Burrah – Letting Go EP
★★★½
Punjabi pop and hip-hop often circle around a handful of themes, where artists lay more emphasis on rhythm and melodies than lyrical depth. Burrah has always been a breath of fresh air over the last few years, and with his new EP Letting Go, the Punjabi artist goes from strength to strength in laying out his vulnerabilities and wins alike. In addition to digging deeper than ever into his personal experiences, there’s a marked intention to stay in the hip-hop zone, like on the nocturnal musing song “Kyu Rataan Nu,” produced by Zero Chill. A lo-fi beat from Jizzy is Burrah’s canvas to profess love and deliver the world on a platter to his beloved, which doubles down on his big dreams (including manifesting a Grammy). The more exuberant “Khuli Hawa” ties together the narrative, with Burrah sounding happier than ever, as evident in just the pitch and tonality, as well as the summery production from Gndhi. Punjabi music needs more of Burrah, and he’s not holding back.
Varijashree Venugopal – Vari (The Live Sessions)
★★★★
A year after taking her debut album Vari around the world to acclaim, Bengaluru singer-composer Varijashree Venugopal‘s live album reimagines just a few choice cuts. She’s joined by Snarky Puppy’s bandleader and producer/multi-instrumentalist Michael League, violinist Apoorva Krishna, keyboardist Vivek Santhosh, co-producer and percussionist Pramath Kiran and percussionist Jayachandra Rao. If Vari was densely packed with collaborations and production wizardry, Vari (The Live Sessions) exists as a formidable alternative in which Venugopal and these artists shine in the same way they do at live performances. “Harivaa Jhari” gets a stirring violin solo that retains the urgency of the track, and the dextrous “Ranjani” opens with a konnakol jugalbandi before stretching into darker vocal calisthenics from Venugopal. Meanwhile, it’s equally mind-bending Carnatic-jazz counterpart “Chasing The Horizon” is driven by a mouth harp. The artist introduces the flute on the pastoral “Kannada” with Praveen D. Rao, and “Jaathre” is cinematic with its throbbing synth-bass. “Teardrop” evokes powerful Kannada soul-jazz, and there’s a swaying calmness to “Nee,” which really puts Venugopal in a category of one. You can hear a car horn or two, which just shows how Bangalorean Vari is as a live album.
Rascals Of The First Order – Caged Authority EP
★★★½
Bengaluru-based rock trio Rascals of The First Order aren’t being as innocuously cheeky as their name suggests on their debut EP Caged Authority. If anything, this five-track EP underscores how they’ve grown up and out of their college-era idealism and grappling with the world that they’re swept up in, with molten riffs aplenty. “Hardwired” is a fuzzy, shattering riff fest with vocalist Sivan Chakravarthy singing, “If the eggs in the basket break, flip it all out.” Serpentine, surging melodies are apt for “Python,” which takes inspiration from the endangered and displaced Burmese Python. The world-building and frenetic rock attack might remind you of Chennai rock trio Skrat (especially the dancey “Bad Beaver”), but there’s nothing wrong with that. These songs average at about five minutes, which is a gamble in today’s age, but Rascals of The First Order clearly have a lot to say. The stoner epicness of “Feels Like Shit” is their catchiest, mixing a bit of funk too, while the aggro “One Last Blow” pushes back against broken dreams. Caged Authority is a triumphant fist in the air that should make Rascals of the First Order a name we want to see on festival stages.
Meghdhanush – Dareechey
★★★
Lyrically, the strongest song on the seven-track album from fusion rock band Meghdhanush is “Dekh Tamasha,” which opens Dareechey. It’s a takedown of everything that’s wrong with the world, from greed to apathy. Even though they have the able pen of Alok Ranjan Srivastava on most songs, Meghdhanush never quite comes close to that balance of lyrical and sonical depth on the rest of Dareechey. The heavy-footed, dark and heavy song “Kabira” ranges from Led Zeppelin to prog melodic frenzy and konnakol, while “Chalo Wapas Chalein” taps into roving modern rock, standing out for its tempo-flipping drumwork. With the latter, there’s an earnest message, but the rhythmic work is far more exciting. The break-free philosophical musings of songs like “Re Udd Jaa” are deep, no doubt, but then, it seems to rely too much on sonic motifs we’ve already heard on the album. The pick-me-up reminder to self on the title track might have just worked as a fully acoustic arrangement. The cheery “Kho Gaye Pal” is made for big stages (and best suited for college festivals), showing the range that Meghdhanush are capable of on a collection of songs.
Sanjay Divecha – Leela
★★★★
A veteran guitarist and composer who’s played with the likes of Santana and been a contributing force on rising singer-songwriters like Ananya Sharma, Sanjay Divecha spent several years putting together his acoustic solo album Leela. The result is that each of the nine tracks is like a snapshot of a world that you can travel into. “When Mountains Meet The Sky” is idyllic with its classical guitar, “Afrika” is adorned in the melodies learned from Cameroonian artist Andre Manga. “Song for John Ji” with vocals by Apoorv Petkar is a nod to jazz-fusion legend John McLaughlin, while more tributes pour out to Bossa Nova (“For Tom” with wordless vocals by Vasundhara Vee) and the bright aesthetic of keyboardist/pianist Karan Joseph on “Song for Kjo.” A spiritual kind of power surges through “Path To You and Anandi” with Anand Bhagat and Sharma. Meanwhile, the two-part title track journeys through intricate yet soulful guitar work, the kind that can summon feelings without words. Leela is a serene album in which Divecha lulls everyone into introspection armed with just an acoustic guitar.
Dossers Urge – Glitter EP
★★★½
Shillong rock act Dossers Urge cover a lot of ground across 10 minutes on their new EP Glitter, a testament to how they’ve never wanted to stick to just one sound. Sure, affiliated projects like the instrumental act Murder In Space have given us some stellar work, but Dossers Urge are more rooted in indie rock. True to its title, Glitter EP is synth-driven and veers in and out of a minor key as and when the trio pleases. Capers are covered with a side of reflection on “For Crumbs,” which spirals out with an instrumental jam. A more cheery energy is exuded on the dancey title track, while “Monday Service” has just the right blend of punk, synth and indie, sounding intergalactic and dissonant in turns. Glitter EP is all about synth experiments from Dossers Urge, one that can take over dancefloors and also get some fists pumping. If there’s one drawback, it just feels like it ends too soon.
Chinna – No Turning Back EP
★★★
Among the latest hitmakers on the block, Gurdaspur-born, Canada-raised artist Chinna‘s new EP is proof that you don’t necessarily need the most revelatory lyrics to create songs that connect with the masses. Climbing up charts, there’s a formulaic lyrical approach across six songs on No Turning Back. But where Chinna scores is the way everything comes together, from full-throated vocals to a diverse sonic palette (thanks to producers Manni Sandhu and Cheema Y) that keeps things fresh. “Famous” with singer Param is a folksy tune with big aspirations, while “Convo” is engaging in its measured hip-hop beat from the first bar with Gur Sidhu. Thankfully, there’s enough space for the beat to shine. “Murder Melody” is a quick hit for the clubs, and “Redbone” might just sound repetitive, but is saved by the Latin-informed beat. Chinna emphatically insists he’s “Still Desi” on the closing track, making No Turning Back the kind of music that emits good vibes, just not enough storytelling substance to stand out.
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