernon D'SouzaGenre: Indie popLanguage: EnglishVernon D'Souza writes and performs this enchanting slow sombre number and the words talk about an intimate loving relationship. Vernon and Souvik Adak co-compose the track and we hear a perfect concoction of instruments arranged like a Harmonica. The show just gets better in that interlude piece by Rhys Sebastian on the Saxophone and what we get is something similar to a Kenny G number. Ralph Fernandes plays the acoustic and bass guitars. The track is mixed and mastered by Debaprasad Tewary.  7. Helalu OodareVocals: Pradeep KumarLyrics: K KalyanMusic: Vasuki VaibhavLanguage: KannadaGenre: MelodyIf I have to be honest, I must say that there is a lot of disappointment when I see Vasuki Vaibhav's name in the composer credits. He showed immense potential a few years ago and I would have rated him as one of the best young talents in India. Something happened along the way and he has been more of a lyricist and a singer. If I Have to look past all that, then I am glad Vasuki has composed this beauty, and maybe this is the beginning of his revival. He gets one of the strongest vocalists in Pradeep Kumar to deliver these beautiful notes and words penned by K Kalyan. The acoustic guitars guide the track forward, but the subtle use of bass guitars and strings beautifies the Pallavi and anupallavi. The solo violin in the interlude gives the song a wonderful classical touch. The stanza is a continuation of the elements heard in the opening lines, and towards the end of the charanam, Pradeep showcases his wide vocal range. The second interlude creates such a deep sense of grief with the Violin but it only makes you connect with the melody even more. These are segments which sound very much like a score by Vasuki's compatriot Ajaneesh Loknath. The outro has this beautiful aalap by Pradeep and in this free-flowing rendition, he shows why he is one of the best out there. Also the more I hear the number, the stronger I believe that there is a Raag Desh influence in it. The solo violin was played by Narayan Sharma and he also did arrangements for the guitars and strings. The acoustic guitar was played by Aadarsh Subramanian, and all the rhythm programming was by Hriday Goswami.8. Kahaan Hai KalVocals, Lyrics: Manikaant SuryanProduction: Rijul Victor Language: HindiGenre: Indie PopI heard this song a month or so ago but somehow forgot to include it in my weekly rankings and lists. Thankfully I never misplace any records of the songs I hear, even if it amounts to 400 a week. So here it is, a soothing number with guitar sounds and vocals that strike you, making you forget yesterday and tomorrow, making you ask "Kaahan hai kal". The track is produced brilliantly by Rijul Victor and he has also mixed, mastered and done the recording. 'Yeh baatein jo tu karta hain, kya tu seekha hai, is duniya se', all just amazing words that hit you hard and they especially transmit easily through a clear voice and delivery like Manikaant's and aided by some intriguing sounds in the background. 9. Aaya MausamVocals: Divyam SodhiProduced and arranged by KhwaabLanguage: PunjabiGenre: Classical FusionI have been a keen follower and admirer of Khwaab's work as it is something that fits my musical tastes. When you want something of an old treasure to be completely restored and presented in a delectable fashion, Khwaab the producer is the man to go to. I have featured his work multiple times and like the other ones, this too is an old gem composed by Wajahat Atre and sung by Madam Noor Jehan. Divyam Sodhi has been performing for Khwaab's recreated classics and his voice is one more reason these numbers sound precious. I am not able to place it, but I guess I hear influences of Raag Bihag and maybe some of Raag Bilawal. Subham Kanjilal plays the delightful Mandolin solo in the interlude. Mahavir plays the Dholak taking us back to the fields of Punjab and the production and arrangements reek of Khwaab's impressions. One of my favourite musicians from down south is Rex Vijayan and the man himself has mixed and mastered the track so you can expect some mastery here. Roshan Kumar Sharma Sinha is the recording engineer. 10. Tholi TholigaMusic composed and Arranged by Achu Rajamani Singers - Rahul Nambiar Lyrics - Vasista Sharma Genre: MelodyLanguage: TeluguThis is a sensational number and Achu Rajamani has been a high this past few months with some solid numbers for the movie album 'Janakiram' as well as indie projects. The guitars strumming by Bruce (Is it Springsteen?) and Rahul Nambiar's authority on vocals keep you hooked. I have featured Rahul a few times as a part of the 'Makka Band' and the way he uses those vibratos to great effect works very well in this enthralling number. James on the Accordion intervenes beautifully but all the arrangements and production by Achu are like the secret sauce for the success of the song. Vasista Sharma pens the lyrics. I loved how at the end of the stanza we get the humming, and the traditional percussion gives a folk flavour especially with Rahul singing 'thandana the na na'. Ijaz Ahamed does the mixing and mastering. Achu shifts to western rhythm programming intermittently and it is seamless. The song has some noticeable similarities with "Shukran Allah" by Salim-Sulaiman. 11. Bhalobashi TaiMusic Director- Rupak Tiary Lyrics - Aviman Paul Singer:- Ishan Mitra and Somlata Acharyya.Music Arrangements & Mix Master- Rupak TiaryGenre: MelodyLanguage: BanglaRupak Tiary is a prolific composer and I have always admired his work rate, and also for making the effort to create originals in a land that is still influenced by and in awe of Rabindra Sangeet. Somlata Acharya and Ishan Mitra are the lead vocalists and I have featured both of them before on my website for some fabulous work. The flute and the guitars keep coming and going and all the arrangements by Rupak decorate the track and what we get is a lovely melody setting the mood for romance. The lead vocalists are in prime form and the way they deliver the lines adds to genre specificity. Aviman Paul is the lyricist.  12. Dhoora DhooraSingers: SIDDHARTHA BELMANNU & SHAKTHISREE GOPALANLyrics: PREETHAM TEGGINAMANE & VIVAN RADHA KRISHNA Music Director: VIVAN RADHAKRISHNALanguage: KannadaGenre: MelodyShe has been missing in action, and it was quite a noticeable vacuum for me who always loved her voice and of late her compositions as well. Shakthisree Gopalan is now going to come back stronger after her 1-year hiatus, studying at Berklee College of Music. She is one of the lead vocalists for this number along with another wonderful young talent called Siddhartha Belmannu who I featured 3 years ago in a Kannada song. I loved one of his extravagant and innovative covers using A Capella style for Santhosh Narayanan number, "Vaa Rayil vida polama". Vivan Radhakrishna is the composer and this is his debut album, and he has penned the lyrics along with Preetham Tegginamane. The song begins with some delightful backing vocals, and this is also the voice of Shakthisree who has arranged the backing vocals too. Rithu Vysakh plays the solo violin in the background and we hear Siddhartha's pleasing vocals. Rithu also plays the strings, it is Goutham Hebbar playing the flute. She probably has to be one of the best vocalists who can sound so impressive in the lower scales, and when she has to up the ante and rise to the higher scales, it is done with minimum fuss. Keba Jeremiah plays the guitars and John Solomon handles all the additional programming. Abin Paul has mixed and mastered with Akhil and Sandeep as recording engineers. 13. Ee RaavumMusic - Shaan RahmanLyrics - B K HarinarayananSinger - Akbar KhanIn very quick succession Shaan Rahman has been getting into all the All India charts. This gives me great hope that Shaan is going to keep coming up with the goods. This song begins and for a consistent duration sounds like an early 2000s Bollywood song featuring Atif Aslam. Akbar Khan does probably possess the same vocal tone and texture. The Violin and guitars are fantastic and they are arranged with an exquisite touch. BK Harinarayanan is the lyricist  14. Pothe Chole Jete JeteSinger : Sahana BajpaieMusic Produced by: Samantak SinhaLanguage: Genre: Ballad, TraditionalSometimes you just have to mend your own rules if you want to believe in the ultimate goodness. I have generally always only featured and reviewed original music and not too many covers. This like "Aaya Mausam" in this week's list is not an original song but even if these are re-creations, the effort, the production and creativity need to be appreciated. Samantak Sina produces a blinder here and the sounds are just invigorating right at the start. Sahana Bajpaie rips your heart with that element of Sadness in her vocals. Shubhayu Sen Majumder plays the Esraj, mildly in some spots and takes over the solo in the interlude. Suuny Bhattacharya is the bassist, and the whole listening experience is meditative with inherent pathos. Anindit Roy does the mix and master. The song probably has Raag Khamaj influences  15. HeatPerformed by Archana GopalWritten by Archana Gopal, Evan Linsey, Kayla PichicheroGenre: Indie popLanguage: EnglishArchana Gopal talks about her Queer desire and feels that music is her avenue for expressing any feelings she might have towards this. When you get to the point where the lyrics go "Love me, Till I leave the floor behind, Ill let you" then Archan brings her Carnatic training to full use. The vocals by Archana are aided by some excellent background harmonies, Keys and clap sounds. The song is written by Archana, Evan Linsey and Kayla Pichichero with the latter two producing the number. The song ends once again on a classical note  16. Kadiyalenu Singer: Chinmayi SripadaLyrics: Jayanth KaikiniMusic: Veer SamarthChinmayi is singing more in Telugu and Kannada these days and I am glad she gets to sing some fantastic numbers this included. Veer Samarth uses heavy instrumentals and the flutes and strings all create a wonderful aura something we are used to as '90s kids. Sandeep Vasista is amazing in his Flute solos and Anup R Nair does the programming. The track is mastered by Dhanshekhar, and the lyrics are penned by Jayantha Kaikini. 

1. Lavinia Performed by Prabhtoj SinghWritten by Aman Sagar, Prabhtoj SinghLanguage EnglishGenre Indie Pop These two musicians just combine and come up with some fantastic music viz. Aman Sagar and Prabhtoh Singh. I have featured their wonderful songs "Angela" and "You belong with me" and I get thoroughly impressed with their work. We have Aman Sagar who recently won the Jio Saavan's SPOTTED contest's Hindi version. He has written, played the guitars, and synths, mixed, and produced the track. Prabhtoj Singh's vocals resemble the wonderful pop of the 1990s that is just supposed to be heard on your walkman sporting baggy Jeans. It takes us back to those good times, and he is also backed up on vocals by Aman. Danik Ghosh plays the funky bass and it is Aveleon Giles Vaz on drums. The electric Piano adds style and purpose thanks to Rythem Bansal and I can imagine playing this song or even singing it to impress my woman if only I could get that coolness quotient of Prabhtoj. I love the bridge version, accompanied by very noticeable changes to the beats on the drums and the harmonies. Prabhtoj has co-written the lyrics and he delivers the lines with incredible style, and the song is right at the top of the charts for these multiple factors  2. IntezaarPerformed by, Composer, Writer: Harshad SatheLanguage: HindiGenre: Rock Classical FusionWell, I heard this track one fine morning as I was walking and this rock-classical fusion number just made me take notice. Harshad Sathe is on fire in this number writing, composing, singing and producing it. The instrumental arrangements give a very pure rock texture. He then sings the best line of the song " Shayad na mile, tere kadmon ki nishaan", and the way he ends the line vocally is bliss. This is the part which made me bet that there is some Raag Cahrukeshi influence in the song, and later when I discussed it with Harshad, he tells me that there are also some definite influences of Bhimpalasi and Bageshri, and the fusion elements reminded me of the great Indian rock bands of the 2000s. The use of another layer of vocals kind of vocals. After we hit 3 minutes, it is all about Bhushan Chitnis the producer/guitarist who just goes berserk on the electric guitar solo 3. Mere Baare Singer - Simran RajLyrics and Composer - JaaniMusic - Hunny BunnyLanguage - PunjabiGenre - MelodyJaani has worked along with B Praak a lot in Punjabi melodies before and they always have sounded fantastic. In fact, before knowing the composer, I commented that Simran Raj has just sung it like a female version of BR Praak, and how right I was. The style of the song bears similarities to the B Praak ones we know, owing to the common composer. Jaani has also written the lyrics and it is Hunny Bunny who has produced the number. But all the lion's share of credits must go to Simran for her outstanding vocals, and it is unimaginable how she reaches for such high notes with delicate ease. The emotional outrage that Simran brings with her appropriate delivery is fantastic. This could very well be one of the best vocal performances of 2022 so far. Hunny Bunny do well on the rhythm and keyboard programming, and Arvind Khaira handles the video direction part. The track is mixed and mastered by Akash Bambar and Gurjinder Guri4. What we could bePerformed, written by Kiara ChettriProduced by Rohan SolomonLanguage - EnglishGenre - Indie PopDo I need to even write and praise this youngster? Well, it is my job, but what kind of words do I use to celebrate her vocals and writing? Maybe my recommendation and just mentioning her name are good enough. If you remember Kiara Chettri's "Why" made it to global Indie charts and that too at the very top. So I was not even a bit surprised by this delivery and her absolute dominance when she sings every note. There is not a flat or dull moment and it is like listening to that young, restless and uber-talented Avril Lavigne perform. Abhijit Sood is scintillating on drums with humongous energy exhibited, but the quality of the end product you hear is thanks to this Hulk of a producer called Rohan Solomon. I strongly urge you guys to listen to his production for other artists, as well as his self-written and composed songs. Rohan has also mixed the track with Dan Millice on mastering. Kiara goes for the kill in the end with some explosive vocals. Devangi Verma takes care of the album art.  5. Koyaliya BoleSingers: Abhay Jodhpurkar and Neha KarodeComposition and Lyrics: Neha KarodeMusic: Rupjit DasLanguage: HindiGenre: Classical-FusionNeha Karode is unstoppable as she experiments non-stop in the classical-fusion genre and we end up getting a very stylised version of a classic. She has composed and written the number and performed along with one of my favourite vocalists Abhay Jodhpurkar. Rupjit Das must be credited with all the production elements. Nantu Mukherjee plays the bass guitar and we have two flautists in Kiran Vinkar and Adwait Kashikar. Abhay's vocals are magnetic, to say the least. I thought that the song has some Raag Bhimpalasi, but Neha tells me it may have some mild similarities, although the song is inspired by Raag Malkauns. The flute segment with the drums and Keys paves the way for the classical fusion. Madhab Deka plays the keys, Shreedhara Chari is on Tabla, and Augustine Chettiar is on drums. Neha sings the second verse and she excels at her delivery moving from a normal scale to the higher end with no stress  6. Always Meant To Be Vocals - Mayank Mittal, Sana AroraProduction - Kapow!Composition, Lyrics - Pratyaksh SharmaLanguage - EnglishGenre - Alt-RockWhat a cool name for a band, right? Yepp maybe they want to hit you hard with their music and maybe their songs pack a punch. I have featured them before and this is a song I was casually listening to in the queue of a boarding line at the airport. It drew me to such an extent that I almost lost my way and forgot to proceed toward the boarding gate. Mayank Mittal, the frontman of the band and Sana Arora are the lead vocalists. Vinod Arora plays the guitars gently but it is Puru who kills you with his bass guitars. The two vocalists start singing in unison, and their textures are different making the combination devastating. Sana's solo vocals are electrifying at the lower scales and it is impossible to not close your eyes and shake your head in total submission. Prakhar Srivastava plays the drums and he dictates the setting alternating between the thumping presence and mild hi-hat sounds. The best portion is when the singers go " When we start to miss it when we look around but there's no one by our side" and here there is stronger strumming of guitars, heavier drums and higher scales explored by the vocalists making it one tasty treat. Mukul Jain does the mix and master and the beautiful artwork is by Annie Hazarika. 7. Chalo Theek HaiMusic Composer & Singer : Amaal MallikLyrics : Kaushal KishoreMusic Produced By: Vaibhav PaniAdditional Music Production: ZeekLanguage: HindiGenre: MelodyIt has been a while since I featured the elder sibling Amaal Mallik, I think it was for the album 'Saina'. This is a single composed and performed by Amaal while it is guitarist/producer Vaibhav Pani who has produced this one with additional production by Zeek. Wholesome numbers like these are the ones that salvage some Hope for Hindi music and maybe Bollywood could still see the light of day, with talent lurking around. Dilshad Khan's Sarangi starts off and synchronously plays alongside western-sounding guitars by three absolute stalwarts viz. Sanjoy Das, Roland Fernandes and Vaibhav Pani. Amaal's vocal tone comes off as a younger version of Shankar Mahadevan. After the opening lines, the rhythm and keyboard programming is spectacular along with Amaal's humming. The stanza is mellowed down after that with some enticing backing vocals arranged and performed by Suzanne D'mello. Hanish Tanejas has mixed and mastered the track, with Ansh Radia as the recording engineer. Kaushal Kishore's beautiful words stand out. 8. Crimson skiesPerformed by Aidah Asrar, The Earflower ExperimentWritten by Aidah Asrar, Astaaq AhmedProduced by Aman SaxenaLanguage: EnglishGenre: Indie Pop/balladI have heard the work of 'The Earflower Experiment' a few times and have been intrigued. This is one of Astaaq Ahmed's better projects and it gets amplified by Aidah Asrar's terrific vocals. Aidah also writes the lyrics along Astaaq and the track is produced by Aman Saxena. The guitars just lay the background work for Aidah's touching performance. This New Delhi-based one-man band goes for a very sober ballad here and Astaaq continues from where Aidah has left off vocally. The combination of the stunning guitar sounds along with multiple layers of lead and backing vocals truly feels beautiful like witnessing the crimson skies. The humming that comes in ten beginning also finds its way towards the end and this is one of the most uplifting segments of the song aided by some mild strings in the background. Dhruv Ganguly handles the artwork for the cover  9. Saang NaVocals by Mugdha KarhadeWritten and Composed by Ketan MohiteProduced by Abhijay SharmaThis Mumbai-based producer, Songwriter has been featured more than a few times on my website for some influential and calming music. Keyan Mohite has an affinity for songs that are vastly influenced by heavy instrumentals and that is one more reason I am fond of this producer's work. Ketan has composed and written this Marathi number and Abhijay Sharma comes on board to produce this. The song is performed with exquisite and pop-styled vocals by Mugdha Karhade and I am reminded of Shalmali Kholgade's beautiful album last year called 'June'. The guitars and Keyboard programming are spot-on. 10. MineWritten, Produced, and Performed by RaaginderLanguage: EnglishGenre: Indie PopIn this 7-track EP, there is some very interesting music but I found this track called "Mine" most satisfying. Raaginder Momi s a California-based producer and violinist and he brings both those facets forward in this number. Saihaj Bajwa plays the guitars and he provides the support, but the focus keeps shifting between Raaginder's vocals, those interesting percussions, the Keyboard programming and most importantly the Violin layer in the background. At the halfway mark, be stunned by the Violin Solo, and that will be constantly playing on your mind and making you want more. The track is mixed by Raaginder and mastered by Kermode.  11. Le ChalComposer, Producer, Singer: Himonshu Parikh Lyrics: Himonshu Parikh, Rajan Batra Language: HindiGenre: Alt-PopThe guy creates sounds that will just elevate your mood and spirits in no time, and he is the producer and Keyboardist for the uber-famous Punjabi Synth-Pop, Alt-rock band 'The Yellow Diary'(TYD). I love his production whether it is his single like this or for other budding singer-songwriters, and here Himonshu has sung, composed and produced. For those who loved 'Kesariya' from 'Brahmastra', I want to bring to their notice that it is Himonshu who produced the song for Pritam. TYD's frontman Rajan Batra has also worked with Himonshu and penned the lyrics. The Keys and rhythms lead into your trance and with Himonshu's charismatic vocals we just want to be carried away into a zone of bliss. Harshvardhan Gadhvi has played the guitars and the track is recorded by Samir Dharap and mixed and mastered by Sid Shirodkar. The song gets your mind travelling to places like the 1990s and early 2000s when some of the best global pop music mushroomed. 12. Scarlet SkiesLyrics and Song Composed by Swati Bhatt  Arrangement and Production by Takar Nabam  Vocals by Swati and TakarGenre: R&BLanguage: EnglishA couple of years ago I featured Swati Bhatt's song called "Reverie" and ever since I have been waiting for her next. Here it is as she combined with another consistent Indie musician who goes by the name Takar Nabam from Arunachal Pradesh. The song is right down that Rhythm & Blues zone and it is helped by Tiziano Bianchi's trumpets. Takar plays the acoustic, and bass guitars and also works on the Synths providing all the necessary instrumental support for this number that feels refreshing like a sundowner. Teji Toko plays the drums while Suyash Gabriel is on the percussion. The lyrics ask us to "slow down" and "stay still" and that is in perfect coherence with the style of the music, singing as well as arrangements. The humming and harmonies along with the guitar solo in the background are as pleasant as they come. Jake Owen has mixed the track and we have Mukul Jain and Haggai Rongmei as the recording engineers. 13. Zoobie DoobiePerformed by Little-Black-DressWritten by Amit Verma Swapnil GogoiGenre: Punk Rock Alt-RockLanguage: HindiLittle-Black-Dress is a band that has been performing for a while now and they specialise in Punk Rock and Alt-Rock. Amit Verma and Swapnil Gogoi of the band have written the song with Amit's lead vocals. It has all the elements that have to be available for the song to qualify as a rock number with adrenaline-pumping electric guitars ad drums and sensational singing. There is a moment where the song pauses, and slows down and we have an interlude dominated by a Piano solo which is more than what you can ask for. 14. Ye Zindagi Performed, written by Shivang AroraA solo effort by Shivang Arora who has written, composed and sung this soft and tender pop. I just love the Piano solo that comes in just past the 1st minute and it leaves a lasting impression on you despite being just barely present for the rest of the track. The guitar, drums and background harmonies add such beautiful layers to a simple song in structure and composition.   15. Khone DoWritten by: Kanika Patawari, Anurvi MehraProduced by: Ysoblue, Kanika PatawariLanguage: HindiGenre: Lo-fi, EDM, FusionIt sounds like one of those Lo-fi and EDM tracks but behold a Sitar playing and slowly gaining traction and decibel levels rising. This just plays out into becoming very enjoyable with programmed Sitar sounds and rhythms. Ysoblue and Kanika Patawari have done the production with the latter performing the number. Anurvi Mehra and Kanika have written the song and the mixing is by Tyler Scott and mastered by Jett Galindo. The song is a foot-tapping dance-pop number  16. Magic PotionMusic/Production - ViepsaLyrics - Viepsa Language: EnglishGenre: Indie popViepsa Arora goes solo, on this breezy number as she writes, composes, produces and performs. I felt like I was listening to a seductress using some magi potion and enticing me through her voice, like the voice of Kaa in Jungle Book. This simply is me complimenting Viepsa's emotive delivery and execution in the singing. I could hear the bass guitars and the beautiful Flute and Woodwinds in the background. The ending lines singing "Don't wanna go home" despite being repeated so often still leave you wanting for more.