The beauty of Chennai Street Band‘s (aka CSB) discography is the immense joy and optimism that it evokes. Paramapadham is no exception as this time, the troupe is joined by 305 horns, a brass group based in Los Angeles. From the atmospheric trumpet and saxophone to the wavy guitaring, the song is a head-bobber from start to finish.

CSB lead vocalist Srihari Jagannathan’s smooth voice is, of course, the cherry on the top. The brass ensemble’s portion after every chorus also adds to the uplifting emotion. Hence, there are a whole lot of parts in the song that stands out.

Coming to the lyrical elements, Paramapadham is surprisingly insightful. It might sound like a feel-good song but the lyrics actually take an introspective turn as the band talks about the highs and lows that are inevitable in life. These contrasting emotions go well with the title itself as the Tamil word refers to a game of snakes and ladders. Inherently Indian in its origin, the game metaphorically shows the good and bad as ladders that help climb one up and the snakes that can gobble one down.

Using the same game as an allegory, Chennai Street Band weaves together a narrative that is thoughtful to interpret and easygoing to listen to at the same time. So, if you are into brass wind instruments like trumpets and saxophones, then Paramapadham might just be the song for you.

Clocking at 4 minutes, the duration does seem to be a tad bit risky as most of the new indie releases attempt to run for shorter timestamps. However, every one minute seems worth it as the two collaborating bands give each other enough space to play out the vocals and instrumentals.

Verdict: A thoughtful, funky number inspired by the game of snake and ladders.