Producer and vocalist Angad Trehan‘s songs are far from monotonous and do tend to bear different styles while also sharing a common dreamy soundscape. This positive dreaminess is evoked once again in his new single Vans and Papercups. 

The lyrics much like the title itself rely on poetic aesthetics, sounding like an old-school love song while also retaining the charm of a budding new-age romance. The chorus, for instance, is pretty descriptive in nature as Trehan touches upon meeting his beloved in the rain as their ‘Vans and Papercups’ collect the water. This is then followed by other metaphors like a gleaming sky of fireflies and so on. 

While there might be similar alternative indie/pop songs with similar elements, Trehan at least attempts to add his personal touch to the scene. His mellowed-down vocals are equally soothing. Romance as a subgenre in the Indian indie scene has otherwise been oversaturated into a melodramatic abstract cliche for the past few months. So, in that context, Vans and Paper Cups is pretty fresh and genuine. 

Then, of course, the music finds him in full form yet again, continuing the ‘Joji-like’ soothing and misty sound that was present in his previous release I Don’t Remember. The recurring guitar melody is equally pleasing to the ears. 

What’s commendable is that a song with such a concept could have easily been turned into a hammy exercise in emotional self-indulgence. But Vans and Papercups despite its allusions to sad indie bops from the West does open the Indian scene to more creative ideas especially more so for English-language artists in the country who wish to write and produce songs on love and life. 

So, in the end, Vans and Papercups might sound familiar to other nostalgic and poetic love songs but Angad Trehan interprets the sound in such a way that it’s definitely worth a listen. 

Verdict: Poetic lyrics and a dreamy sound.