Philtersoup – Lights On
★★★½
About a decade ago, we got artists like Mumbai singer-producer Nicholson blending singer-songwriter vulnerability and powerful, trippy electronic music. Mumbai-based Philtersoup aka Sanjay Das’ new album Lights On reminds us of that time. It’s perhaps just a coincidence that the producer says this 10-track collab-friendly album is a culmination of a decade’s worth of explorations, because that’s exactly around when Nicholson’s last material was out.
Comparisons aside, Philtersoup shines bright in his production choices, sonic palettes and of course, vocal choices. Singer-songwriter Karshni leads the urgent “I Know You’re Here With Me” and the tempo picks up even more on songs like “Heart To Hold” and “Vessels.” Like a journey that weaves in and out of states of clarity and deliberate haze, songs like “Click Track GF” and “Search For What” with singer-songwriter Rounak Maiti unravel like a soundtrack. With longtime collaborator SAT (they worked together on the 2022 EP Emersion), there’s gripping trip-hop energy on the two-part title track that feels like they always pick up right where they left off. If there’s one outlier on Lights On, it’s the standalone production “Groofy,” which sounds either like an interlude, or a sonic sketch more suited to a beat tape.
Anika – Five Foot Three
★★★½
We knew Goa-based singer-songwriter Anika was on to something relatable yet witty when she released “Sex Is Overrated” earlier this year. Part of her debut album Five Foot Three, Anika is just as curious, cautious and openhearted as we’d expect on the rest of the seven-track record. Enlisting Mumbai singer-songwriter Tejas as producer, the album’s title track nods earnestly to past wins and how they’ve shaped the person she is today. Tejas’ production adds a familiar pop warmth to the indie-pop on “Tic Tac Toe” and there’s a much-needed wistful rock punch to “Dancing With a Pisces,” something we need more singer-songwriters to take a chance on in the country. The rest of the album slows, but it’s not short of intimate revelations, like “19” about valuing friendships over material wealth. Humorous and poignant, Five Foot Three has plenty of wisdom to live by.
Aswekeepsearching – Kyun?
★★★½
In the time between albums, post-rock band Aswekeepsearching’s founder Sarmah has focused on apps, a cafe and life away from the hustle of metro cities. Bassist Bob Alex moved cities from Pune and drummer Sambit Chatterjee, shuttling between Mumbai and Kolkata as an in-demand sessions drummer, seems to have stepped up to do more composing than before on their new album Kyun?
They aren’t afraid to lean into what’s worked philosophically or thematically, so there’s nothing too adventurous to write home about in the lyrics of the album, but it’s not so much playing it safe as it is about writing about what they know. Sonically, the reflective acoustic guitar-infused track “The Search” sounds like it could fit in a movie, while “You Left Something” brings producer-violinist Ajay Jayanthi’s poignant violin alongside synth and grandiose rock passages. Darker tracks like “Into The Heart” brings epiphanies, while “Nature of Life” feels like it was inspired by mindfulness. The breathy-turned-emphatic “Happiness>God” recalls the band’s unmistakable influence from acts like God Is An Astroanut, and “I’m Here, With You!” is a repeat-worthy, metal-edged song that even throws in a saxophone solo from multi-instrumentalist Shreyas Iyengar. The band that pioneered post-rock in India don’t veer too much off the lush, verdant path of cinematic, stirring music on Kyun? but they have certainly made it a point to evolve, even if just slightly.
Charu Suri – Shayan
★★★★
Meditative, easy listening and wellness music is everywhere these days, going beyond headphones and quiet rooms to full-fledged tours. Indo-American pianist and composer Charu Suri’s fifth album Shayan proves a worthy testament to why this space is all substance and no gimmicks for her. Feather-soft piano punctuates the title track, and the seven-track album largely moves gently between jazz, ambient and classical. Suri draws from raagas (“Raga Durga,” “Raga Jog”) and evokes a sense of calm with string arrangements on “Mohanam Hymn.” Piano and acoustic guitar pair up for a duet on “Nightingale,” which is about as urgent and energetic as Shayan gets, but that’s not a bad thing. Suri knows how to push and pull the strings just right for a calming listen.
Begho – I EP
★★★½
It’s been a few years since vocalist and songwriter Biprorshee Das’ shrill and scary-good shrieks have terrorized the ears of Indian metalheads. The vocalist behind erstwhile heavy metal band Albatross is arguably one of the best things about Mumbai band Begho’s debut EP I. But that’s just the initial impression of the five-track EP. Kicking off with an ominous start featuring keyboardist-composer Sushan Shetty (from black metal veterans Cosmic Infusion), Begho have an aptly primal sonic assault on “Meat Missile” and get playfully cool (with a whistled portion) on “Steal From The Rich. Keep.” Guitarists Kiron Kumar (from metallers Primitiv) and Varun Panchal (from thrashers Carnage Inc.), drummer Jay Thacker (from Albatross) and bassist Saurav Das (from rock band Twist To Break Seal) are polished and brutal in turns, especially on the story-driven title track “Begho.” The band’s lyrical plot is based around a predator in the Sunderbans forest, which makes stomping songs like “King” hit horrifically close to home.
Rivu – Dinosaurs EP
★★★½
Kolkata multi-instrumentalist Rivu aka Shubhagata Singha draws from “unaddressed grief” on his new EP Dinosaurs, so there’s stages of grief represented (loosely) across five tracks. From electronic pop to prog to jazz, Rivu has a nimble takedown of wealth inequality on “Ivory Towers” (but wryly adds, “But I wanna be like you”) and employs an apt lo-fi-like guitar approach to “You’re Not Lazy,” which deals with deflecting procrastination (you’d think with a title like “Song 5 v3 Final,” the closing track could give that impression too). There’s a familiar mad-scientist quirkiness that delightfully punctuates “Time Shadow,” a nihilistic centerpiece that is for anyone who wants to skip to more prog. The storyline around grief may not exactly hit home on the first few listens, but there are always Rivu’s refreshing experiments.
Prin$e Alexander – When The Moon Turns Dark
★★★
Philadelphia-based, Indian-origin hip-hop artist Prin$e Alexander thanks his ancestors and family on the opening track to his new album When The Moon Turns Dark, which is also the title track that sees him flip everything you might know about him from rap songs like “Permanent Vibes.” This one is a bouncy pop record that’s made for dancefloors, but he doesn’t leave hip-hop behind completely. In fact, songs like “Fall Down” are still rooted in hip-hop. Call it The Weeknd effect or just the itch to diversify, cinematic pop certainly suits Prin$e Alexander and he takes his own liberty in not just rushing to a hook (“Armed & Dangerous”), while other times we’re being dropped straight into a party (“My Only 1,” “Sunday”). There’s euphoria on “Nirvana,” roomy bops like “Too Much” and glittering synth-pop cuts like “Stand By Me.”
Half of Joy – An Impulse of a Human Heart EP
★★★
After Toronto-based, Indian prog guitarist-composer Shankar released his project Half of Joy’s debut album Waxing Gibbous last year, it was clear that he had a synergy with artists like drummer Anup Sastry (formerly of prog bands like Skyharbor and Monuments) and bassist Zoltan Renaldi. The project’s latest EP An Impulse of a Human Heart chugs and thumps along as naturally as heartbeats, true to its title. “Monarch” presents grooves that goes from djent to bright prog in the vein of Plini and more. “Brooklyn” starts quieter and has a glorious saxophone solo that clinches it. Although “Soleil” is rendered as an unplugged version from Waxing Gibbous, there’s not too much audibly changed save for the heavier ending on the original, but if you’re new to Half of Joy, it might leave you wanting more.
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