(from left to right) Kinari, Sudan, Peter Cat Recording Co. (Bottom), Raman Negi, Varijashree and MC Altaf are among those to have the best albums of 2024. Photos: Salihah Saadiq (PCRC), Eric Meurice (Varijashree), Ali Bharmal (MC Altaf), Dev Bhatt (Sudan), Maan Boruah (Negi), Courtesy of the artist (Kinari)
This year saw a whole lot of formidable debut albums by Indian artists, with some taking us on a sonic journey that we wish never ended and others, digging deep into stories that informed their core beliefs in an elegant introspection. Here are our top 10 Indian albums of 2024, in alphabetical order.
(Honorable mentions: Arivu – Valliamma Peraandi – Vol. 01, Farhan Khan – Alif Laila (Part 2), Kryptos – Decimator, Moral Putrefaction – Moral Putrefaction, Param – Upasana)
Ananya Sharma – A Junkyard Wonder
As per Mumbai singer-songwriter Ananya Sharma, she chose to title her debut album A Junkyard Wonder because her songs were about “finding beauty in places we don’t usually believe it exists.” There’s an intimacy in Sharma’s fluid, jazz and pop-informed vocals that can draw anyone in, right from the title track to the richly vocal-layered “Teardrops” and the soaring “I Will What I Want.” It sounds absolutely grandiose yet uncrowded, which is why it’s surprising to find out it was made in collaboration with over 40 artists during Sharma’s stint pursuing a Masters in Music at Berklee College of Music in Valencia, Spain.
Excise Dept – Sab Kuch Mil Gaya Mujhe Vol 1
When Mumbai trio Excise Dept released their folksy, Punjabi pop single “Billo,” it was clearly a move to bring in a crowd and then unleash their unpredictable debut album Sab Kuch Mil Gaya Mujhe Vol 1. “The need of the hour, for us, is to make stuff that is expressive, free, emotionally vulnerable – to cope with the times,” Rounak Maiti told us. With Karanjit Singh and Siddhant Vetekar, plus their creative producer/manager Andrew Sabu, the album has outlandish references that now don’t make sense coming from anyone else than Excise Dept. Hip-hop is a key stylistic influence, as heard on “Ctrl Del Alt” and “Life’s a Game.” Elsewhere, the wavy “Baaro Maala” blends Bengali, Punjabi, Hindi and English lyrics steeped in desi and global pop culture references and “Angulimaal” takes a passing shot at Rupi Kaur.
Green Park – Newly Aged
Sometimes, all you need is a solid, post-modern love song to reel anyone in. That’s the case with New Delhi act Green Park’s debut album Newly Aged, which starts off with an intro called “Bappi” which goes into “I Met Someone.” On it, vocalist, songwriter and guitarist Arpan Kumar sings, “Is it mere infatuation or the start of something big?/The thought of it all makes me fucking sick.” And just like that, there are stories from near and far, set over calming strings, jazz saxophone and alt-rock elements (“Coast”) but also sitar and sarod by Sashank Navaladi on “Dulcet Tones.” If anyone needed a good indicator of where Indian indie can head in the coming years, Green Park shows massive potential, with a bit of fusion and lyrics about disillusionment, growing up and why music is a great outlet. “Don’t bother sharpening your knives/Tune your guitars instead,” the band says on the psychedelic “Take What You Can Get.”
Kinari – Kattar Kinnar
“Khidki band karo, let me talk my shit,” trans rapper Kinari says on the opening song “Kadwa Sach Mithi Bitch” from her debut album Kattar Kinnar. It explodes into a Tamil gaana percussion, in which Kinari sets her intent to burn the whole world down, if it comes to that. Bringing more ammunition than most Delhi rappers, Kattar Kinnar has lethal bars slithering over dark production elements. Foul-mouthed and fiery, Kinari raps to tell everyone that she’s not speaking on behalf of any community. If you might find it outrageous, know that she’s not here to spout empty claims. Kattar Kinnar is unhinged and unapologetic and we’re here for it.
MC Altaf – Halaat
It took a few years of Mumbai rapper MC Altaf to establish himself with Divine’s Gully Gang before he took the leap into releasing his debut album. Halaat, one could argue, should’ve come sooner but now that it’s here, it feels like the definitive, confessional and openhearted that we needed from Altaf. Right from the start, it’s not just about his grind but comes with aspirational and cautionary tales. Unflinching tales of his father’s health, growing up amid poverty and crime and finding his tribe through trial and error mark Halaat. Joined by Divine himself (“Chooke Dekh”) and Loka (“Chhod Bhai”), there’s plenty of action and flexing as well, which is something Altaf rightly deserves. Even years on after its explosion into the mainstream, Gully rap continues to give us powerful stories like Halaat.
Peter Cat Recording Co. – Beta
True to that one time in 2018 Peter Cat Recording Co. performed a show titled “Last Night On Earth” at Magnetic Fields Festival in Rajasthan, they have a penchant for writing apocalyptic songs (“Seed,” “A Beautiful Life”) that occasionally yearn for a simpler time and then abandon all hope anyway. Their album Beta ruminates on themes like parenthood and love, but sonically, they remain as poised, distinct and explorative as ever. Punjabi rhythms light up “People Never Change,” as does the line “I’m an enemy of violence/Till a bullet in the heart/Is kindness.” Loss is confronted poignantly (“Suddenly”) and love is considered cynically and hopefully in turns (“Foolmuse,” “I Deny Me”). Peter Cat Recording Co. have taken the album across the world, a rarity for a band with their seemingly experimental sound, but then again, they’ve found their way again and again, just like on Beta.
Raghu Dixit – Shakkar
It took more than a decade (and several film projects) for Bengaluru-based folk hero Raghu Dixit to release his independent album Shakkar. Beyond projects that kept him busy, there was a lot of inner turmoil that Dixit works through on the album, which has some songs released separately in Hindi, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu versions. A familiar bellow drives “Shakkarpari” – a song about compassion and sharing happiness. Rock riffs rule the nomadic flair of “Alemaari” and a cheery reminder for self-love is evocative on “Khud Se Naina Char.” Never out of allegorical tales, there’s the aspirational “Cheenta” and his own folksy call to the dance on the vibrant, multi-lingual “Geeya Geeya.”
Raman Negi – Chaltey Purzay
The passage of time can do a lot of things, including help an artist like Raman Negi establish his identity as a solo artist. Two albums in – Shakhsiyat in 2022 and now, Chaltey Purzay in September – Negi has an answer for anyone who clamors for his past and it’s likely “No, thanks.” That’s heard with a smirking sense of glee (and a middle finger) on “Darmiyaani Ungli Chronicles.” Oozing cathartic riffs, soaring vocals and even a few indie-rock turns, Chaltey Purzay is not all sass, though. There’s “Kismet” and “Berang” but then the state of the world is just as important, as Negi sets his sights on takedowns like “Farzi Kirdaar” and “Badshah Zero” and “Hukkah Paani (A 21st Century Poem).”
Sudan – Sudan?
In some ways, a mark of a great album is when the artist sounds different, defies genres with every track, while retaining a distinctive sonic fingerprint. If you can do that on your debut album like Mumbai-based multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and producer Sudan, then that makes for a powerful first impression. Aided by collaborators like Bendi, L’nee Golay, Vavae and Lavi, Sudan? provides a haven for escape and introspection all in one. From broken hearts (“Aftermath”) to the genre-bending, breakfree “Can You?” to lush epiphanies (“Iiiii”), Sudan knocks it out of the park, inspired by electronic, jazz, alternative rock, pop and more.
Varijashree Venugopal – Vari
A seasoned artist in Carnatic music who’s been on stage since the age of four, Bengaluru artist Varijashree Venugopal marked 2024 with her debut album Vari. It elegantly and dexterously concerned itself with jazz-fusion (“Ranjani,” “Chasing the Horizon”), lush Kannada pop (“Harivaa Jhari”) and stories of just how dearly the artist holds the concept of fluidity – as an artist and human being. Interpreting ragas like few others in her league, Varijashree taps the likes of Michael League, Bela Fleck and Victor Wooten, Hamilton De Holanda and Anat Cohen. Vari takes listeners from Kannadiga traditions (“Jaathre,” “Kannada”) to the world, asking bigger questions and finding solace in one’s mind.
Source link
