The producer known as Palindroma has engrossed himself in diversifying his sound as is evident from his past discography. In his latest single, Ghosts, he adds a dash of classical as the track constantly features a meditative sitar (played by Kalyani Deshpande) and an equally meditative tabla (played by Apurv Dravid).

Palindroma then picks up the pace while Aryaendra Shuman sings about the central theme of the song: ghosting. Rather than touching upon the supernatural entities, the Ghosts in this track refer to a partner who can suddenly leave you with no trace and no closure whatsoever. This leaves the person confused, frustrated, and wishful for answers.

Shuman captures these emotions with a tone that borders towards exasperation rather than heartbreak as he questions his lover who just ghosted him. Malavika Dikshit adds to the vocal layers in particular parts adding further finesse. Overall, the song has the makings of a typical pop/R&B track but the production does refix the themes for a more contemplative feel rather than sticking to pop cliches. 

Shuman’s voice, as mentioned before, brims with boldness. As his and Dikhshit’s vocals overlap, a hauntingly melody is born that runs contrary to the sullen, tragic tones that one would expect otherwise from such a lyrical narrative. “Why” seems to be a constant question as the artist seems to ask their lover on why this ghosting commenced in the first place.

And this is further expressed not just through the musical elements but also a poetic interlude that features a Hindi poem written and recited by Satish Kumar. In this poem too, Kumar seems to rely on metaphors to ask the same question, “wajah kya thi?” (“what was the reason”).

Verdict: An interesting amalgamation of Indian classical and heartbreak tropes. 

Do Follow:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/palindromamusic