Be it 2020’s EP Lemonade or her recent singles such as Bhool, Sanjana Devarajan has proved her prowess in both English and Hindi. One can argue that her USP is, of course, her ever-pleasant and hushed-down voice. Leher is no exception and with a mellow production, her vocals get further opportunities to brim with rich textures.

As is evident from its title, Leher uses waves as a metaphor to show the flow of time and the growth that comes with it. The lyrics can be seen as highly subjective, depending on the listener. For Devarajan herself, her current transition into a musician is obviously a transient journey that comes with its own ups and downs like the waves of the sea. Even though Leher might seem like a melancholic tune in terms of its sound, Devarajan’s comforting voice ensures that there also comes a sense of reassurance and hope with her latest release.

There might be other songs in the same vein as Leher in the indie-pop scene. There’s no denying the slight bittersweet approach that the single takes. At the same time, it would be wrong to call it too formulaic because as mentioned earlier, Devarajan’s voice is quite distinguishable in its own right.

And she has indeed shown great range in terms of her lyrical themes and production choices since Lemonade. While the EP was filled with some upbeat beats, Devarajan’s recent discography also shows her ability to get more introspective rather than just being ‘pop-ish’. A slight hint of tabla in Rahul Popawala’s production perfectly complements her voice and the overall ambient mood of the song.

All in all, Leher can be termed as an artistic expression of Sanjana Devarajan’s continuing journey as an artist. Much like the lyrical video and the cover art of the single, it would be perfect to sit on a beach and feel the waves splashing against bare feet while listening to a song like this.

Verdict: An artist’s expression of growth disguised as a mellow tune to unwind.