Here is the list of India's best songs from across the independent and movie music space. After listening to more than 350 songs across languages and states of India. Do drop in your comments at the bottom of the article. If you are a musician submit your song on the website or DM me on Instagram. 1. MukilammathanMusic: BijibalVocals: Shahbaz Aman, Sithara KrishnakumarWritten by Bijibal, Harinarayanan B KGenre: Semi-classicalLanguage: MalayalamThe two vocalists Shahabaz Aman and Sithara Krishnakumar are among the finest and they pick only the best songs just like this one. Bijibal has composed this semi-classical melody that touches your heart with every note. There is an inherent sadness in their delivery and both Shahabaz and Sithara never lose track of the messaging and style of singing needed. Bijibal is immensely talented and consistent as a composer and he brings in all the wonderful elements of live instrumental music. Listen to the mesmerizing Veena in the interlude and this is where I felt that maybe there is a Raag Jog (Naatai in Carnatic) influence but the song probably has many other Ragas in the mix. The background strings section is so effective and it keeps you invested. The rhythms are simple but it is the vocals of Sithara and the accompaniments on Keyboards, Flute and melancholic humming that make you weep. The second interlude has the flute solo and Shahabaz continues to enthral just the way Sithara did in the first stanza. Harinarayanan BK has penned the words. 2. Sakkare PuttaMusic composer: Charan RajVocals: Meghana BhatMelody co-composer: Narayan SharmaMusic programmed by: Narayan Sharma Language: KannadaGenre: Filmy MelodyCharan Raj is an absolute genius and he will be among India's top 5 composers according to me. He gets even better when he works with this composer/producer/instrumentalist Narayan Sharma and the two have worked on the melody of this amazing song. The song immediately reminds me of Santhosh Narayanan's "Ey Sandakkara" from the movie 'Irudhi Suttru'. The strings in the background by Cochin Strings are fantastic and they too remind of the older song. The brilliant addition of the flute solo by Nikhil Ram in the background and all his interventions are the hallmarks of Charan and Narayan with the latter handling all the production. Keba Jeremiah plays that lovely acoustic guitar and there are segments where I am reminded of Santhosh's song " Vennila" from 'Vellai Yaanai' especially the interludes, the flute and the percussions. Let us not forget how brilliant Meghana Bhat is on the vocals as she keeps adding the oomph factor with huge generosity in the song. The combined effect of the flute, Keys, strings and percussions by Shruthi Raj is beyond magic. The song only keeps getting better as we hit the stanza and the melody of the song is elevated by all the multiple instruments and kudos to the arrangements and production. Venkatesh Bhat is the music supervisor and the recording engineers are Divine Joseph and Vishnuraj. The track is mixed and mastered by Sujith Sreedhar.  3. More Saiyyan JiSinger: Maninder ButtarLyrics: Jaani Music & Composer: BPraakLanguage: HindiGenre: Filmy -Folk MelodyHow many times do I have to say this? B Praak is a treasure and he is a diamond in the rough if I have to refer to music, in general, coming out of Punjab. He is not even singing in this venture and yet he just amazes me with the terrific production. The melody is not entirely new and many songs have similar notes, but it is the arrangements, and programming that magnify the goodness of this track. The Shehnai and Dhol and Dholak are a great combination making the wedding scene and setting come alive and Praak executes it perfectly. Maninder Buttar on vocals is full of life and maybe the song's style and genre don't suit B Praak as a vocalist with his heavy and high-pitched style of singing. In a way, the song does also remind me of Pritam's "Kabeera". The acoustic, bass guitars and vocal harmonies are huge factors in making the song feel fabulous. Gurjinder Guri and Akash Bambar have mixed and mastered the track. I especially love the chorus singing " tere bin mera, kaun piya re" in the second interlude. Jaani is the lyricist. 4. Trishna Antarman KiVocals and Composition: Nihira Joshi-Deshpande Lyrics: Apoorva Kulkarni Genre: Semi-classical FusionLanguage: Traditional HindiNihira Joshi-Despande is an exotic bird or a rare gemstone and although she might not be popular like some of the other modern-day female composers, she is right up there among India's finest. In-fact, if I have to rank some of them purely based on creative talent, Then Nihira will be the number 1 composer. Many months ago she released a Hindi song with a Latin Jazz twist which placed it right at the top of that week's chart. In this latest EP, I am quite confident she will set the guns blazing and the first track is a testament to that fact. Nihira's vocals are just accompanied by keys and it is set in Raag Hamsadhwani. The flute comes in when she sings "Bansuri". Carlos Cano plays multiple instruments like the flute, Vibraphone and all the percussion and he also handles all the arrangements. There is a massive intervention segment on all these instruments making it much more than a classical Hindustani-styled track. Hernán Milla González plays the Keyboards and the recording engineers are Amey Londhe and José Fernando Tercero with the former also mixing and mastering the track. Apoorva Kulkarni is the lyricist 5. Garden Variety HaterPerformed by Shalmali Kholgade, Vasundhara VeeWritten by Shalmali KholgadeProduced by Sunny M.R.Language: English Genre: Alt-popWe have already seen Shalmali's earlier single called 'Chills' from this EP and just like Nihira, Shalmali too is a prodigious talent. She is immensely underrated as a singer and composer and I am always ready to bet heavily on her. Here she performs along with another worthy compatriot in Vasundhara Vee. The two lead vocalists set the stage on fire with some amazing Tenor Saxophone , Trumpets and Trombones in the background played by Jovan Quallo, Steve Patrick and Joshua Scalf . Sunny MR is the genius at work here producing all the songs in this EP and the credits for arrangements and programming go to him. I can keep writing about the vocal performance and I can only view this as a beautiful battle between two astounding performers. 6. Phero Na NajariyaMusic by Amit Trivedi, Lyrics by Kausar MunirVocals by Sireesha BhagavatulaLanguage: HindiGenre: Retro MelodyI have been critical of Amit Trivedi over the last couple of years as he has been one composer who has fallen from grace. I remember being mindblown by albums like "Fitoor", "Dear Zindagi", "Lootera" and "Udta Punjab". His journey since 2019 has been nothing worth mentioning, so I was suspicious when I heard that Amit was the composer for this film called "Qala" based on a musician's life. To my greatest surprise, the songs in the album have been refreshing and I am glad that Amit has probably redeemed himself. The album has at least 3 amazing tracks, and to score music like the 1960s without sounding repetitive and uninspiring is one heck of a feat. This song takes me to a happy and contemplative space and Sireesha Bhagavutula is outstanding to say the least She is a vocalist who has been recently featured a lot on my weekly charts and I am elated to see her name in all the tracks of the album. The use of the Tabla, Harmonium and Sitar is exquisite and they create the aura of Retro music. As the song progresses we also hear the Sarangi in the interlude. Sireesha continues to sing with impeccable control and she never goes overboard keeping substance over style. Kausar Munir is the lyricist. 7. Aas Ka SoorajMusic - Ashu ChakrabortySinger - Javed AliLyricist: Amrendra VatsLanguage: HindiGenre: Filmy MelodyThe song has a Raag Jog influence in my opinion and the music is composed and produced by Ashu Chakraborty. He also has done all the design of rhythms and additional programming for the song. Ashu is someone who I have not reviewed or featured before and that is why it is very exciting to review his song from the movie 'Shadow Assasins'. Javed Ali is the lead vocalist with lyrics by Amendra Vats with some interesting messages. We can hear the impact of the grand orchestral music in the background, especially the strings section and it is Debasis Shome who has done all the orchestral arrangements. Sanjoy Das the exponent of guitars has also done the guitar design. Samir Dharap is the recording engineer along with Sanjit Giri and Soumen Paul. Soumen is also the mixing and mastering engineer for the track. The highlight was the introduction of the Saxophone in the interlude because not only was it a pleasant surprise, but it also was wonderfully executed and arranged. The song is very slow and melancholy-filled and Javed's singing  8. Sun Aye MiliSong Composed, Arranged and Produced: A.R. Rahman Singer: Vishal MishraLyrics: Javed AkhtarMusic Supervisor: Hiral ViradiaLanguage: HindiGenre: Filmi MelodyAR Rahman is not yet done, and if he is down, he is certainly not out yet. Ignore him at your peril, I guess. This movie is a remake of a Malayalam hit movie called 'Helen' and though the movie does not have great reviews, I liked a couple of songs, especially this one. Vishal Mishra is a composer/singer to watch out for, and If you have been following him or at least read my blog, his name would have been a regular. I am just stoked to see him performing for AR Rahman and just glad he is getting what he deserves. The strong points of the track are his vocals, the Sitar by Manisha Rai which keeps playing beautifully right through, and the vocal harmonies by El Fè Choir team. The movie is about survival instincts and ARR has gotten the right arrangements and production done to instil that feeling in us to make us experience what Mili herself is in the movie. Saar Singhal has conducted and arranged for the Sunshine Orchestra. This song could have been easily handed to Arijit Singh, but it would have sounded like 1000 other older songs, and it is only the fresh voice of Vishal that smashes this one out of the park. Dont you just love the vibrato bit "gunguna raha hmmmmm aaaa", and get up and give an ovation to Sarthak Kalyani for performing this incredible line. The rhythm programming, keyboards and the fast-paced Sitar in the background are pure gold. Sarthak is on the additional vocals and Keba Jeremiah. It has been a long time since ARR has created even a glimmer of magic like this, keep playing this on loop. The recording engineers are Suresh Permal, Karthik Sekaran, Sarthak Kalyani, Suryansh Jain, Prashanth Venkat, Nitish R Kumar, Dilshad Shabir Shaikh, Sivakumar S, Pradeep Menon, Aravind MS & Krishnan Subramanian. The track is mixed by Nitish Kumar and mastered by Suresh Permal, with iTunes mastering by Riyasdeen Riyan.  9. Mathe Mathe Muhu ModakeMusic: Arjun JanyaSinger: Vijay Prakash, Anuradha BhatLyrics: KavirajSome people don't seem to like his music, but from what I have heard over the years, I believe he has got quality and he never composes plain mundane uninspiring songs. Arjun Janya is the man being talked about here and check out this latest track sung by Vijay Prakash and Anuradha Bhat. Sound design, by Rajan, all the keyboard programming by Sharan Rao and rhythm programming by Aneesh Solomon deserve credit for their quality. David Selvam on guitars and Napier Naveen Kumar on bass are stunning. Bala plays the Nadaswaram and the song feels like an influence of Sumanesa Ranjani Ragam. The song has a good stanza as can be expected from Arjun and it gets glorified thanks to the lead vocalists. The track is mixed and mastered by David Selvam. 10. Ruk JaMusic Composed & Produced by: Salim Sulaiman Lyrics: Shradha PanditSinger: Sonu NigamMusic Co-Produced: Raj Pandit, Muheet BhartiLanguage: HindiGenre: Pop fusion The Bhoomi project continues and we have one more feather to the cap now in the 2002 collection. This one is sung by one of my Bollywood favourites of all time, Sonu Nigam and it is composed by the dynamic brother duo of Salim and Sulaiman. The Piano and keyboards for the spine of the song and we have Salim playing it and Sulaiman as always playing the Zen drum. It does remind me of the famous song "Pardesi Jaana nahin". Sonu is a master of using all his vocal strength and adding to the melody;'s beauty. It is a lesson for even other popular artists in knowing how to use ghamakas without being unimaginative and repetitive. Momin Khan Niazi plays the scintillating Sarangi in the interlude along with Darshan Doshi on drums. Salim-Sulaiman has a knack of writing musical notes with a lot of unpredictability and it happens here too in the opening parts of the stanza. The song is produced brilliantly by young talents Muheet Bharti and Raj Pandit who have been featured numerous times on this blog. Just listen to the change in style at the end of the first stanza, when the Tabla replaces drums and we have Ojas Adhiya and Naeem Sayyed playing. Muheet and Nyzel D'lima are on guitars and Jarvis Menezes is on the Keyboards along with Raj. It is always a dream to listen to Salim-Sulaiman songs especially in the Bhoomi Universe because of the immense effort and varied elements in every song. Rushad Mistry is the bassist, and all the wonderful Strings section and Brass section Orchestra is conducted and arranged by Japjisingh Valecha. This galaxy of young talent working under Salim-Sulaiamn's tutelage is the greatest gift the composers have given us. There are moments I sensed some Raag Charukeshi as well. The recording engineers are Aftab Khan, Raj and Muheet with Aftab on mixing and mastering duties and Vatsal Chevli assisting on mixing. 11. SaajanwaComposer : Abhijeet SrivastavaLyrics: Shayra ApoorvaMusic Produced by Aman Moroney, Ashish Manchanda, and Abhijeet Srivastava Vocals - Aanchal TyagiLanguage: HindiGenre: Indie popA couple of months ago visited Aman Moroney's studio, after the composer/producer invited me to have a little chat with some of his students who were learning music at The Media Tribe, an institute for music production. He played me a song that was set to release and I was blown away by the sheer magic in this woman's voice. Aanchal Tyagi was discovered after she was doing online covers of famous songs. She has now sung in a few songs with some great producers like Sashwat Sachdev and even sung in Marathi for AV Praffullachandra. This song will make you swoon and swing in joy as the melody composed by Abhijeet Shrivasta is sweeter than nectar, Aman's production is an example of turning something from 'Good' to 'Great'. The track is produced by Aman, Ashish Manchanda and Abhijeet. Just listen to Aanchal's vocals and you wonder if this is Shreya Ghoshal herself with a few years turned back. Aman plays the acoustic and electric guitars along with the Esraj as well. Ejaz Hussain plays the Sarangi. There is a strong chorus team involving Utkarsh Wankhede, Bhushan Meshram, Tejaswini Khodatkar and Gayatri Nagose and some fancy work follows after she sings "Main tumse haar gayi". This is where we hear both the Esraj and Sarangi. The stanza oozes of some rich musical quality and Abhijeet's tune is extremely catchy. Vaibhav Duratkar plays the Tabla, and all the vocal production and backgrounds are by Ghospop. The recording engineers are Jignesh Shetye, Dhaerya Malhotra, Aman and Abhijeet. The track is mixed and mastered by Ashish and Aman at Flying Carpet Productions.  12. SaavanGuitars/Composition/Production- Ritwik Shivam Vocals - Pritam Goswami AdhikaryLanguage: HindiGenre: Alt-RockIt was a few months ago in early 2022 that I featured and reviewed a song called 'Panchi' by the band Aarlon. Now they are back with an even better song that is bound to captivate you. Ritwik Shivam is the composer and producer and he also plays the guitar, the incredible vocal performance comes from Pritam Goswami Adhikary. Piyush Rana is also the guitarist and has penned the words for this track. We have the electric guitars and drums working in tandem along with the incredible delivery of Pritam, all making it one fine Rock song. Ankit Ganguly is the bassist and Prankeet Borah is the drummer. I love how the song shifts from being something on steroids to something as peaceful as the morning sun. This is one helluva song that will be most suited for lonesome listening and introspective thoughts.  13. TimeWritten and performed: Shujan De and KokoProduced by: Chirak JamioLanguage: EnglishGenre: Soul/PopThe song is titled 'Time' but the timing of its release did not matter to me. I remembered for a long time that this song moved me so much but I had completely forgotten to feature and review it back then. Thankfully I recollected it just time before 2022 ends. The song is performed by Shujan De and Koko with the immaculate production of Chirak Jamio. The strumming of the guitar breaks through like daylight at the turn of dawn and Shujan's voice reflects the vulnerability of a man in love. Until now the vocals and guitars keep you engaged, but when the brilliant strings section in the background turns up, I just succumbed and surrendered to the beauty of the song. Koko's vocals are incredibly pristine and complement Shujan's vocals. This song keeps you grounded and without realising the eyes shut down and the ears open wide to absorb the song's notes and arrangements in its entirety. I feel tears when I hear "who we are to fall in love". The track is mixed and mastered by Kevi Pucho with all the recordings happening in Element Indie Studio, Dimapur Nagaland.  14. Best BehaviorPerformed by: Meba OfiliaWritten by: Mebarisha Rynjah, Adiel MassarProduced by: adLLanguage: EnglishGenre: Soul, R&BRecently one of my favourite Indian musicians Shalmali Kholgade share a post on Meba Ofilia's album 'Untitled.SHG' and her amazing work. at about the same time I also listened to her music and it was nothing short of stunning. This brilliant hip-hop artist/songwriter hails from Shillong and she is one more source of evidence that North East India is the most talented lot in Indie music. I'll be featuring one more track called "Do you care?" next week but for now let us enjoy this, which just symbolises India's place in global music. It feels like listening to Tina Turner and my favourite line is "Still I put on my best behaviour" accompanied by the rich strings section in the background. Adiel Massar deserves all the credit for the music production, programming and arrangements involving rhythms and keyboards. There is some very interesting vocal harmonies section as well. Mebarisha Rynjah, Adiel Massar  15. Evariki VaraeMusic - Leon JamesSinger - Harish SivaramakrishnanLyrics - Ramajogayya SastryLanguage: TeluguGenre: Semi-classical fusionHere we go, and I am all praise for Leon James, as getting two songs from the same album featured is not an easy feat. Two weeks ago I wrote about "Avunanavaa" sung by Sid Sriram and composed by Leon and here is another beautiful song set in Reethigowla Ragam and sung by the great Harish Sivaramakrishnan of one of India's greatest bands Agam. The song has all the great assets of this incredible Raaga and Leon arranges and programs it with Violins, guitars and spectacular rhythms and keyboards. Ramajogayya Sastry is the lyricist and we can just fall in love with Harish's exquisite ghamakas. The Flute solo intervention and humming by Harish form a nice interlude ending with a brisk Violin solo. It becomes a worthy duel between these two instruments in the outro. 16. Kya KareinSingers: Ananya Birla & Ankur Tewari

1. DeshMusic, Lyrics: Bridge MusicVocals:Genre: Semi-classical FusionLanguage: Hindi The core team of Bridge Music is formed by Sam Alex Pasula, Sober Emmanuel, and Nehemiah Kulothungan, who are also musicians, songwriters and producers. The team has some splendid musicians as well starting with Sober on lead guitars, Vineeth Methuselah on bass guitars, Solomon Raj on drums, Stephen Netto on Keyboards, Joel Udai on electric guitars, Sathwick John on guitars, Jesh Abraham as the Flautist, Sephas Wesley as the sound engineer. The idea of Bridge Music is to identify great young musical talent and produce songs every year. This Song 'Desh' was one of 8 released in 2021 but I came across this on streaming platforms just recently. I hope to listen to the rest and cover them as well and I am sure they will be featured even if they are half as good as this. The songwriters are a big crew for this track featuring Sheldon Bangera, Hemant Sharma, Natalia Kashyap, Balaji Kumar, Stephen Netto, Aneesh Daniel, Sheenu Mariam, Solomon Raj & Rachel Meghna. There are modifications by Anand Paul, Samarth Shukla, Prakruthi Angelina, Rachel Francis & Nehemiah Kulothungan. The main vocalists are Aneesh Daniel and Prakruthi Angelina but they get some splendid support from the backing vocalists Natalia Kashyap, gang vocals by Silvanus Brightie, Jim Eliot, Rachel Diana & Vindhya Naidu. Sam on Piano and the other lead and bass guitar players keep everything neat and of supreme quality. The production is superlative and it shows when a semi-classical melody is presented with modern flavours. Sheldon plays the acoustic guitars but the electric guitars are not far behind in creating the impact. Solomon Raj is a constant source of energy on drums with Sanjeev Sanju on Indian percussions. The keyboardists are Stephen Netto and Stanley Sajeev. There is a bridge section where the two vocalists Aneesh and Prakruthi simply sizzle with a folkish touch and here I get a feeling there is a resemblance to Raag Desh. The outro is a masterpiece as well heavy on alt-rock styles, as the chorus performs aided by guitars and drums almost feeling like a song by Coldplay. I have tried my best to capture elements of the song but I probably haven't even reached the halfway mark of the song's intricate layers. Just listen and feel blessed, and embrace the quality of the music. The recording engineers are Sabi Thankachan, Stephen, John Sathwick and Ashish Joseph. Same Alex does the mixing and Alex Solano does the mastering.  2. Dil Dubda JaaveSung, Composed, Lyrics: Pallavi IshpuniyaniMusic production: Avijeet SatapathyGenre: Semi-classical FusionLanguage: TraditionalPallavi Ishpuniyani has never been featured on this website before but what a brilliant debut. She goes solo with writing, composition and vocals in this semi-classical melody but all the credit for music production will go to Avijeey Satapathy who does a fine job. The keyboard programming combines well with the rhythms. A nice piece of the Sarod gets introduced followed by the Flute solo in the interlude. The electronic pop and synth-heavy programming are a creative way to deliver a classical melody that Pallavi has composed. Praveen Muralidhar has mixed and mastered the track. Suketu Bhuva and Dhanada Phatarphod are the Label executives.3. HygienePerformed by Atharva PhadkeWritten by Atharva Praful PhadkeLanguage: EnglishGenre: Alt-RockI am thrilled to just review this song, which is one of the very best I have heard from all over India last week. It very well could have taken the No.1 spot, that's how amazing this track is. Atharva Phadke has written, composed and performed this vocally. The song starts with some sensations of guitars by Atharva and Shubham Vaidya on drums. Atharva has a great voice and he utilises to great effect. The guitars, drums, bass and Keys combine with immaculate precision and style and the song is beautifully worded as well as Atharva sings " Trust me on this topic, Profound is misery, God knows I deserve to be free". There is a mild interlude on guitars and it slowly fades into the background. This song is the epitome of the talent India can boast of musically and even dethrone global stars. Atharva excites me as a music journalist and I urge you all to keep a close eye on this lad. 4. Bheegi AnkhiyaanLyrics: Nishant Kushwaha Featuring Vocal: Krishna BonganeVocals: Ashish NaskarGenre: Semi-classical fusionLanguage: HindiThe band Yugaant puts on an insane show of talent on this track and it is always one of my favourite genres i.e. India Classical fusion. Siddharth Shenoy is the producer and he plays the Keys and sings the harmony vocals. He also handles all the programming on keyboards. Krishna Bongane is the featured lead vocalist and his brilliant aalap sounds a lot like Raag Patdeep to me. Ashish Naskar is the band's lead vocalist who also sings in this beautiful track. I could close my eyes and fly away into space listening to the opening minute of vocal brilliance. Pratyay Mishra then starts strumming the guitar and Harsh Damania is the bassist. Bhushan Chavan plays the acoustic and bass guitars and within a few seconds, we move from Indian classical to rock style. Sukhpreet Singh plays the Beatbox and Vishal Bhanushali is the drummer. From here on it is a joyful ride of mixed styles and Yugaant delivers on both fronts. Siddharth, Bhushan, HArsh and Pratyay all play backing vocalists for this. After the 4th minute, it is all about the lead and electric guitars and drums and we are in for a rock-fest. Sidharth and Ashish are the recording engineers, and the latter also does the mixing and mastering.  5 . Itne BurePerformed by Tyesha KohliWritten by Tyesha KohliProducer: Fisher ThompsonLanguage: Hindi/EnglishGenre: Indie Pop, BalladShe is a rising star, and you too will start becoming fond of this performer with every new release. Tyesha Kohli was just featured last month with a sweet track called 'Sweet Sweet Boston', but this one is superior to that one in every way possible, according to me. This is also interestingly bilingual and Indian artists need to do something like this because it could be appealing to listeners to hear both Hindi and English and could have a farther reach, and the artist too can show diverse skill and variation when they can write in more than just the 1 language. Tyesha, has written, composed and sung this but she owes Fisher Thompson for the fabulous production. Gopi Vadsak does the photography work for the song cover. The sound of the Piano is beautiful like poetry, and the transformation from English to Hindi lyrics happened so smoothly and credit to Tyesha for that. I really hope singers like herself are given a chance in the Bollywood movie space, just so that their talent is given some recognition. The guitars engage with the beautiful basslines, but nothing captures the melancholy of the track like the strings section in the background. Tyesha does exactly what the song demands in terms of her improvisation, vibrato and so on without ever overcooking the good recipe. Listen to her elongate the line beautifully "Am I wrong to pick a fight" around the 2.25-minute mark. Even the bass guitar notes modify themselves so nicely in the background and all this means that the programming and arrangements have been executed quite well. She brings out the pain in her voice and message so effectively singing " she lenge ab yeh bhi abhi, ooh ooh ooh". Once that happens the drums, Keys and guitars build up in energy to sound cathartic. 6. So long, already againMusic, Lyrics by Anoushka MaskeyProducer: Pranay BakshiLanguage: EnglishGenre: Indie Pop, BluesAnoushka Maskey is probably the first name that comes to my mind when someone asks me to name the brightest and most talented vocalist in the Indian indie space. Here is Anoushka Maskey once again proving what I believe in strongly and exhibiting her full potential in this track. Anoushka has written, composed and sung like a beautiful cadence. Pranay Bakshi, her usual accomplice in art does fantastic production along with mixing and mastering the track. The slow burn of the guitars is followed by Sahil Mathew's stunning bass guitars. After that, you cannot help but stay focused on her vocals and what she is capable of doing with that blessed voice. The travails of long-distance relationships couldn't have been better expressed than through Anoushka's vocals and words. She is a magician with impeccable and inexplicable tricks that she keeps unleashing with her vocals. The slow beat of the drums, the keys and the vocal harmonies all are engaging layers brought together by Pranay. I feel it when she sings "I'm closing my eyes, IM parting my lips", and that can be achieved only by a capable vocalist who excels in expressionism. 7. Tu ShaamilSinger - Jazim Sharma & Himani KapoorFeaturing Artist - Jazim Sharma & Tajasvi SharmaLyrics - Saaveri VermaComposer - Rimi DharMusic Producer - Sanjay JaipurwaleLanguage: HindiGenre: Filmi Melody, Light musicRimi Dhar is a respected composer and I look up to her as one of the beacons that would someday make the lives and prospects of women music composers much brighter. Jazim Sharma the vocalist, Rimi, Saaveri Verma have all been featured more than once on my weekly charts and when these masterminds combine the end result is bound to be this good. The melody is a very relatable tune but it is Sanjay Jaipurwale's production that adds a different texture and colour to the song. Jazim opens the account as the lead vocalist and we can hear accompaniments on the Keyboard. The best line is the title line where Jazim brings all of his vocal creativity, and then the electric and bass guitar interventions make you take notice. Himani Kapoor is the female lead vocalist and the two complement each other quite well. The track is mixed and mastered by Bhaskar Sarma. Partha Protim Das is the recording engineer and the moving lyrics are by Saaveri Verma. 8. WalohaWritten & Performed by Ali SaffudinRecording, Production & Mixing: Ritwik De, Amar PandeyLanguage: KashmiriGenre: Alt-Pop, Alt-RockIt starts with the effect of AR Rahman's 'Dil Se' title track, helped by strong guitars, and rhythms. Drummers Suyash Gabriel, Aman Singh Rathore and Aveleon Giles Vaz are involved and help in raising the ante of the track. In the album released by Ali Saffudin "Wolivo", this was my favourite track. The song is produced by Ritwik De and Amar Pandey who have also been recording and mixing engineers. Ali has written, composed, played the guitars and sung this gentle giant. The singing is inspirational and you can hear him putting all his effort and sounding excited and emotional like he means every word. The electric guitars are stunning, to say the least treading on the 'heavy metal' style. I can just urge you to play it in full blast and let go of your shackled emotions. The song is cathartic and will make you experience satisfaction at another level. There are layers of vocals, and the guitars keep altering their tempo. Prash Mistry is the mastering engineer. The visuals are by Yashovardhan Singh and the illustrations by Ajinkya Dekhane. 9. AasmaanWritten, composed and produced: Arunansh BhattSingers: Divyansh Sharma, Sai SilpaLanguage: HindiGenre: Indie pop, Soft balladAfter hearing some Heavy Metal, it is always perfect to calm down the nerves and cool the emotions. There cannot be a better track in this week's line-up than Arunansh Bhatt's "Aasmaan". Arunansh has composed, written and produced the slow, sentimental pop ballad and we have Divyansh Sharma and Sai Shilpa as the lead vocalists. The humming in the interlude aided by the Piano in the background is heartening, and then it is followed by the Sarangi. The opening of the stanza with the Tabla makes it delightful adding to the tranquillity. There is a tinge of Asha Bhonsle hidden in Sai Shilpa's voice, at least that is what I felt. I also did sense some Raag Bilawal in the song in segments. Arjit Agarwal does the mixing and Rima Biswas does the artwork. 10. Dil Khuda Tu Sung, Written and Composed by: Aditya KalwayMusic Produced by: Aditya Kalway and Muheet BhartiLanguage: HindiGenre: Synth-popThese young musicians are our hope, and I am putting my eggs in these baskets that will safeguard our musical future. Aditya Kalway is a brilliant, vocalist, composer and lyricist as well. He has written, composed and performed this number and this is probably the 4th single that I am featuring. Add to this we have another supreme talent in Muheet Bharti who is also a singer/ songwriter and he has joined hands with Aditya in producing this. The label is that of genius brothers Salim and Sulaiman Merchant and they never seem to stop promoting our nation's best talents. The Keyboards are like the Bazookas for this one as the song has a huge influence of synths and it works juxtaposed against Aditya's vocals. We can also hear some lofi-styled output and I love it as long as it doesn't dominate the melody. Ravi Romana has mixed and mastered the track. Aditya sings this with incredible control and do listen to his groovy ghamakas as he sings " Ab kar diya khudko, tere hawaale".   11. Find you therePerformed by Mohit MukhiWritten by Mohit MukhiProduced by Mohit Mukhi, Soutrik ChakrabortyLanguage: EnglishGenre: Indie pop, BluesI am glad I found him here. Mohit Mukhi is a debutant for me on my website featuring India's best music every week. But this feels like breathtaking baptism as I am convinced that Mohit has some amazing things to offer music lovers in 2023. He has written, produced and performed the song that feels like a slow Elton John song, and memories of "Candle in the wind" come to the fore. Mohit sings and plays the guitars, and we have Mayank Singh Rawat on drums and Smit Hajare on bass guitars. Soutrik Chakraborty has co-produced the song and he also is the mixing/mastering engineer. It is nice to hear a secondary layer of vocals and also Aditya Ahir's Keys. I love how Smit continues to impress on the basslines despite being so much lower on the spotlight and decibel levels. The lead guitar solo is free-flowing and a major highlight, combining with the female and male harmonies. Heather Andrews is the backing vocalist and the outro is a refreshing change, out of the blue as the focus is just on acoustic guitars and Keys now. Ashish Anand is the recording engineer and all the artwork is by Drishali Motwani. 12. Andhala ChandamamaveySinger: Sid SriramLyrics: RehmanMusic: Gopi SundarLanguage: TeluguGenre: Filmi MelodyAfter a super project called "Nitham Oru Vaanam" a bilingual in Tamil and Telugu, with 3 fabulous songs, Gopi shifted focus to a Telugu album and this is proof that Gopi Sundar is in no mood to stop right now. The Mohan Veena at the top starts things off and Gopi goes for glory by picking stalwarts like Sid Sriram as the lead vocalists. The sounds of the guitars, Mandolin probably (or maybe the Guitalele) are just way too cool and the arrangements deserve applause. The rhythm programming is another plus for the song, but Gopi's tremendous use of the Guitalele works wonders for me feeling like a leaf out of the US Country music book. At a time when musicians have stopped creating marvellous interludes, Gopi somehow still follows the old-school style and that is fantastic for music lovers like me.13. What worldPerformed by Thermal And A QuarterWritten by Bruce Lee Mani, Leslie Charles, Premkumar Rajeev Rajagopal, Tony Jason DasLanguage: EnglishGenre: Jazz-rockThermal And A Quarter were once rated as the best with some terrific songs back in 2020 in my weekly and monthly charts for their brilliant album "A world gone mad". Bruce Lee Mani on guitars and vocals enthrals us as Rajeev plays the drums and Leslie Charles plays the bass guitars and Tony Das is on the guitars. The most intriguing part of the song is however the Tenor Saxophone by Gautam David. He is on fire, spewing even more as the song moves forward. Closely matching him on energy and enthusiasm in the track is Rajeev's drums and percussion. Ananya Raja of the band 'Kelvikkuri' can be heard singing in the background right through. This is one song that would have brought down the roof while being played live. 14. Pehli DafaPerformed by Sunny SubramanianWritten by Alok Jha, Sunny SubramanianLanguage: HindiGenre: Semi-Classical fusionThe moment the violin solo by Manas Kumar hits you, I could sense a bit of Raag Jog, and the melody started flowing with the acoustic guitars as well. Sunny Subramanian and Alok Jha have penned the lyrics, with the former composing and performing. Just the vocals, guitars and mild percussions drive the song forward, and it magnifies into something bigger and more impactful when Manas plays the Violin. The structure and the underlying melody are simple but it is the live instruments and arrangements and production that conquer the heart 15. Lullaby for the Anxious BonesWritten & Composed by - Raman Negi Vocals: Raman NegiSong Produced by : Gaurav Chintamani & Raman NegiLanguage: HindiGenre: Alt-RockI think it is official, Raman Negi would be the single artist to have appeared in most of my weekly charts for 2022. It is not a simple feat, to be among the top 15 on more than 6-7 occasions, meaning that all these songs have beaten 400 other music releases across India in the respective weeks. Raman's songs are like beating 97% of others in terms of quality and to achieve this so many times is something I'll stand up in ovation for. The guitars, the vocals, the composition, the live instrumental arrangements and I could keep piling up on the great factors that make his songs amazing. Raman and the usual suspect Gaurav Chintamani playing the acoustic guitars, with Raman on electric guitars and Gaurav being the bassist as well. The collective symphony of all the guitars and drums is like paradise on earth and that is what I experience when I hear this music. The acoustic guitar riff keeps playing but the bass guitar adds a layer of creative beauty. Raman's vocals are unique and his style of diction and delivery always pique my interest. Shantanu Sudharshan is the drummer and he keeps at it right through. Just past the 1.20-minute mark, we hear some fantastic electric guitar notes and then it is followed by the lines "paanv tale sar ke ye zameen, dilon mein fat raha aasamaan". We have another fantastic solo by Raman on electric guitars past the 2nd minute and I can just ask music lovers to cherish and enjoy his work. I feel like a lullaby and I am put into a tranquil state when I hear Raman sing "hai bas dhuaan dhuaan". Gaurav has mixed and recorded while Chris Athens has mastered the track. The video was shot and directed by Maan Boruah. 16. Tere NishaanComposed by: Nidhi Wagle & Mihirr DWritten by: Nidhi WagleSung by: Nidhi WagleProduced by: Mihirr DLanguage: HindiGenre: Blues/ PopNidhi Wagle had requested that I listen to her new single a few months ago. I was keen, and when I listened to it, I was nothing short of blown away. The vocals are just an essential part of a song, the vehicle or medium that transmits the song to the listeners. Not just that, it is the primary source of expression in the song, sometimes even more important than the melody and the words. I have to apologise that I have delayed the review of this fabulous performance due to some oversight. Nonetheless, here is one of the best songs I have heard in recent weeks with probably one of the best vocal performances as well. The song has a tonality and tempo that reminds me of Stevie Wonder's "I just called to say I love you". Nidhi and Mihirr DD have composed the melody, and Nidhi has wr

Here is the week’s best indian songs from over 350 music releases across languages and states1. Jitthe PyaarMusic, Lyrics: Mitika Kanwar, Muheet BhartiVocals: Mitika Kanwar, Muheet BhartiMusic Produced: Muheet BhartiLanguage: PunjabiGenre: R&B, Indie popThis is one of those rare songs that blew me away the very first time. I remember sharing this with many music lovers as proof that great music still exists here and keeps getting created if you look for it in the right places. It is my honour to write a review of this song and there can be no other song that can vie for the top spot, and mind you, the list that follows has some breathtaking music as well. Muheet Bharti is a fine musician who I believe will create wonders in the future and here he and Mitika Kanwar work to write, compose and perform this single. When I had a word with her, she tells me that the idea behind this song was to create awareness that Punjabi music was much more than just promoting violence, aggression and male ego. Here is Mitika through her music and lyrics telling music lovers and people to raise their consciousness. As much as the song's underlying tune, its production is very important as well and that is where Muheet's skills make a foray. It is an unbelievable ride that you have to experience as a music lover, and Mitika's singing is nothing short of unbelievable. The vibrato and measure approach to ghamakas is just a lesson to even some distinguished singers, in being creative and not singing like a broken record. The Keys and rhythms provide some mild decoration along with the saxophone in the background. I am guessing that there is some influence of Raag Jog. I cannot begin to describe the pleasure I get when I listen to Mitika's aalap, as it feels like she is a Godsend. This could very well be 2022's best vocal performance in my opinion. Muheet does some insane arrangements and only he could have envisioned all these instruments conjoining and adding the R&B flavour. Aftab Khan deserves praise for mixing and mastering along with Vatsal Chevli as the mixing assistant. Muheet joins the party late, but he shows why he is also an essential player, and he too adds some fantastic aalap, especially towards the end. The two bring the creative freedom of Jazz and intertwine it with a classical scale. The Executive Producers are Shivansh Jindal and Radhika Mistry, and who else but Salim-Sulaiman could have promoted and presented this with their Merchant Records Label? 2. Aise KyunComposed: Anurag Saikia Lyrics: Raj Shekhar Singer: Rekha Bhardwaj, Anurag Saikia Music Produced by Oblong Sioni, Ishan DasLanguage: HindiGenre: Ghazal, PopThe top performers and talents can never be in the dark for too long, as Anurag Saikia appears on this week's charts at the number 2 spot. He has been having a busy year with movies as well as OTT content and after "Anek" this web series on Netflix 'Mismatched S2' boasted some good content and music. This is a ghazal version and who better to sing with panache and poise than Rekha Bhardwaj. Raj Shekhar writes the touching words and we have Anurag also playing a vocalist here. The song is produced by Guitarist Ishan Das and Oblong Sioni. You feel the love and warm embrace when you hear Rekha's voice and the Keys in the background keep the mild pathos and longing alive. Gauranga Sekhar and Arabinda Neog have done all the additional programming. Ishan Das and Abhinav Bora are the guitarists and you can hear the Sitar played by Bhagirath Bhatt. She shows us what shes made of with those delicate twists and ghamaks like in the line "sab kuch kah kar hee sab ko bataana jaruri hai kya". Bhaskar Jyoti Kalita and Kiran Vinkar play the Woodwinds in the interlude aided by some well-arranged vocal harmonies as well, the backing vocalists being Gauranga Shekhar, Bishal Sharma, Arabinda Neog, Pratikhyaa Sharma, Dipakshi Kalita and Kavya-Kriti. The impact of the Tabla by Sanjiv Sen and the bass guitars is unbelievable and there is no match to the unison of these two. Sanjiv Sen goes creative and does a very basic but enticing play on the Tabla when the stanza ends. The second interlude is a very classical intervention on the Sitar and it is just heartwarming. Nijei Nijok and Alok Punjani are the recording engineers, and the track is mixed and mastered by Pankaj Borah with Pranjal Borah as the mix assistant. I hear a mix of influences like Raag Khamaj, Raag Bilawal and Raag Yaman in various segments.3. Then ThulliMusic: Kailas Lyrics: B.K Harinarayanan Singers: K.K Nishad, Sruthy Sivadas Music Production: Ebin Pallichan & KailasKailas Memon has had a very successful 2022 and I have featured all the 3 songs of the recent "Vaashi" composed by him. This is one more splendid melody composed by Kailas and produced by Ebin Pallichan and Kailas. I love that Kailas always goes all out in his instrumentals and the huge array of live instrumentalists is a huge blessing for the song. Bonny Abraham plays the Oud, Saaz that add a middle eastern flavour while Anurag Rajeev Nayan plays the Ukulele and Mandolin. KK NIshad is someone I am hearing for the first time and I am quite impressed with his voice. The background layers of the Ukulele and Mandolin are fascinating in the Anu Pallavi. Sruthy Sivadas is the female lead vocalist and she compliments the male vocals perfectly, and all this sounds amazing with Josy John on bass guitars in the background layer. Roopa Revathi joins the parade with her solo Violin and the full impact of the strings section is felt when Sruthy sings the Anupallavi in a higher pitch. The Cochin Strings comprising Josekutty, Francis Xavier, Carol, Herald, Danny, Francis, Jain M.P, Mariyadas and Sekar on Cello are a grand presence. The interlude is a cadence of all these amazing instruments beginning with the Saaz and then the Violin. Aravindh S Krishna plays the Darbuka and all the brilliant rhythm programming is by Aswin Sivadas. Sujith Hydher, Midhun V Dev, John Glady, Amal Mithu and Priyamali are the recording engineers, and we have Midhun doing the mixing and Balu Thankachen on mastering. 4. Aankehin JudiSinger - Papon & Monali Thakur Composer - Rahul Ram, Amit Kilam, Himanshu Joshi, Nikhil RaoLyrics - Varun Grover Language: HindiGenre: Indie PopIndian Ocean the mercurial band of the 1990s has been scoring music for some amazing movies in the 2000s, like 'Peepli Live', 'Masaan', 'Gulaal' and now they have scored for 'Chakki'. I loved two songs one being "Aankhein Judi" and the other being "Kyun". The song starts with a wonderful whistle by Rahul Ram and then some solid strumming on the guitars and bass by Nikhil Rao and Rahul Ram respectively. Then Papon takes over and does what he does best serenade! Amit Kilam can be heard playing the percussion and drums and it is now Monika Thakur's turn to become the lead vocalist. A renowned member of 'The Revisit Project', Abhay Sharma plays the Saxophone in the interlude in a scintillating style and the stanza gets better with Monika singing in the lower pitch and a simultaneous higher octave layer in the background with the lines " Tu chand, Tu Katori ". My favourite line is the one that follows going "Tu hai dason dishaen, Tu dard tu dava hai" giving so much meaning and also a tinge of sadness thanks to a possible Raag Charukesi influence. Varun Grover does a fine job with the lyrics. Mukul Jain is the recording engineer, and we have Shantanu Hudlikar on mixing and Amit Kilam on mastering. 5. AvunanavaaMusic Composed, Arranged & Produced - Leon James Singer - Sid Sriram Lyrics - Ramajogayya Sastry Language: TeluguGenre: MelodyLeon James has been riding a very tangible wave of appreciation and success in Kollywood but it is nice to see him score some good music in Tollywood as well. He ropes in the most famous vocalist in South India, and Sid Sriram does what is expected of him bringing all the elements of love to the forefront. A chorus team is a group of well-established playback singers like Sinduri Vishal, Maalavika Sundar, Sushmita Narasimhan and Triya Sushma. The sound of the Ghatam goes quite well with Keba Jeremiah's acoustic and bass guitars, and it is thanks to Leon's rhythm production. The title line is the highlight of the song as Sid brings in more variations, but it sounds even better with Vishnu Vijay's flute solo playing the same notes. Keerthana Vaidhyanthan sings the solo vocal in certain segments. Leon James as a producer/composer depends heavily on the Piano and here too we can hear all the accompaniment, especially in the stanza. The closing lines of the stanza with the string Piano chords as Sid slowly raises the pitch of delivery is fantastic to hear. Sayee Rakhsith stuns with his Solo on the Violin in the second interlude, and the flute notes we heard are now sung by the chorus. David Joseph plays the additional drums and we have Avinash Satish as the vocal producer, Lijesh Kumar as the recording engineer, and Rupendar Venkatesh on mixing and mastering. 6. Nilaathumbi Nee Music Composed and Arranged by JAKES BEJOY Singer: VIJAY YESUDAS Lyrics: JOE PAUL Music Producers: JAKES BEJOY, EBIN PALLICHANLanguage: MalayalamGenre: MelodyJakes Bejoy is in the thick of things and is one of the few music composers in the land who is exemplary and shows the younger lot how one can be good and consistent and never compromise on quality. Jakes has composed, arranged, programmed and co-produced the song, with Ebin Pallichan involved in the production. The initial humming and guitars by Godfrey Immanuel and Sumesh Parameshwar create that feeling of love, and romance and Vijay Yesudas stamps his authority with than unmistakable voice. Joe Paul writes the lyrics and all the lovely arrangements are thanks to the session prepared by Daniel Joseph Antony with Maneeth Manoj assisting. Vijay's voice reminds us of his father's magnificent vocal presence. During the Anupallavi we do hear some mild Lo-fi influences and it is Midhun Anand who has done the mixing. The Anupallavi which comes after the title is the best of the song with Vijay exploring the higher pitch and a strings section in the background. Josy Alappuzha plays the flute solo in the interlude along with Keys and strings in the background. The way Vijay sings in the lower vocal pitch sounds incredible and shows his wide range. The strong presence of Synths and Keyboard programming is very effective in the song. Daniel Joseph Antony and Jisto George are recording engineers. 7. Mazha PattuLyrics: Anwar AliSinger: Govind Vasantha, Anne Amie  Mixed and Mastered: Amith Bal Language: MalayalamGenre: MelodyThe genius and mastery of Govind Vasantha are on full display here and he moves you into a state of amazement with the sounds, melody and lead vocals. Anne Amie is one of my favourite vocalists in India, and she can sing better than anyone else in the lower pitch, Govind picks her for this song as the perfect fit. We have Keba Jeremiah on guitars and Naveen Kumar as the bassist. Govind has composed, arranged and even sung and he probably is the composer with the most delectable voice. The male chorus is very effective and continues to keep us hooked along with the guitars and bass. The highlight is the Keyboard chords, sounding like Woodwinds, that follow and the notes just haunt you. Somehow I feel that there is an influence of Raag Keeravani. The Piano that follows in the interlude has a very strong similarity with the Piano notes that we have heard in AR Rahman's "Vennilave Vennilave". Anne Amie will make you feel heavy in the heart as she sings in the heart, and the stanza is filled with such quality and Govind shows such vulnerability as he sings "Dhoore Dhoore". The track is mixed and mastered by Amith Bal.  8. Aane Se PehleSinger/Composer - Ami Mishra Lyrics - Kunaal Vermaa Music Producer and Guitars - Vaibhav Pani Language: HindiGenre: Indie PopAmi Mishra is someone I am hearing for the first time, but when I read about him I realised he has composed a couple of songs in Bollywood for famous albums like 'Hamari Adhoori Kahani' and 'Half Girlfriend'. He is no novice and you can make up your mind on that when you hear him singing like an absolute pro. He has composed the tune as well but a huge upliftment comes Vaibhav Pani's production. The sounds of the song are exquisite thanks to the programming and arrangements and he also plays the guitars. The best line is when he sings Kunaal Vermaa's amazing lines " Main main nahi tha, tere aane se pehle" followed by a mild vibrato and a superb humming. Samrat Awasthi does the backing vocals and the track is mixed and mastered by Pankaj Borah. Vaibhav does a fantastic solo intervention on guitars, and we also have a good bridge section. 9. Is Shheher MeinSinger & Composer: Yashita Sharma Lyrics: Yashita Sharma Music Producer: Bhushan ChitnisLanguage: HindiGenre: Alt-popI love the fact that singers just don't wait for the final call from composers to perform in a movie, but write, compose, perform and produce based on their ability and network in the music circle. Yashita Sharma has sung in '2 States' and 'Dil Dhadakne Do' but she is also an indie artist. I have featured a couple of times for songs like 'Mila Yun', and this one is another feather to her cap. The song is written, composed and performed by Yashita but produced by the famous Guitarist/Producer Bhushan Chitnius. The song belongs to the Alt-pop and Alt-Rock genre and the live instrumentalists play a vital role. Amit Gadgil is the bassist, and he also plays the synth bass, with Bhushan on guitars. Archit Shah plays the Keys while Chinmay Roy is the drummer. The pop era of the 2000s is rekindled and Yashita uses her voice to great effect to give that impression of freedom, confidence and heightened spirits. Bhaskar Sarma has mixed and mastered the track with Bhushan handling all the arrangements. Past the 2.30 minute-mark we have a bridge section with some good humming and strong guitars. Partho Pritam Das is the recording engineer, and amidst all the accompaniments, Yashita smartly uses a segment to just silence the instruments and does some improvised singing 10. Water-loo Song Credits: Lyrics/Composition/vocals/rhythm guitars- Gurpreet Gulati (Joerocks) Music Producer: Vaibhav Ahuja and JoerocksLAnguage: EnglishGenre: Alt-rockThe song is a fantastic take on a bad unfortunate event, and how one can put a positive spin on it. Here the protagonist Gurpreet Gulati drops his phone in the Loo, and then when sees the Waterloo station in UK, he finds it to be a weird coincidence. The song is almost like a full-on solo project with Gurpreet a.k.a Joerocks writing, singing, composing, playing the rhythm guitars and co-producing it. The guitars, drums and Horns section in the background are just an impounding presence. Shailendra Wakhlu plays the lead as well as additional rhythm guitars, and let us forget the constant bass guitar support by Sajal Sharma making it ooze with funk. Vaibha Ahuja who works on all the Raman Negi compositions has played the thumping drums, he has also mixed the track, with Parth as the mastering engineer. All the cover art is by Simi Gulati. The supporting vocals we hear in the background is by Mandhir Sikander. I really look forward to the rest of the songs by this Delhi-based singer-songwriter in his upcoming EP. This is a simple song in terms of composition and structure, but the live instruments and arrangements truly more than compensate. 11. Yaar Zaahir Singers: Ustad Rashid Khan & Palak Muchhal Music: Sandesh ShandilyaMusic producer: Himonshu Parikh Language: HindiGenre: MelodyI had to rub my eyes and see it a few times to see who the composer was because right from the moment it started I assumed it was an AR Rahman score. The sounds and the opening humming with the keyboard programming were just like a leaf out of the genius' book. It felt like "Tere Bina " or "Ae Hairathe", and this meant to be a huge compliment to the composer Sandesh Shandilya. Palak Munchhal does a brilliant job of singing her lines and I am entirely consumed in the saccharine vocals. Ustad Rashid Khan is perfect in his role as the male vocalist and the strings in the background are the master stroke. Sandesh has arranged the vocal harmonies as well as the strings. Let us clap for Himonshu Parikh who has produced and programmed and been the man behind the wonderful sounds we hear. The stanza is rich as well and Rashid Khan keeps getting better and to some extent supported by Yash Mishra and Himonshu on backing vocals. Irshad Kamil writes the beautiful and touching words "Mein dhundu tere chehare ko baadal mein sada" and we have Shomu Seal as the guitarist in the track. The track is mixed and mastered by Bhaskar Sarma and we have Mandar Wadkar, Ameer Shaikh, Ranjit Prasad and Nitin Kayarkar. 12. Nee Chaaredu KalleVocals: Armaan Malik & Sanjana KalmanjeMusic: Sagar MahathiLyrics: Krishna KanthLanguage: TeluguGenre: MelodyThis is a musician who has been handed over some envious pedigree. The composer is Sagar Mahathi who is the son of composer Mani Sharma and he has composed, arranged and programmed this song. The vocalists are the dashing Armaan Malik who has now made a name for himself in Tollywood and the female lead is singer Sanjana Kalmanje who just got married to Sagar. The singing has some support in the form of guitars, synths and backup vocals. My favourite line is the title line and it is followed by the guitar and Tabla combination. Then you will get stunned by the Flute solo in the interlude, and the stanza has Sanjana mesmerising in full flow. The song is just full of goodness and positive energy and I cannot stop playing this on loop. It also cements the fact that Armaan Malik is probably one of India's topmost playback singers. 13. ChillsSongwriter(s) - Shalmali Kholgade Music Producer - Sunny M.R. Vocals - Shalmali Kholgade Music Arrangement – ZIA & Sunny M.R. She is undoubtedly one of India's supreme singers and composers. Shalmali Kholgade is the one name I will root for when it comes to searching for India's finest female music composer and someone who can topple any male domination in the industry. Just check out her Marathi album 'June' and her previous indie EP "2X Side A". Now it is time for '2X Side B' and it is damn good. Other than 'Chills' I also love 'Garden Variety Hater'. Shalmali excels at the writing, composing and singing parts and she gets some spectacular creativity. It is not her vocals but the superimposing vocals in the background thanks to singers like Hricha Narayana, Sianna Gomes and Harjot Kaur. Sunny MR is a master when it comes to producing, arranging and programming and he gives us a blinder here. Zafar Ansari a.k.a. ZIA and Sunny do the arrangements and it is Zafar on Keys, Synths and the Vocoder. Roland Fernandes is the bassist but a huge part of the domination comes from ZIA with the Synths and Vocoder sounds. Sunny mixes and Colin Leonard has mastered the track with Ritvik Shah as the recording engineer. The song is so catchy that we could forget to pay attention to Shalmali's brilliant vocals and improvisations. 14. Urimeytee MeghaleyMusic: Mark K Robin Vocals: Harini Ivaturi Lyrics: Krishna MadineniThe movie 'Ghost' has some good music score by Mark K Robin and this one caught my attention the most. Harini Ivaturi is the lead singer and the song is a very pleasant melody, the semi-classical tune is aided by some creative rock and synth-heavy pop style texture. The backing vocals help and add weight especially when the notes shift higher in pitch. The strong presence of drums, electric guitars and strings makes for some excellent listening. The best line is "Nuuve Kadha, Emai na", and towards the end we have a Flute solo to help us through the outro and this is where I felt a sense of Raag Hamsadhwani. The humming by Harini and the bass guitars is a solid end to the track. Krishna Madineni is the lyricist. 15. Salooq Singer - B Praak Lyrics & Composer - Jaani Music - B Praak Arranged and programmed By Gaurav Dev, Kartik DevLanguage: PunjabiGenre: Semi-classical MelodyAfter 'Sab Kuch' this song had io be featured in the album "Moh". The combination of Jaani an

Here are the best Indian songs of the week 20th November 2022, picked from over 350 song releases across the nation1. Maanegi Kis TarahComposed and Sung: Aasa Singh Lyrics: Aasa Singh, Rishikesh PathakMusic produced: RAWNAKAdditional Production: Aasa Singh Language: HindiGenre: Jazz/Pop Here is the best song of the week it was a song shared by the producer with me to see what my feedback was. I had no words and my only way of responding was to tell RAWNAK that it is good enough to be among the best songs in the country. Aasa Singh has composed, written and sung this gentle, and tender melody. The melody is catchy and Aasa makes it even better with his voice which has a tinge of an Arijit-impression, but is likeable for sure. Aasa has never been featured by me before and I am glad he is discovered now, as he also does backing vocals and mixes and masters the track as well, an all-rounder for sure. The layer of backing vocals doing the humming is great but the most impressive is the genius ID Rao's Saxohone that hits you in the interlude. The arrangements are made such that you hear the sound of the sax, like waves in an ocean, coming at you one after the other relentlessly. Aasa sings in falsetto so beautifully at the beginning of the stanza and you have to love the style and delivery here. The way Aasa experiments and improvises with his vocals is delightful and the outro is just the saxophone and drums in full and free flow. The production by RAWNAK stands out when you hear all the elements together.   @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; border:none;}p {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Times; mso-fareast-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; border:none;}.MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} 2. VeadhanePerformed by Srinisha JayaseelanWritten by Rambabu GosalaProduced by Bekkem Venu GopalSrinisha Jayaseelan is a noteworthy performer who has this larger-than-life attitude in her vocals and there is not a genre or style she cannot adapt to. Here she goes all out in Opera style singing. The Piano and the Strings section along with the vocal harmonies create an unforgettable impact. Bekkem Venu Gopal has produced the number with lyrics by Rambabu Gosala. The end of the opening lines brings about some rock flavour with the heavy drums and electric guitar. Listen to Srinisha's singing and how aggressive her delivery sounds and that is she is so skilled as a singer. The moment the stanza starts, she uses a voice laden with sadness to sing, and that is aided by the solo Violin. Srinisha also employs some very mild yet tangible vibrato. @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; border:none;}p {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Times; mso-fareast-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; border:none;}.MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} 3. Oceans Written, Composed & Performed by Hanita BhambriProduced: Raag SethiLanguage: EnglishGenre: Indie pop, soft balladThese guys at Compass Box Studios are like an ocean of music, unassailable, vast and deep. If it was Gouri & Aksha with Chirag Todi last week on 'Paper Boats', it is Hanita Bambhri 'Oceans' that Raag Sethi produces and his gang play instruments for this week. Hanita has been around for a while now and I have featured her before but this is probably one of her best yet, as much as her composition and vocals play a role, the production, arrangements and execution of love instruments bear importance and relevance too. Raag plays the guitars and Harmish Joshi is on the clarinet. Hanita's singing is spotless and she sings like a Goddess on a mission who will turn anything into ambrosia. I listen to this line "When you kiss my lips, do you feel the oceans of emotion?", and I could sense the feeling, and that painting become real in front of my eyes was only possible because of the solid writing and even better singing. The moment the line " Do you miss me when I'm gone" ends Harmish is at his sizzling best playing the Clarinet there. The track is mixed and mastered by Protyay Chakroborty and he also lends his voice for the backing vocals. Gopi Vadsak handles the beautiful artwork @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; border:none;}p {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Times; mso-fareast-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; border:none;}.MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} 4. The search Produced by RIATSU (Shadaab Kadri)Lyrics/Composition/Vocals by Shilpa AnanthLanguage: EnglishGenre: Synth-popShilpa Ananth is one remarkable artist who I shall blindly trust to make stunning music every time she releases one. I have already featured her two times for songs "fear" and "i dwell" and this time 'the search' (pun intended) for great music ends. She combines all strengths and knowledge of music styles into one and blending things this well is no mean task. The track is produced by RIATSU with mixing by Ishan Naik and mastered by Jett Galindo. The production is ethereal with keyboard programming given some strings in the background and then a repetitive riff that sounds other-worldly. The writing is quite good as well talking about the way power can corrupt a human being and this dilemma and the state of the mind Shilpa is in, is brought out wonderfully through the contemplative voice and eerie background sound and tone. "what will I do in search of power, who will I turn into when it's over?", she asks and the influence of classical Carnatic aalap is visible in many places. Vocal harmonies arranged in the background also work like magic and add to the mystery. @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; border:none;}p {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Times; mso-fareast-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; border:none;}.MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;}   5. Find love Written, composed and sung by Abji GeorgeProduction by Ashish Kujur - Gray Spark Studio, PuneLanguage: EnglishGenre: Indie PopThis guy seems to be a regular performer and most of the time it is him singing a Michael Jackson number. I am more interested in writing about this beautiful pop melody written, composed and performed by Pune-based singer-songwriter Abji George. Ajay Majethia is stunning on his guitars, like the hero's closest friend on screen. The romanticizing of the sing happens predominantly happens thanks to the acoustic guitars. Ajay also mixes the song and Nitin M Krishna does the mastering at Gray Spark Studio. The artwork is by Shruti Purkar and lyrical video is by Jhanvi Ambasta. The strumming and the tone of the song remind me of "More than words" by the band 'Extreme'. The singing, the chords on the keyboard, and the backup vocals are all coming together so beautifully and it fills the heart with joy listening to them together as well as if you focused on them individually. The acoustic guitar plays second fiddle sometimes to the lead guitars and the combination sounds flawless. The electric guitar is heard playing some fantastic notes in the background and try and listen to that to experience some more musical bliss. The change of the vocal pitch happens without any hiccups and then we have a guitar solo in the end like icing on the cake. @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; border:none;}p {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Times; mso-fareast-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; border:none;}.MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} 6. Karumban Inningu VarumoMusic Composed, Arranged and Produced by: M. JayachandranLyrics: Rafeeq AhammedVocals: Narayani Gopan, Nikhil RajLanguage: MalayalamGenre: MelodyEnjoy this energetic number from Kerala composed by one of Mollywood's stalwarts M Jayachandran. he has composed, arranged and produced this song that is bound to get you all pumped up also because of the way Narayani Gopan sings. Rafeeq Ahammed pens the lyrics and Nikhil Raj is the lead male vocalist. It starts off like a pop number thanks to the Keys and western percussions and even the harmonies. Then the brilliance lies in how it shifts to a rural Malayalam folk number thanks to the change of the percussions, and Nikhil's singing. The male chorus team has Arun Gopan, Nikhil Raj, Unni Elayaraja and the female team has Narayani Gopan, Poornasree Haridas, Anna Baby, Neethu Naduvathettu. Kamalakar and Durga Prasad are the flautists with the Mohana Veena and Veena played by Bhavani Prasad. Mithun Maaliyekkal plays the Keys and with Kalyan on rhythm Alap Raju plays the additional instruments. The strings section is obviously enhanced thanks to Cochin Strings' members Francis Xavier, Francis T S, Carol George, Herald and Josekutty. Unni Elayaraja plays the Violin Solo and also conducts the musical session. The interludes are rich and it is where Jayachandran stamps his authority. The recording engineers are Akshay Kakkoth, Sai Prakash, Emin, Mithun Manoj and Avinash Satheesh and the Orchestra Coordinators are KD Vincent and Dawn Vincent. The track is mixed and mastered by Harishankar V. The vocals by both the leads deliver all the right flavours of the land Kerala. @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; border:none;}p {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Times; mso-fareast-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; border:none;}.MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} 7. Talli Singers: Bann Chakraborty and Sunidhi ChauhanMusic Composer: Bann Chakraborty Language: HindiGenre: Dance-popThe movie did not make any impression on viewers when it was released on Netflix, but 'Plan A Plan B' has 3 fantastic songs, 2 of which are composed by Bann Chakraborty who was part of the New Delhi rock band 'Orange Street'. I loved both his scores for "Talli" and "Keh do ke" by Bann. The first song is a lovely dance Jazz number and the Horns section is huge plus for the song. Ramon Ibrahim plays the Trombone and he also arranged and programs the Horns section. Rhys Sebastian Dsouza plays the Tenor Sax. I have not heard Bann sing before but he makes singing sound easy and against a celebrated vocalist like Sunidhi Chauhan, he stands his ground quite well. Saibal Basu's guitars drive the song into that peppy mode and other than that the keyboard programming contributed heavily as well and I am assuming it all comes together thanks to Abhijit Nalani's production. Ginny Diwan is the lyricist and she gives as much meaning and energy as the drums and instruments in the song. It reminds me of "Papa Kehte Hain" purely because of the tone. Hanish Taneja mixes and masters the track. The song has a few lines which get repeated, so the trick lies in singing the lines differently every time and Sunidhi smashes this bit. The other song is a slow number that is perfect for some ballroom slow dancing. We have Vivek Hariharan and indie singer-songwriter Maalavika Manoj as lead vocalists, Neil Mukherjee playing the guitars and the song is produced by Aditya Pushkarna. Vivek is a wonderful singer and I have come to hear him so much thanks to composer Anurag Saikia. Maalavika just eases through with her vocals and it makes me glad to hear artists make the crossover into mainstream Bollywood music, just because it gives them more visibility. The song has a very European flavour maybe thanks to the sounds of Accordion that I presume to hear in the background. I loved the outro with the Violins and both lead vocalists singing the lines innovatively. @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; border:none;}p {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Times; mso-fareast-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; border:none;}.MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} 8. Sob Loke KoyMusic & Lyrics: Alo The BandProducer: Akash AgarwalaLanguage: BanglaGenre: Rock, Folk fusionThe song is part of the new album called "Baulana" by the popular Kolkatta band 'Alo', and I just loved this song the most. There are 5 songs, which are refurbished gems from Bangla folk and the band just gives a brilliant spin to the originals. Syamantak Sengupta is the front-man on vocals and guitars, Sarthak Paul on drums, Arko Roy on guitars, Bubla on bass, Jaydeep Ghosh on Keyboards, Debasmita Sengupta on backing vocals, Bipra Bala on the Flute. The vocals are phenomenal giving a Baul tone to the song, and the guitars and Sitar decorate the song and there are some fragments of Raag Shanmukapriya that I sense. In the stanza it is all about Syamantak's deeply involved and emotional delivery that stuns me. The second interlude is a bea

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This is the week's best of Indian music across languages and states, covering more than 350 song releases from movie albums and the independent space @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:1; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Helvetica Neue"; panose-1:2 0 5 3 0 0 0 2 0 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; border:none;}p.Default, li.Default, div.Default {mso-style-name:Default; mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-parent:""; margin-top:8.0pt; margin-right:0in; margin-bottom:0in; margin-left:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; line-height:120%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Helvetica Neue"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; color:black; border:none; mso-style-textoutline-type:none; mso-style-textoutline-outlinestyle-dpiwidth:0pt; mso-style-textoutline-outlinestyle-linecap:flat; mso-style-textoutline-outlinestyle-join:bevel; mso-style-textoutline-outlinestyle-pctmiterlimit:0%; mso-style-textoutline-outlinestyle-dash:solid; mso-style-textoutline-outlinestyle-align:center; mso-style-textoutline-outlinestyle-compound:simple;}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; border:none;}.MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} 1. Maaripoye - Jakes Bejoy Music Composed and Arranged by JAKES BEJOY Singer: KARTHI Lyrics: KRISHNA CHAITANYA  Language: Telugu Genre: Synth-pop/ Dance-pop   I, some time ago mentioned that I am happy that Jakes Bejoy is making in-roads into other music industries like Tollywood and he is getting better with every album. This one is a Tamil and Telugu bilingual movie and I had already featured one song in Tamil a few weeks ago. This one is a very upbeat number produced by Jakes Bejoy and Praveen Ninan with Jakes composing and arranging as well. There will be memories of Ilaiyaraja's movie album 'Anjali' with the kids chorus and disco/pop similarities. The kids singing are Kichan, Nandu and Idazhika. The male adult voice belongs to Karthi and the song had many elements which work right like the funky groovy bits, and the programming and production are of supreme quality. Sumesh Parameshwar is just spot on with his guitars, and to add more to the song we have a rap segment as well with Travis A King singing the rap verses in the interlude. The 90's synth-pop is an enjoyable experience and it is Daniel Joseph Antony(assisted by Maneeth Manoj) who prepares and arranges the session. Sumesh's bass guitars provide that oomph at every instance and then obviously Jakes' keyboard and rhythm programming. The track is mixed by Balu Thankachan, with assistance from Hariharan and Paul Daniel. John Gethin masters the track along with Daniel, Midhun Manoj and KK Senthil Prasad as recording engineers.        2. Tafriyan Music: Sameer Uddin Lyrics: Shellee Singers: Neha Bhasin, Devenderpal Singh Language: Hindi Genre: Lullaby, Soft Melody I never knew or tracked Neha Bhasin when she was part of this all-women band called 'Viva', but in her recent avatar as a solo performer in the indie space, I have enjoyed her music. This is a score by her spouse, composer Sameer Uddin for the Netflix movie 'Jogi', with lyrics by Shellee. Natasha Pinto is the champion of the song driving it forward with her gentle and tender Keys. The harmonies in A Capella style are beautifully executed and arranged with Abhishek Nailwal on backing vocals. Jitender Thakur plays the Violins and Viola, giving it a European or Sicilian flavour. Devendrapal Singh is fantastic as the male lead vocalist giving out the wonderful emotions of this love track and you are sometimes torn between choosing the lead vocals, or the harmonies or the amazing instrumentals. Meir Shitrit plays the Bouzooki and the track has Chris Athens on mastering and Tanishk Lalla as the recording engineer. The song is a masterclass on arrangements of vocals and live instruments. Rashi Bagai is the Executive Producer.         3. Oh Darling Performed by Priyanka Nath Written by Jonathan Edward, Priyanka Nath Language: English Genre: Alt-Rock  Priyanka Nath was very impressive the last time she had a single, and I have been waiting for her next. It is a delight that the latest one is even better in my opinion compared to her previous single "Run". She has composed, written and performed the number that has excellent lead and, backing vocals. The interlude has a nice section on the electric guitar, and when combined with the drums we have a very enjoyable alt-rock number. Just before the bridge section, there is another longer intervention on the electric guitars, giving a lot of weight to the quality of the number. The bridge section takes things into a calmer zone, but the drums perfectly up the ante as we approach the end. Jonathan Edward produces this number.      4. Antaragini  Vocals: Aman Raj Music: The Lost Symbols Language: Hindi Genre: Rock   Their brand of music is just consistently inspiring, as I don't think I have ever featured any other Indian band so many times on my weekly charts. Their album 'Gharq' has had at-least 4 different singles that have made it to the top 10 songs in India during various weeks. Songs like "Khwaab", "Riha", "Surkh" and "Nindiya Re", are reflective of great Indian Rock music and "Antaragni" is one more that breathes fire. Aman Raj is the lead vocalist, with Gunjan Soral on lead guitars and backing vocals. There is also Jubin Choudhary on guitars and Rahul Sharma on bass with Arun Singh Naruka on the drums. The song is supposed to refer to our inner fire and desire and when you hear this number you can feel that sense of desire and passion even without a single word uttered. Kudos to the composition and instrumentals for making that possible. Just let the opening guitar notes flow into your head and you will be drawn immediately. From there on it is Aman's vocals that raise the energy levels. Not for a single moment, the guitars play second fiddle, and the same goes for the drums which just keep the energy pumped on. Just past the mid-way-mark, we have a guitar and strings-based duel and union leading up to the bridge section. The feeling is transcendental in the bridge section with the vocals and electric guitars. Gunjan and Arun make merry in the minute-long outro section.      5. Khan Market gang  Production by Moses Koul Composed, Written : Kraken Genre: Jazz-Rock, Hip-hop Language: English By the title, we know that this is a New Delhi band, and I have never known about them before this single. This band was formed back in 2015, and in this return avatar they have released an entire EP with some very good numbers that don't generally conform to a style. This particular single is as good as an instrumental piece and I loved the guitars and rhythms particularly. Koul plays the guitars and reminds me of Durwin Dsouza's sensational "Ever Young". Suyash Gabriel is brilliant on drums, Vipul Verma is cool and stylish with his vocals. The bassist os Divij Kapoor and Reuben Das does the Keyboard programming. The song is everything you can wish for when you want to just let go of your emotions and break free. The track is mixed by Krishna Rao and Donal Whelan masters it. The artwork is by Hideo Diakoku     6. Paper Boats Composition: Chirag Todi, Gouri Ranjit, Aksha Kini Lyrics: Gouri Ranjit, Aksha Kini Producer: Raag Sethi Language: English Genre: Indie Pop, R&B I have been waiting eagerly for Raag Sethi and Chirag Todi and the usual suspects who work at Compass Box Studios. Here they are but they have raised the bar with two phenomenal singers who go together as 'Gouri & Aksha'. I have featured Gouri Ranjit Aksha Kini in a few reviews of mine and they are nothing short of fabulous. This moving R&B number has the heavy upright bass right at the beginning and it is Chirag Todi on guitars and Raag playing the bass guitars along with his arrangements and production. Harmish Joshi plays the Woodwinds ever so mildly, and there is so much happening in the background with Protyay Chakraborty teasing you with the strings section. Chirag reminds you of some Santana sizzles as he plays the guitars taking us into the world of Latin Jazz. There is also that extended freedom of creativity displayed by the instrumentalists, heartening to see. Gouri and Aksha perform on different pitches and still display such splendid harmony and union. when they sing together. The delightful drums are by SHivang Kapadia who knows exactly how to make his presence felt without drawing too much attention. Drona Acharya mixes and masters while Tushar Kejriwal does the artwork.      7. Tu Hi Nahi  Composition/Lyrics/Vocals by Piyush Bhisekar Language: Hindi Genre: Ballad The union of the pleasant guitar strings being plucked along with the haunting female humming is magical right at the start. Piyush Bhisekar plays the acoustic guitar and he has gone solo in composing, writing and performing this number. Piyush's vocals are soft, but the emotions that come out show vulnerability with that tender shake that he exhibits. Srinibas Misra plays the bass guitar and you can all along hear the backing vocals performed by Shubha Mukherjee. Those amazing lines "Saath chalna tha, par tu hi nahi" show pain and longing vocally and lyrically. As the song moves along Shubha not just hums and she starts singing the lines and enters the fabulous string section. Piyush and Shardul Bapat compose the strings section with arrangements by Shardul. The performers on the strings are Shardul, Arnav Lalsare and Kartik Tarte. Just when you thought this is a fabulous number, it gets even better with the heart-warming Santoor played by Ninad Daithankar. I listened to this song and fell in love with life itself and music as its greatest bounty. Robin plays the electric guitar and Piyush plays the percussions. The track is mastered by Ronak Runwal, and Malay Vadalkar mixes and does the recording.    8. Ghar Jaane De Vocals, Additional Composition and L

This is the week's best of Indian music across languages and states, covering more than 350 song releases from movie albums and the independent space1. Alle  Music: Ramesh Narayan Vocals: Haricharan Lyrics: Beeyar Prasad Language: Malayalam Genre: Melody Maybe this genius of a composer is like one of those Carnivores that only hunt when hungry. I mean Ramesh Narayan is a fantastic composer who is an expert in the field of Indian Classical music and when he scores in Malayalam movies, it becomes something to celebrate and treasure, if only he would give us that pleasure with more frequent projects. This week itself, we have two songs from the album 'Bermuda' with this Haricharan song topping India's charts. Some enticing notes get played on the acoustic guitars by Sanu PS and then Haricharan makes the grand entrance on vocals. He does possess one of the most likable, gifted and technically correct vocals in the Indian music space and it comes on full display here. You just have to nod your head in approval when he asks " Sugam alle" meaning "Yes everything is fine when we hear his voice". The string section is an important part of the sound that we hear in the song and it is by the Inspired Symphony Orchestra in Budapest. These segments in the opening lines remind me of the arrangements and grandeur of "Oh Butterfly" by Ilaiyaraja. We also now hear some strong bass guitar strumming by Brandon Trent, and woodwinds in the background and it is the same Orchestra responsible for the latter. The stanza is a way both these masters Haricharan and Ramesh showcase their skills with Hari showing his vocal range and Malayalam diction, and Ramesh enabling a wonderful tune with even better arrangements especially the strings in the background. The interjection of strings, woodwinds and Keys just takes the song into a different orbit altogether and there are immense contributions from Ajith A George on sound design and Music Programmer Sheron Roy Gomez. The sound engineers are Romy, Vybav, Bharath Arjunan and Pranay with Sujith Sreedhar on mixing and mastering. The second interlude feels like a separate chapter in a symphony and things start off from where they left at the end of the first stanza. Haricharan sounds even freer and tries to improvise with mild vibrato, compared to the first stanza.   2. Madhura Jeeva Ragam  Music: Alphons Joseph Lyrics: Joe Paul  Singer: Mridula Varrier Music Programming: Aby Tom Cyriac  Language: Malayalam Genre: Melody People I knew loved the movie 'Sundari Gardens', and it has Aparna Balamurali who not only has show potential as an actress but also a singer. This beautiful number is composed by Alphons Joseph and sung by Mridula Varrier, with lyrics by Joe Paul. Nikhil Ram plays the flute and the keys are played by Aby Tom Cyriac who handles the programming, mixing and mastering. Mridula's honey-soaked vocals take away all the pains and burdens of life as she sings with impeccable ease and when you wait a bit to hear the title line you are lifted into the heavens. Anu Thomas backs up as vocalist in the harmonies and the whole song feels like a walk in the Japanese Tea Gardens thanks to the tonality of the instruments and production. Nithin Sabu Johnson is the sound engineer with Anandu Pai, Amal S Varghese, Sreehari Raveendran and Feiga Meiphullung Gangmei assisting. The stanza has Mridula reaching into the higher scales and when you hear the strings, flute and rhythm programming and arrangements it is pure delight and shows why Mollywood music space is making the rest of the country feel left out, especially a deficit-stricken world of Bollywood. The outro segment with all the programming, vocals and flute brings a smile to your face.  3. Wajah  Singer: Pawandeep Rajan & Arunita Kanjilal  Music: Ashish Kulkarni  Lyrics: Rahul Kale  I have known Ashish Kulkarni since 2020 and I have been featuring his singles much before he shot to fame in Indian Idol, and it is not only his singing but his composition abilities as well. It is nice to see him provide an opportunity to two other co-contestants at the Indian Idol in Pawandeep Rajan & Arunita Kanjilal for the vocal leads in this number. It is Madhab Deka that shines in the beginning with the grand arrangements of Strings and rhythms and as the lead singers perform the closing stages of the opening lines sound as good as Ajay-Atul's "Yad lagla". It is just before the interlude that we hear Arunita sing a beautiful portion that sounds and feels like Raag Bilawal. The interlude has layers of Violins and Keys accompanying which give a very sober and "pathos" setting to the song. The composition is not straightforward at all, and one can hear all the unpredictable notes in the stanza which is why Ashish can pat himself on the back for trusting himself and not compromising with a mediocre and run-of-the-mill tune. The track needs a lot of effort in mixing and mastering the various segments and layers and this is where Rupjit Das comes into play. The recording engineers are Mrinal Das, Rahul Dayal and Pankaj Kaushik.   4. Pukaare  Composed and sung by: Madhubanti Bagchi Lyricist: Ginny Diwan  Music produced by: Siddharth Amit Bhavsar  Language: Hindi Genre: Indie-pop It is not the first time I am hearing and featuring Madhubanti Bagchi, and after almost a year she is back in my weekly India charts with a stunning indie pop number. It is also interesting to observe a sensational lyricist in Ginny Diwan who Madhubanti herself nicely addresses as her favourite bardess. The song has a very 1990s tonality to it like something that would emerge in a song from Sting. The guitars are resplendent and who else but Ritaprabha Ray and Ishan Das can come up with such sexy strumming? Madhu's tone is a mix of a sweet and a slightly coarse voice which makes the lower-scale notes that much better to listen to, and has this Shilpa Rao texture overall. Siddharth Amit Bhavsar plays no mean role in this song as he is the producer and if you listen to the song's sound it has some excellent rhythm and keyboard programming. I love how the decibel levels and arrangements drop at the beginning of the stanza, when all focus needs to be on the melody and the sharp and emotional delivery of the lines by Madhu. The stanza feels fresh and it has some excellent chords that remind you of the style adopted by Salim-Sulaiman for their scores. Oh and I love the way the stanza ends and the chords progress into the opening lines. Pankaj Borah has mixed and mastered the track at the Pavel Areen Studio. The introduction of the humming at the end is a nice addition to the guitars and rhythms.    5. Kelu Nee Composed and produced by: Narayan Sharma  Singer: Narayan Sharma  Lyrics by: Nagarjun Sharma Language: Kannada Genre: Melody, Semi-classical fusion Some of these musicians are really having a ball and I love it when the same album has a couple or more songs of superior quality. This movie "Nodi Swamy Ivanu Irode Heege", has 2 songs in the week's charts just like the Malayalam movie "Bermuda". Narayan Sharma has been a regular on my page and that is no surprise because he is one of the brightest musicians India has. He is a singer, Violinist and composer as well and he brings in all these facets to the forefront. The song is performed, composed and produced by Narayan with Palee Francis (from WCMT)and Narayan coming together and doing the programming. The initial Ukulele as well as guitars are played by WCMT's Achyuth Jaigopal who also does the music supervision for the track. Observe the bass lines gradually gain ground as the song progresses. I was stunned when the Violin intervenes and it is such a classical interjection into the scheme of things making the song precious within the first 1 minute. After this you will be surprised to hear the title line in a pop style with fast-paced guitars, that is some skilful composition. Narayan excels in delivering the song as he shows his wide vocal range as well. There is a jugalbandi with the Violin notes just following and playing catchup with the vocals. The outro has even better arrangements thanks to the vocal harmonies and catchy rhythms. The track is mixed by Palee Francis and mastered by Vivek Thomas. Nagarjun Sharma is the lyricist.   6. Taxi Driver Vocals, Lyrics, Composition: Prerona Producer: Zuboski  Language: English Genre: Alt-pop When Prerona reached out to me asking if I could listen to a new song, I began to without any expectations. Man, Did I get bamboozled by his vocals and the production. This is steamy thanks to the vocal texture and Prerona does a fine job in delivering the vocals with that uber-cool attitude. Just listen to him express  with a sensational set of lungs in the line "Right into the water, sick". Watch out for that drop in drop in pitch for the word 'sick'. I must appreciate the brilliant lines written by Prerona, and these are signs of a star in the making. Amidst the ordinary poetry I come across daily, he stands tall. Check out this line both lyrically and musically and it wants me to keep playing it on a loop, "So play your nightly hymns, I need a religion tonight". The acoustic and bass guitars are just fabulous layers but Zuboski kills it every second with his production. The keyboards and electric guitars come and play a mild interlude near the 3rd minute and then we have Prerona's vocals along with Anubis on backing vocals all through. Art-work is by Soham Joshi and Yaamini. The mixing is done by Zuboski who has also co-composed the track, and mastering is done at Gray Spark Audio.     7. Sab Kuchh Singer - B Praak  Lyrics & Composer - Jaani  Music - B Praak  Language: Punjabi Genre: Melody People who read my page know that I have always been a huge fan of B.Praak as a singer and producer. The fits time as a music reviewer I came across Jaani and B.Praak as composer-producer-lyricist was back in 2019 when I heard the amazing album of "Sufna". This time "Moh" is another testament to the great work these guys are doing in the field of Music in the Punjabi space. I will be doing an EP review of "Moh" pretty soon as I love 3 songs at least in it. This song is B.Praak's fantastic vocals being displayed and there is non like him to emotionally deliver a song. The flute by Paras Nath and the synth and keyboard programming by Gaurav Dev & Kartik Dev is mindblowing. We can also hear some strings in the background and it is this keen sense of arrangement that elevates the quality of the song. There is never a wrong foot kept in the song as every element like the Keys, rhythms and harmonies works so brilliantly to take the listener into an alternative space of tranquillity. The track is mixed and mastered by Gurjinder Guri and Akash Bambar.  8. Hona Mere  Composer & Singer - Dhvani Bhanushali  Music Producer – Abhijit Vaghani  Lyrics - Rashmi Virag  Language: Hindi Genre: Ballad Combinations work, and one can remember the last time when Dhvani Bhansuhali and Abhijit Vaghani worked together to give us that smashing number called "Radha". I sometimes get a little critical when singers pick bad songs to be a part of, like when Dhvani sings songs like "Candy" for Yuvan, and I feel even stronger about it when I hear some fantastic numbers like 'Hona Mere' coming from her own repertoire. Shomu Seal plays the guitars and we also have a layer of electric guitar mildly playing in the background. The strumming sets a very mysterious tone and Dhvani's vocals carry that extra bit of sadness meant in the song's messaging. This is a song on the protagonist thinking about her lover who she is separated from, so all these elements aptly create the scene. I am astounded by her vocal abilities and check out what she does when the line goes" Meri taraf mudh bhi ja", and the vibrato and attitude she brings forward with her voice is spectacular. Abhijit gets all the elements right, with the introduction of the Violins in the background, as nothing speaks pathos like that instrument. Abhijit's programming on keyboards and rhythms is perfect and he chooses moments of pause quite effectively. The track is mixed and mastered by Aftab Khan with Vatsal Chevli as the mixing assistant. The endearing and emotional lyrics are written by Rashmi Virag and the words convey the deep longing as much as the tune, singing and production. 9. Belakali  Music Composed, Arranged and Programmed by: Joe Costa Lyrics: Ramenahalli Jagannatha  Singer: Joe Costa  Language: Kannada Genre: Semi-classical Melody We have a massive list of regional songs this week, especially from the south, and this Kannada number is another semi-classical-sounding melody it is, even more, special because it comes from a composer I have not featured before today. Joe has composed, programmed, arranged and even performed the number with the lyrics penned by Ramenahalli Jagannatha. The song is from the Kannada movie 'Hondisi Bareyiri' and it has some stalwarts working as instrumentalists like Narayan Sharma on the Violin, Bhutto on Flute, and Varun Murali on guitars. The flute in the intro is pleasant and invokes feelings of divinity and I probably sensed some Ragam Kalyani (Yaman in Hindustani). It is accompanied by acoustic and bass guitars and Joe has a voice that suits the semi-classical style quite well. Narayan who already has his own composition in this week plays the stunning Violin solo in the interlude. Joe and Jathin Dharshan who have worked on the programming get the Keys and rhythm programming well executed. The second interlude is pure class with the flute in multiple layers and the Tabla by Venugopala Raju. Warren D Costa plays the additional guitars and the chorus we hear is from Manasa Holla and team. Abin Paul does the mixing and mastering. Towards the end of the second stanza there is a segment with the chorus, and the heart just swells in joy hearing this beautiful segment.  10. Shomudrer Dheu Music Director and Creative Producer: Neet Dutt  vocals: Durnibar Saha, Somlata Acharyya Chowdhury

This is the week's best of Indian music across languages and states, covering more than 350 song releases from movie albums and the independent space1. PariComposer: Gaurav ChatterjiLyrics: Hussain HaidryVocals: Neeti MohanMusic Production: Gaurav Chatterji, Ashish ZachariahLanguage: HindiGenre: MelodyCameos are never to be underrated. They are solid performances that turn around the outcome of an event single-handedly despite never getting the original shining limelight. Gaurav Chatterji to me is one of those unsung heroes who keep playing memorable cameos in Bollywood, and I sincerely hope he gets opportunities elsewhere in India where music composers are worshipped and celebrated. I did feature him in movies like 'Ginny Weds Sunny' where all the media focussed on 3 mediocre songs, but his two songs were fabulous. Even in a movie on Amazon Prime last year called "Jalsa" which was appreciated for the acting performances his music deserved more attention. Now in an Anurag Kashyap direction starring Tapsee Pannu, one can understand why this amazing song got hidden in the rubble of reviews, praise and criticism. The moment I heard this, I knew it was of supreme quality good enough to bag the number 1 spot in India. It starts like a run-of-the-mill number, but once you hit the 45-second mark and Neeti Mohan launches off into orbit with "Zidd hai meri". The guitars are fabulous to even say the least thanks to some phenomenal talents like Hrishi Giridhar and Ashish Zachariah with the former on acoustic and electric guitars, and the latter on nylon and acoustic guitars. The Ronroco is an instrument that looks like a guitar, but to me, it sounded like a Sarod and Tapas Roy enchants you with it in the interlude. The stanza is mesmerising and every cell in your body feels the magic of great music thanks to some amazing strings in the background. The strings are recorded by Roni Seiler and right through we have bass guitars played by Sajal Sharma. I have closed my eyes and nodded with every note and it is all because of the fantastic composition and arrangements by Gaurav. Can you imagine despite Neeti Mohan's steamy vocals, especially when she lands the low-scale notes in the stanza, the mind and ears still focus on all the live instruments around? This is because of the quality of the song, something that an AR Rahman or Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy would be proud of. Gaurav uses the keys in the second interlude predominantly and the bass guitars too come to be noticed more in the stanzas. Gaurav also performs as a backing vocalist in the song. The track is mixed by Alok Punjani, and mastered by Donal Whelan, with Jose Das as the studio assistant. @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Helvetica Neue"; panose-1:2 0 5 3 0 0 0 2 0 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-452984065 1342208475 16 0 1 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; border:none;}p {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Times; mso-fareast-font-family:"Helvetica Neue"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; border:none;}.MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} 2. Straight out the mud Performed by Ruby VelleWritten by Ruby Velle, Rune WestbergProduced by Rune Westberg, Ruby VelleLanguage: EnglishGenre: Jazz/BluesThis Canadian/American musician establishes her Indian roots with a very deeply religious and more accurately philosophical single. I couldn't think of anything positive when I heard the title, but when I read the message I was pleasantly taken aback. Based on Buddhist teachings the message is clear " The mud is needed for the lotus to grow". I m never a guy who pays too much focus on the lyrics, but this is gold. Ruby Velle & The Soulphonics keep performing together in the US as a band that was formed by Ruby, but this is her solo effort as she writes, produces and performs along with Grammy winner Rune Westberg. The guitars and the Jazzy soulful vocals of Ruby keep me glued, reminding me of greats like Tina Turner. The gospel-like harmonies work terrifically in the background, and when you hear them along with the Horns section, you feel inspired and satisfied listening to this beauty. Vocally, this is a supreme performance by Ruby and I have never heard such strong vocals other than Samantha Noella and Vivienne Pocha, up until now. @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Helvetica Neue"; panose-1:2 0 5 3 0 0 0 2 0 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-452984065 1342208475 16 0 1 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin

1. FishMusic & Performance: Rum and MonkeysLanguage: EnglishGenre: RockThe great music from the Northeast never ceases to amaze me. At the number 1 spot, this week have a young band from Shillong called 'Rum and Monkeys' and I very much enjoyed their new album 'Tales of a Tasteless Kid'. The Shillong-based band has five, fine members, Meban Atom Marbaniang on vocals and rhythm guitar, Anon Cheran Momin on keyboards and synth, Shantre Mandy Lamare on bass guitar, Daniel Dian Kharumnuid on lead guitar and Vivian Kharumnuid playing the drums. I fell in love with the song "Fish" and felt "Blind" was another sensational number. The immediate impact on Synths and Keyboards hits you hard thanks to Anon and you start imagining that you are in the middle of a Coldplay concert. Meban has this voice that ticks all boxes for a rock band frontman, as shifts scale with great ease and has a fine falsetto mode too. Daniel comes on board to sizzle from time to time on the electric guitar and is accompanied by Shantre on bass. Vivian's drums are vibrant, and the best part is after the 3rd-minute when the guitars and drums pause and get smashing when Meban sings " Last fish is in the pool, but I'd rather swim with you" and he gives a sick evil laugh. "Thought I had the upper hand, but you played me like a fool" are great lines with a typical rock howl at the end. Get some face-melting electric guitar solo towards the end and the vocals and drums follow, but it's a finale on Synths, guitars and drums to revitalize you for the whole day. I'll be doing an EP review soon. But do listen to this slightly more fun and punk-rock-styled "Blind". Two things truly stand out for me from this band 1. Funky synths and 2. lyrics that make you smile and think. "They say the beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, but what if I am blind?". Wow, you judge for yourself. @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:"?? ??"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"?? ??"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}p {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Times; mso-fareast-font-family:"?? ??"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"?? ??"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:"?? ??"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"?? ??"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}p {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Times; mso-fareast-font-family:"?? ??"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"?? ??"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;}   2. Gulebakavali Singer: Chinmayi Sripada Music: Chirrantan Bhatt Lyrics: Ramajogayya SastryLanguage: TeluguGenre: Dance A lot of period films depicting great kings get released these days, and music in terms of the background score becomes an essential part to drive the sentiment and portrayal forward. The songs are much less important because I think it is difficult to depict the timeline through modern instruments. 'Bimbisara' is one such example, where I feel the songs don't particularly feel like belonging to 5th century BCE. One can argue that since the movie is about the king time-travelling to modern-day India, the songs need not sound historic. Getting back to the songs I loved " Gulebakavali" and "Eeswarude'. Both these were composed by Chirantann Bhatt who I have featured before for a fantastic song called " Ankhein Mili" from the movie 'Sanak'. Chinmayi sings it like a breeze and I am so glad because more often than not she is handed out serious songs that traverse in the 'pathos' zone. This is supposed to be an item number and wow, you feel the pulsating energy thanks to the tune, rhythms, live instruments and vocals. Ramajogayya Sastry is the lyricist. The best line is the one that goes "dhimi tha dhimi dhhim tara" with lead and backing vocals aiding the delivery. One can hear the strong presence of synths and keyboards. The song also feels like "Chikkini Chameli" but that can only be a compliment because it was composed by Ajay-Atul. In fact, the ghamaka that Chinmayi does right at the end also feels like Shreya's delivery in the Ajay-Atul number. The rhythms and horns section also makes it one flamboyant number that feels like a massive endless party. "Eeshwarude" is another fantastic song and CHirantann brings in composer-vocalist Kaala Bhairava to lend his voice. Shreemani is the lyricist and the tracks are mixed and mastered by Vinod Verma and G Jeevan Babu. The grand orchestral sounds come to life and with a team of backing vocalists, we get terrific harmonies. I do sense some influence of Raag Malkauns(Hindolam in Carnatic). The strings and percussions are magnificent and I hope this album gets Chirantann the much-deserved attention down South. @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:"?? ??"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"?? ??"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}p {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Times; mso-fareast-font-family:"?? ??"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"?? ??"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:"?? ??"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"?? ??"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}p {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Times; mso-fareast-font-family:"?? ??"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"?? ??"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} 3. Mohabbat ZindagiMusic: Mikey McClearyLyrics: Ankur TewariVocals: Lucky AliLanguage: HindiGenre: Indie PopI never thought about it that way, but I read that the song translates into "Life is love". I too, like this song's message, am a person who loves to celebrate the smaller moments in life but there is nothing small about this song. Just get up clap your hands and dance and listen to this belter of a song and start celebrating your existence from this moment on. Lucky's voice still sounds the same as it was 25 years ago and it feels like time has stood still. The combination of Lucky Ali and Mikey McCleary is really shaping up to be something ominous and I have featured the duo before with their single "Intezaar" back in April 2022. The Choir team sounds amazing and they are like a secondary soul to this song, the team has Alisha Pais, Ella Castellino Atai, Mimosa Almeida Pinto, Raynah Braganza, Marie Paul and Karen Rebecca Dsouza. The guitars and rhythms play second fiddle to some fantastic lead and support vocals. I just love the lines where Lucky pauses and sings " Suno,ooo oo ooo, ye pyaar sa silsila", and then when he finishes "jo khoya hua" followed by beautiful harmonies arranged and sung by the Choir team. Mikey is brilliant in this number and this feel-good song just sticks to your head for a long time.  @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:"?? ??"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"?? ??"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}p {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Times; mso-fareast-font-family:"?? ??"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"?? ??"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} 4. Nammalani UndiMusic, lyrics - Kalyan NayakVocals: Haricharan, Ramya Behra, Kalyan NayakLanguage: Telugu

This is the week's 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 350 tracks released in the week ending 24th April 2022, I have rated and reviewed the 16 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. 1. Swimming They are like the pride of women indie musicians in India and their singing and compositions represent the best of talents we have in this country today. If only Indians who think it is pretty cool to listen to a Ellie Goulding and Selena Gomez just took a few minutes of their lives every day to listen to songs like this!!! Kamakshi Khanna and Sanjeeta Bhattacharya are A-listers and they have been obviously featured on my playlists and reviews numerous times, not because they are popular, but they ooze quality. The duo write, compose and perform together with production by Kamakshi. Kamakshi starts off the vocals with her delectable and soft tones and you fall in love with the song, and just then to make matters worse for your vulnerability Sanjeeta broaches on stage with her Opera-like thrust in her voice. Kamakshi herself plays the Piano that you hear along driving the songs sober and lullaby-like undertone, and she also plays the live Ukulele in the track. Listen to her trembling voice as she singing “against the flowâ€? and you hear notes of the song flowing like the water itself. Ajay Jayanthi kills you with his solo violin playing mildly, almost as if he is putting his fiddle up and when Kamakshi sings “can somebody help me up. Ajay also handles the live strings in the song. This is a well-written song about the female bonding and friendship which gets drowned like needle in a haystack among all the love songs. I love the thump in the drums produced by Karun Karunapilly, and something I felt and noticed was how Kamakshi’s voice sounds vulnerable calling for help, and the assertive Sanjeeta comes to the rescue as her friend and all this gets expressed through the vocals. Adil Kurwa was just here on my list last week with the band ‘The Colour Compoundâ€? is at his best on the bass guitars and Apur Isaac plays the tender acoustic guitar. Behold the moment when Sanjeeta sings “She knows, the tide is lowâ€?, but I felt like I was downing in a high tide of musical goodness. The closing stages are a treat with the vocals, harmonies, strings and drums all in unison. The wonderful mixing for the track is done by Ashyar Balsara. The video is directed by Parizad, with Tithi Rohilla as the AD and Abhinandan Sharma as the DOP, Sonal Garg as HMU. Ashna Katoch does the beautiful choreography with Tanya Suri and Ashna as dancers. Aanchal Rai is the stylist, with Pritiza as the photographer and Akshiena Khanna as the art work specialist. 2. Theher I was so impressed with Gaurav Chatterji for his 2 songs in ‘Ginny weds Sunny’ but unfortunately some of the other songs which were far inferior in quality and pure remixes got more attention. If you haven’t kindly listen to “Phoonk Phoonkâ€? and “Rubaruâ€? from the album. He is now rising with every new composition and “Theherâ€? is the perfect example of his prowess. Shilpa Rao is the perfect vocalist for this endearing yet mysterious number that is rich in emotions and quality. The use of the orchestra and especially components of the strings section really kept me hooked and obsessed and kudos to Gaurav for the score and production. The 3 instruments that stand out are the Violin and Viola played by Jitendra Hansraj Javda, and the Cello played by Leo Olavio Velho. The words and the musical tone and arrangements are apt, as she sings “ Theher, Saas le zindagiâ€?, and the pause is used to fill the void with the flurry of Violin and Viola. The Budapest Art Orchestra deserves applause for this symphonic exhibition with Peter Pejtsik as the conductor, David Lukacs as the Protols engineer, Gabor Buczko as the recording engineer and Miklos Lukacs as the Session Producer. Alok Punjabi does a fabulous job mixing for this track, as it so difficult to get the sounds and amplitudes right amidst all the instruments. Donal Whelan has mastered the track. Jose Das has assisted on the mixing and Sandeep Gaur writes the meaningful lyrics. The outro on guitars and Violin and Viola is stunning and makes you wish it never ended. 3. Njan Aara Avial the Indian alternative rock band can never be forgotten and despite the many changes that have transpired in terms of band members, thankfully their brand of music hasn’t gone through any decay. In the last released album, there are 8 tracks and I found this to be the absolute best. “Who am Iâ€? is the existential question that this song is trying to ask and Tony John's captivating vocals draw you into the number. Rex Vijayan, a composer I have really fancied thanks to some of his scores and production capabilities plays the lead guitar and bassist Binny Isaac and accompanies him. In-fact Rex slays rather than plays, and that would be an appropriate description of his prowess. The lead and bass guitars are so stunning that after the initial vocal segments, it feels like an instrumental on a standalone bassis. Mithun Puthanveetil blasts away on drums as Tony reaches for the high scales singing the title lines, and his precision in the emotion and delivery is befitting the lyrics. There is some synth related sounds as well and that too is by Rex. The harmonies towards the end are well arranged and provide a breather from the other wise hard rock content 4. Moonrain I over the last couple of years have really taken a liking to fusion, especially the Indian classical/ Rock fusion and Param the band falls right smack in the center of this genre. They call themselves a Hindustani Progressive Rock Act and Moonrain is a perfect depiction of that. It starts off with a disco-like duel with Shreyas Urs on lead guitars and Sanketh Kumar on bass. Vijay Hegde then begins his very classical Hindustani delivery and it apparently an extraction of Raag Bhoop which is known as Mohanam in Carnatic music. The percussions are a mix of both Indian and western worlds with Mayur GS on drums and Vishal Kalbad on Tabla. Vijay is simply excellent with every aalap he delivers and nothing seems overdone or forced. The interlude progresses in the disco style but the bass guitar solo is invigorating, just after the completion of the lead guitar bit. Vishal does some magic with his fingers on the Tabla at break-neck speed and the last minute feels like one scintillating ride on the roller-coaster with guitars and drums taking us in to the heart of rock genre. I am eagerly awaiting their next as this one truly won my heart and the whole song is like a fantasy like wondering how it would feel and seem to have rain on the moon. 5. Zameen We complain and crib about the life in a concrete jungle, but its all haphazard like an incoherent though. Listen to sing splendid number that combines the lyrical mastery of Psya and singing and composition of Dhi Harmony. The guitars are splendid and they are not just sidekicks, but equal heroes for the output of this track. Pratyay Mishra handles the guitar arrangements and Anand Masrani can be heard sizzling away on the bass guitars. Shanaia Puskar Shrotri and Prarthana Wagh hit a nice emotional nerve on the harmonies and we get some good accompaniment on the drums thanks to Baajewala’s recording and Aditya Ranga’s Rhythm arrangements. After the 2.30-minute mark we get a full blast rock genre energy and this shift is delightful and inspirational. Dhi is trained in folk and Indian classical music and that shows in his vocal delivery and understanding of music is reflected in the arrangements. Hersh Desai does the mix and master with Sarthak Ray as the recording engineer. And when all the storm perishes, the guitars followed by Dhi a.k.a. Tanmoy’s vocals is pure gold. 6. 'Naina' It Is some inspiring and tantalizing music and an even better story of a Gaurav Rudra who was determine to write, sing and record this despite some great hindrances to his physical being. I heard it from the horse’s mouth and I got a sense of the man's passion. Just listen to this song and that will do enough to please your heart as Gaurav writes and performs and Pallav Jyoti Mahanta plays the guitars and Keys. You might hear fragments of “Iktaraâ€? by Amit Trivedi at least I heard some notes where the scale resembled and I presume there could be an influence of Raag Khamaj. The guitars are like the driving force behind the song whether acoustic in the foreground or electric guitars in the background. “Tu Roothe aaâ€? and the notes here and that follow also remind me of RD Barman’s “Ek ladki ko dekhaâ€?. Amazer Sanger plays the bass guitars and Abhay Dohar is on the drums. The track is mixed by Arpan Jain, with Abhay, and Kartik Ganotra mastering. We can also hear maybe a Ukulele or pluck in the background to soften the emotions up but the moment that truly stuns you is the electric guitar solo in the interlude past the 2nd minute. It is in the stanza that Gaurav explores and exhibits a lot of his vocal range. Vadik Sehra does the lyrical video and Abhay Kalia handles the artwork. 7. 'O Manuja' He has been away for a bit and I really did miss Prashant Pillai’s scores, and finally he is back and that too for a movie that looks exciting just form the title and poster featuring Soubin Shahir. Prashant arranges and has programmed for the track as well. The clear front runner for claps and ovation is Sithara Krishnakumar the vocalist as she sings it in a fashion and tone you wouldn’t have heard or expected from her. I hear a strong sense of Raag Abheri but the background instrumentals are mind-blowing thanks to Prashant and the additional programmers in Sreerag Saji and Rakesh. The way she sings at the low vocal scales is astounding and creates mystery and a sense of a scare, and maybe that is intended. The electric guitar riff is good as it keeps coming about and the track is supremely mixed and mastered by Vivek Thomas, with Rahul Narayan as the recording engineer. Santhosh Varma is the lyricist. 8. Saamna I don't know if I have this before in my reviews, but Vayu is one of the best composers/producers around and just like he is named he breathes air and life into a song. Here he is writing, composing and producing, with Stav Beger co-composing for the track. AKASA who has worked with Vayu before once again performs with gusto and rock-solid delivery here. The song apparently deals with the trauma of separation from a loved one and meeting the person again. The rhythm programming is top-notch and the entire tone of the song is one that oozes of superior production values. What follows here around the 1.20-minute mark is truly stunning. It sounds like a stringed instrument but this programed sound with rhythms in the background is captivating and lets you lose control, and all you want to do is groove and dance. Stav does the programming for the track. You can hear some excellent flute sounds also intervening in the stanza. As a music lover, all I want is a brief episode of magic in every song and Vayu does that for me along with Stav here. Strangely enough, I felt that the tune had a mild influence on Raag Bhimpalasi and Vayu believes it could just have been unintended. 9. Chirakaarnnu Palavazhaiye How do they just keep producing melodies aty this incredible frequency, I am talking about the Mollywood music industry collectively. This one is composed by Rahul SUbramanianan and sung with that coarse husky tone by Narayani Gopan. The two instrumentalists who immensely impress in the opening stages are bassist Anuraag Rajeev Nayan who is killing it in the background and he also plays the guitars for this one. The other one is a composer I like Sachin Balu who plays the Veena, and wait for the interlude bit, to his proficiency. Arun Alat writes the lyrics and Rahul’s arrangements and programming keep the tone fresh with a tinge of pathos that is also apparent in the vocals. Harishankar V has mixed and mastered the track. 10. Sukoon Last week I mentioned Kashmira Khot the young singer-songwriter who has 3 on 3 of her singles reviewed and featured by me and just like that we have here Neyhal who is a star for the future and just like his 2 earlier singles that both got featured, Sukoon is here to bring a smile to your face. It starts off with some wind instrument magic as Harmish Joshi plays that Clarinet. Neyhal’s vocals are just tranquillity and love encapsulated, and as he sings these beautiful lines that we all can relate to, Meera Desai joins in on the backing vocals adding some beautiful layers. Neyhal writes, sings, composes and plays the guitars, but one cannot quantify the immense contribution of Raag Sethi as he produces, arranges, and also plays the bass guitars. The home of some of India's best music a.k.a. Compass Box Studios is where the magic transpired and got recorded. A brief bridge is introduced where all the drums by Shivang Kapadia come to a halt and only Neyhals voice and guitars guide us through. It is symbolic of the volatile emotions that run through our veins and hearts as we glance at someone we like. This part reminded me very nostalgically of “Papa Kehthe hainâ€?. Kudos to Protyay Chakraborty who does the irreplaceable work of mixing and mastering so many elements and instruments. Neyhal does so well when he alters the notes just a tad to sing Lage sachh tu the second time around. The song simply signs off in memorable and stylish fashion thanks to the clarinet again just like the start.  11. Phase The title of the song is apparently the English words phase, which refers to a period in time, during a feeling of longing for happiness, success or love. I thought the title however was the Hindi word meaning “getting caughtâ€? and since the lyrics come in both English and Hindi and I assumed I was right, because with every second that passed, I was ‘getting caught’ in the song’s web of melody. Sarthak Saksena has written, composed and performed, and his vocals are soft and tender and could just rock you off into sleep. Shahzan Mujeeb has worked on the programming, arrangements as well as mixing and mastering. He does bring some mastery as the Hindi lyrics begin and the percussions take over brilliantly. That is not all, there is a brilliant interlude with a Sitar Solo and it give me vibes of Raag Yamuna Kalyani. The way the song transforms at the end of this interlude like a western Pop is truly scintillating and this where the composer great skill and versatility. Mustafa RK has his contribution in backing vocals and harmonies and he doesn’t miss the target either. The percussion element is the Cajon Box probably along with programmed drums. 12. Zindagi The song is by Goyell Saab Collective and it talks about the pandemic and its lasting impact on humanity. The song has a stylish and cool coloring that mainly oozes from the vocalist’s delivery and attitude. Goyell Saab is the singer and he also has written, and produced this track. The rock styled texture is brought about thanks to Karn Kapoor on drums and Srived Datta on electric guitars. Kunal Kambli is the bassist and he delivers all the oomph non-stop and you can imagine the efficacy of this whole set up when Goyell sings “ koi jeeth na sakeâ€? so casually. The humming too comes off quite well as an extension of the track’s main vibe. 13. Icarus Rushaki Ghosh has written, composed and performed this synth laden and Piano heavy piece and ever since I opened myself up to all styles of music I have appreciated Lo-fi and modern sounds of the electro variety and this song is exemplary in that regard. There are a zillion sounds here and I can only have words of appreciation for Rushaki and Bharg Kale who have produced the track together. They fly high definitely like Icarus towards the sun, but unlike the mythological character, the duo certainly succeeds in reaching higher and higher. The last segment where they sing “That’s what we’ve been told to do, with the Keys, harmonies and all the sounds feels cathartic with a drop of a tear rolling down my cheeks. 14. Entra Adhrushtam Mark K robin produced the best song in India on my list last week with “Reppe Vese Logaâ€? and now he has made it to the list with another out-of-the-box kind of song from the film ‘Mishan Impossible’. He ropes in superstar Haricharan for the male lead vocals and the two do a fabulous job here. It starts off in perfect Reggae or Calypso style with rhythms and bass guitars doing the needful along with the trumpets. Mark composes, arranges and produced the single while also accompanying Haricharan in vocals. Keith Peters is the bassist with David Joseph on drums and Allwyne on percussions. It sounds like a UB 40 song and a good one at that. Mark also plays the Keys and we can hear some excellent interventions on the Harmonica as well. Full marks to creativity! The track is mixed and mastered by Toby and lyrics are penned by Sanapati Bharadwaj. Some of the vocal arrangements and improvised singing is just quite catchy towards the end. 15. Jalwanuma Is it ok to blow my own trumpet? Well fine let me go ahead and still do it. I am quite elated and cautiously proud that Pooja Tiwari, who I rate highly as a singer/ composer, has sung for AR Rahman as the female lead vocalist, but she has featured in my list and my reviews multiple times since 2020 and in fact just last week I reviewed her single amongst the top 5 Indian songs called “Rang Daroongiâ€?. Ok now let me come back to earth, and state this is a fantastic number by the genius, and it has been long overdue. Pooja Tiwari sounds fabulous as she sings it with a mix of tease, sadness and confidence and she sounds nothing like if you hear her talk. I wish Pooja all success from here on in and hope she capitalizes on her big break. The song reminds us and shows fragments of his early works and this has a strong influence on Raag Charukeshi. There is another point I will like to notify here, Sarthak Kalyani who too has been a regular on my lists and reviews does the additional vocals along with Swagat Rathod and the boys easily match up to what is expected of them. Pooja Tiwari blows away in what has to be a golden debut and she has the seasoned Javed Ali on male vocals. The percussion and rhythms are a major component in the success of the song and we have a huge ensemble, comprising Keyur Barve, Satyajit Jamsandekar and Omkar Salunkhe. Satyajot plays the gentle Tabla and heavy Dholak as well, with Ratnadeep Jamsandekar also on Dholak. OMkar and Parag Chhabra conduct the rhythms section and hence a huge round of appreciation to them. I am surprised I am able to write so much considering I have been swooned away by Pooja's high-pitched delivery of the title line. Tapas Roy plays the Bazuki and Mandolin which come to the fore during the interlude but Omkar Dhumal steals the show right towards the end with his Shehnai solo. Be wowed by Pooja's display of vocal range and how she is in the lower scale in the stanza. Chris Jason plays the electric guitar and the technical team is pretty strong as well with Hiral Viradia as the music supervisor, TR Krishna Chetan on mixing along with Pradvay Sivashankar and Pradvay the mastering. The mastering for Apple Digital is done by Riyasdeen Riyan, and the sound engineers are Suresh Permal, Karthik Sekaran, and Aravind Crescendo. Mehboob and Jyoti Nair are the lyricists 16. Try Again SURII is an Indian music composer/producer and he first caught my attention when he featured the singer Sid Sriram called “You’re not aloneâ€?. That totally floored me thanks to some excellent creative vocals by Sid, and to make matters more tempting for the listener it had Shilpa Rao as the female vocalist. This one has endearing and thumping sounds and SURII a.k.a. Surya Giri has written, produced arranged and performed this number. Musicians from Chennai Ashwin Vinayagamoorthy and Sivanesh Natarajan who have been featured multiple times on my website and lists come in with their strong points of mixing this track while Alex Gordon at Abbey Road Studios masters the track. The Chennai duo of Ashwin and Sivanesh are also the recording engineers. SURII’s vocals are mesmerizing, as he goes into falsetto and executes it brilliantly and I am always reminded of Chris Isaak, the American musician who sang “Wicked Gameâ€?. The rhythms are just what the doctor ordered, and the guitars are spectacular and feel like a booster shot to the ears. This is one of the best electro-pop/ dance numbers I have heard in recent times.