These broken-hearted, anxiety-ridden times call for something syrupy sweet to provide some relief. And, Hindi pop-rock band, Left Turn, are serving just that. The Mumbai-based quartet has arrived with its latest offering, Irada – a catalogue of honey-drenched love songs to keep our feet tapping and bodies swaying. The 4-track debut EP also marks the beginning of a new journey for the band, as they gear up to release a total of twelve new songs throughout this year.
Thematically, Irada attempts to bottle up feelings of nostalgia and repurpose reflections of first loves and heartbreaks into familiar soundscapes. It makes sense, then, that the minute you hit play, waves of infectious, foot-tapping groove seize you, much like the first sip of your favourite fizzy drink on a hot summer day. There’s nothing to do but enjoy the moment, really.
The EP kicks off with an innocent confessional in ‘Pyaar Ho Gaya’. The track details the road to falling in love we’re all too familiar with – late-night chats, evenings spent together in the rain, and time spent speaking to each other with nothing but a few glances.
Sonically, the track offers a glimpse into the primary instrumental arrangement that makes up most of this album. Laden with folksy acoustic elements and upbeat percussion, the EP offers a sound reminiscent of The Lumineers – a sound that serves as the perfect trip down memory lane.
Following suit is ‘Tum Mili’, the second track of the project. This one picks up right where ‘Pyaar Ho Gaya’ left us, and begins a new chapter in Left Turn’s chronicle of love. If the first was the soundtrack to falling in love, ‘Tum Mili’ is the soundtrack to being in love and experiencing it. ‘Irada’ dutifully details more sweet musings on the album, following a similar sonic theme as its previous loved up companions.
In an unexpected arrival, the last track of the album, ‘Maan Jaa’, is a mellow tune, more layered in its arrangement. While the other songs were simple in their attempt – remembrances of early love and the warm and fuzzy that is part and parcel of those moments – this track is more deliberate. Vulnerable and full of intent, ‘Maan Jaa’ asks a lover to stay. It is accompanied by a nearly melancholic arrangement of vocal riffs.
Left Turn’s debut EP is a consistent effort at capturing some of life’s simplest moments in music. Of Irada, the band says, “[It] looks back and reflects on the moments that shape us and our personalities. The music cycles through the feeling of falling in love, the feeling of someone being so close and yet so far, the feeling of first-times. The story of the music is deep-rooted in nostalgia and holding on to precious memories that help shape us and our character.”
This project is basically that friend we know all too well – the one that’s fallen in love and won’t stop sharing the moment with everyone. Whether you find that charming or not depends on the first listen.
