Indie Reviews

Indie Reviews

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Sufayed (Alif):

Listening to Sufayed filled me with regret. I have spent too little time knowing my own country, in particular the rich linguistic tapestry that is Kashmiri and Urdu. Alif’s music is lush, evocative of what may seem like utterly relatable agonies. The Kashmir-born Muhammad Muneem's voice is capable of various avatars: a poet, a rapper, a vocalist awash in the ecstasy of his own art. He allures the listener into dread and joy and bewilderment with unassuming ease. I doubt that I possess the understanding of human sentiment that would justify analysing something as earnest as Malaal Kya Huwa.

Shartiya weaves melodic strands of ominous dread, leveraging the power of Muneem's confessional elocution. Rupiya and Log Kya Kahenge are treatises on the absurdity of a global population that has replaced money for joy and social validation for self-worth. I am positive that my ignorance of Urdu and Kashmiri has prevented me from adequately appreciating Roumut Diwanaei and Shoshe Ka Chashma, but their capability to represent the auspices of human despair is not lost on me. A single line from Chal Chala Main Aur Tu “meri khamoshi mera jawaab ban gaya” encapsulates this band’s power to convert anguish into masterpiece.

Alif is exquisite. It is real, terrifyingly so. Approach it with apprehension, for it may bring you tears and aching epiphanies.

Perfect Lies (Abhishek Gopurathinkal):