This particular Currents features songs for a laidback weekend (plus some hard-hitting rap).
The Wooden Shield – Dream
Kochi-based group The Wooden Shield are quite unique in their sonic pursuit. They want to craft a sound that instead of the conventional guitar or keyboard is built around the drums. On their debut single ‘Dream’ the group brings together a wide variety of perspectives on percussion (congos, timbales, djembe, bongos), electronica and expressive vocals to weave a track about aspirations.
Abhilasha Sinha – Honey Bee
Singer-songwriter Abhilasha Sinha released her fourth single ‘Honey Bee’ this week. This is her third English track. The sweet melody, dare we say, “honey”-dipped, is paired with simple lyrics, making this the perfect song for a lazy Sunday afternoon. Safe to say, Abhilasha is swiftly moving up the singer-songwriter ladder of the Indian independent music fraternity with every new release.
Shubumm – Cowardly Fool
Weaved in introspections ‘Cowardly Fool’ the new single from Shubham Chawla thrives in its simplicity and poignancy. With acoustic strumming and a melancholic ambience the Delhi singer-songwriter’s new track is made for 3 AM ruminations.
Khwaab – ULKA feat. Abhay Sharma
Music producer Nishant Nagar aka Khwaab has released his previous collaboration with Shashaa Tirupati ‘Hum Kahaan Hain’ as an ambient instrumental ULKA. The ethereal track that “was made experiencing the silence of the night” has saxophonist Abhay Sharma joining in. The only criticism is that at just over 2 minutes, it is criminally short.
Sourabh Joshi – Jhoothi Si Baatein
Given his film background, it’s not difficult to imagine singer Sourabh Joshi’s latest single ‘Jhoothi Si Baatein’ fit in well in a Hindi film. On ‘Jhoothi Si Baatein’, producer Debarpito Saha crafts a laid-back soundscape for the singer to get wistful with Pinky Poonawala’s words.
Srihari Jagannathan – Pon Nira Maalai
Chennai Street Band composer and producer Srihari Jagannathan has released his solo EP Intezaar. With very gentle instrumentation, subtle harmonies and beautiful mandolin (Sachidanand Sankarnarayanan) the soothing and soulful ‘Pon Nira Maalai’ hits all the right places.
Loud Silence – Asliyat
Bengaluru rapper Shubhankar Das aka Loud Silence arrives with verses at a scorching speed and a reality check that hits you fast and hard on his new single ‘Asliyat.’ The emcee is a fresh and fiery wordsmith from the Garden City’s rap circuit and was crowned winner of the Red Bull Spotlight Bengaluru leg in 2020 and 2019.
Listen to all the songs mentioned on this list on ‘Currents’, a playlist you can find on A Humming Heart’s Apple Music and Spotify profiles.
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