David Britto aka Arrows, music critic by day and a musician by the other part of the day, has dropped his latest collaboration with The Lightyears Explode. One thing that is worth noting by Arrows’ nascent discography so far is his enthusiasm in trying out different artistic influences and soundscapes. So, if Buried To Dust has an atmospheric rock feel to it, To Your World featured Raghav Meattle’s signature acoustic pop goodness. 

The Lightyears Explode, the Mumbai-based punk outfit, has played around with some classic nostalgic rock sounds that would be reminiscent of their Western counterparts (most prominently Green Day). At the same time, they have created their own brand of foot-tapping punk goodness that’s not too heavy for the ears but still not too light to not create an impact. 

Hello Cheater is written and composed by Britto much like the other songs that fall under his Arrows project. It seems to be written from the perspective of one suffering in an adulterous relationship or even the conscience of the one involved in cheating. With 80s-inspired guitar riffs and energetic drums, the song plays out with angst right from the opening. The allusions to toxic love in the lyrics will reminds listeners of some classic heartbreak rock anthems like Alice Cooper’s Poison or Aerosmith’s What It Takes.

True to the tradition of many other indie releases, the song clocks at just over 2 minutes. While this ensures that the song doesn’t get stretched at all but the only complaint that some listeners can have is that the song is too short! We could have definitely felt even better with another verse or instrumental bridge sneaking in. 

But otherwise, Hello Cheater works perfectly as a fun heartbreak banger that runs in contrast with Arrows’ other work. While his collaborations with Raghav Meattle and Siddharth Basrur were still some uplifting tracks while Hello Cheater is the perfect song to let loose and take your frustration out to.

Verdict: Some punk-rock heartbreak energy to end this week.