Tanmaya Bhatnagar – Phoolon Sa Dil EP
★★★½
Since her 2021 EP Wherever I Go, I’d Like to Be All I Need , which was achingly beautiful like few other singer-songwriters, Tanmaya Bhatnagar has moved countries, started a family, and tried a few different sonic palettes as a pop artist with singles like “Kahaani” and “Kyun Hota Hai?” It all set her on a clear path towards a full Hindi EP that captures tender emotions and sounds, much like her biggest songs like “Kya Tum Naraaz Ho?” The hummable melodies of “Kinaare” recount Bhatnagar’s bright pop singles; “Noor” is half lullaby and half ode for her daughter, “Supriya” is a starry dedication to her mother, straight from the heart. Made with producers Dhruv Bhola and Amar Pandey, there’s a familiarity in the title track “Phoolon Sa Dil” in its swaying, atmospheric pop. It’s all heart, and we might bet “dil” is one of the most repeated words on this EP, but Bhatnagar uses it in different contexts — like the lo-fi-inspired, voice-sampled “Zindagi.” It feels like a cinematic song for a protagonist whose contented, beaming smile matches a sunny day. Bhatnagar takes us there and asks us to bask in that glow, even if just for a short while.
Apoorva Krishna – Only Love is Real
★★★★
There’s no question about violinist-composer and vocalist Apoorva Krishna‘s credentials — she’s performed with the likes of John McLaughlin, been a part of stellar albums like Varijashree Venugopal’s Vari, and often walked the tight rope between Carnatic music, fusion, and jazz. Her new album Only Love Is Real brings in more collaborators and wanders further (inwards, outwards, and onwards) compared to her 2021 album Intuition. “White” brings pianist Aman Mahajan and percussionist Sunaad Anoor for a warm kind of reminiscence. There’s more jazz-fusion, like “Between The Lines.” It’s melancholic, comforting, and has five instrumentalists and vocalists (including Vijay Prakash), but doesn’t sound stuffed. It’s the same with “Merging Parallels,” a tribute to tabla legend Zakir Hussain, featuring the likes of Venugopal and guitarist Aleif Hamdan. Krishna’s composing approach seems such that she’s not out to prove she’s a virtuoso, but is more about serving an emotion. “Surrender,” with composer and multi-instrumentalist Michael League from Snarky Puppy, wordlessly echoes with Krishna’s vocals. “Sacred Roots” pairs Momin Khan’s sarangi with violin powerfully, while “Song of the Heart” has a comforting contribution from multi-instrumentalist Mia Garcia that makes Only Love Is Real a comforting yet versatile listen.
Adam Avil – Aura
★★★
Mumbai’s seasoned rock star Adam Avil has been at it since the Nineties, even floating the rock band Pralay along the way. He’s slung riffs and ripped out guitar solos, but also tried funk and more bouncy glam rock. On his new album Aura, there’s a little bit of everything — the heavy prog of the title track that makes for a fiery opener, “Digging Full Swing” that has horns, and fast-paced funk on “Expresso.” While “How You Feeling Now” is kind of forgettable, the wild and free psychedelic energy of “Shine a Light” brings it back. “Unbroken” is short and isn’t too deep, but the final track, “Why,” does, in fact, bring that hard-earned, heartbroken wisdom to the front. It’s exactly the kind of songwriting you expect from a well-traveled rock artist like Avil, who clearly has a lot of experiences to mine.
Derek & The Cats – People to Meet, Places to See
★★★½
Inspired by their time at home and away, Bengaluru act Derek & The Cats take us to different locales on their new album, People to Meet, Places to See. From the sunny “Cubbon Park” that evokes a day off soaking in sprawling greens, to the exhilarating “Jonty Patel,” a dedication to a friend, bandleader Derek Mathias and his bandmates expertly deploy jazz and funk across seven songs. “Ratna Mahal” brings scintillating slide guitar as a tribute to a place where they forged their bond. The groovy “Maya” features sitarist Varun Nimbolkar, adding an apt amount of mystique, with windchimes and piano that feel transportive. The playful pair of “Techno Police” and “Do You Play the Techno” are clearly born from questions they were posed, which they turned into sparkling, synth jams. The tender “Leticia” brings guitarist Blesswin Winco, allowing Derek & The Cats to prove they’re one tight unit, but there’s always room for more. In the context of Indian jazz, few can present a skill-packed yet emotive record like them.
Raj – Weather Changes Moods EP
★★★½
For those who may not be familiar with the blended style of jazz house, New Delhi producer Raj’s new EP Weather Changes Moods is a great primer. In just under 20 minutes, the guitarist-producer and composer brings together a calming yet buoyant new sound across seven tracks. Released via German label 55 Music, this EP is Raj’s way of moving beyond the lo-fi sound he’s been known for, while making comfort music you can turn to for focus and calm. “Fallin” is a quick but punchy opener with Hamburg DJ-producer Sven Wegner, while “It’s Happening” with saxophonist Maurice Sax and “Break The Ice” with Soul Food Horns put horns as a key element. The unshakeable rhythmic foundations of “Do It Alone”, along with a few samples, make it shine, while songs like “Don’t Know What Day It Is” and “Touch The Sun” sound like peak vacation-mode, hotel lobby core with its sparkling synths.
Treekam – Treekam EP
★★★½
In a worlds-collide kind of project, jazz-fusion act Treekam brings together Carnatic guitarist Abhay Nayampally, Nagaland’s guitar ace Arenlong Longkumer, acclaimed drummer J-Rod Sullivan, Sypro Gyra’s Tom Schuman, U.K. bassist Seb Read, producer-composer Sandeep Chowta, and producer/writer and seasoned music industry professional Arpito Gope. Add the Nagaland Folkloric Group and Naga singer Mengu Suokhire, and it’s a brand new territory with Treekam. Across five tracks, the artists prove just how far and wide their handshakes can go. There are funky overtones on “Spunky Town” that see Longkumer take the lead, while Nayampally’s Carnatic style permeates “Swan Song” and “Divine Directions” with more Indian traditional hues. The pair of songs featuring Nagaland folk vocals, “Blending Tunes” and “Zakto Tssoa,” are the best part about Treekam, which just goes to show, sometimes it really is the more the merrier.
Nida, Derric D’Souza – Glimpses EP
★★★½
Four years in the making, Pune singer-songwriters and producers Nida and Derric D’Souza grow up through the course of five songs on their EP Glimpses. It might have a kind of plain EP title, but Glimpses has depth in good measure from Nida and D’Souza, who have been performing and making music as a duo since the pandemic. A tender piano intro carries you into the title track. It’s a woeful but cathartic kind of journey, with string arrangements that do a lot of the heavy lifting alongside Nida’s pointed questions like, “When I bumped into you/Were you acting nonchalant? I find that so hard to do.” She brushes off a potential romance on “Tread Carefully” (“You’ve got a reputation of dippin hearts like biscuits in your tea” is a delicious summation and takedown) and cheerfully takes on Hindi-English pop with “Kehdo,” which sings like an open book on the groove-flipping, sing-along “I Don’t Know,” which makes Glimpses EP an effervescent take on life’s changes and how we might roll with it.
Anoushka Maskey – Epilogue One
★★★½
On her first album since 2020’s Things I Saw in a Dream, singer-songwriter Anoushka Maskey is more versatile than ever. The Mumbai-based, Sikkim-origin artist unleashes a hauntingly raw vocal tone to close “Nothing New,” which is like the sonic equivalent of a rollercoaster of moods and sounds — from waltz to overblown synth and finally, a quiet, folksy guitar. There’s a nostalgic country-like approach on “Hollow,” but the electronic flourishes by Sudan push it into new territory. There’s a lot more of that on songs like “Winter Sun” and the plaintive Cosmic Grooves collab “I Forget.” Maskey has a way with stretching her vocal harmonies to a hair-raising effect, and it’s underrated on Epilogue One. Her Nepali poem “Katha” touches upon heartbreak poignantly, building up to Sudan playing the harmonium on “Return to Sender.” The urgent yet distinct production flourish heightens Maskey’s confession that she’d “do it all over again with you.” If you know Sudan by now, his fingerprints are all over this final track, making Maskey’s new album a spirited assertion of her life, perfect for fans of acts like Peter Cat Recording Co.
Haiku – Surfacing EP
★★★★
A bunch of students and their teacher — who some may know as singer-songwriter and pianist Tanvi Rao from downtempo/trip-hop duo Sulk Station — make up Haiku, the Bengaluru jazz-fusion act. In five tracks, there’s a spark lit that tells us just how talented these students are, aided by Rao on piano and a bit of backing vocals. Carnatic violins by Mihir Rajeev on songs like “Morning Come Gently” and “Cycle Breaker” are a trump card, while Paro Mukherjee and Sukanya Kurpad’s vocal chops are impeccable on songs like the smooth “Lone Empire.” With Daniel Sundaram on bass, Om Iyer on drums, “Seven” deftly picks up the pace with hints of prog. We finally do hear Rao’s distinctly breathy, classically-trained vocals on “Re (Outro),” just a reminder of how diverse, powerful, and synchronous a band of students and their teacher can be.
Death On The Horizon – All Is Not Lost EP
★★★½
Guwahati band Death On The Horizon are adding to the nu-metal revival in India with their new EP All Is Not Lost. Although they’ve been around since 2009 and taken detours into djent in the past, this EP is a fist-pumping statement and a tip of the hat to the likes of Hatebreed, Machine Head’s The Burning Red, Korn, and Limp Bizkit. Downtuned guitars make for a slamming time on “Snot,” and dissonance abounds on “The Purge.” They bring in rapper Paigambar for the stomping, roomy “All Is Not Lost,” like a secret weapon to an uplifting song. It’s the kind of metal-rap combo you don’t see too often in India, but Death On The Horizon get it mostly right. The socially-conscious “Politricks” — a prior single — recalls early Sepultura, but the band serves up Assamese lyrics alongside bass bombs on “Baak,” proving this band is capable of experiments.
Leave a Reply