Shirish Prakash Singh is a singer, songwriter, producer with multiple influences and that can be seen in his recent album Vaani Dhwani Awaaz that is bound to be an instant classic. There are traces of classical, lo-fi, chillpop, electronic, and a variety of other genres that blend smoothly with Singh’s unconventional groovy, wavy voice.
The production hardly seems derivative and seems to have a voice of its own with poetic lyrics and foot-tapping beats. Fans of vocalist/producers like Ritviz and Lifafa would be in for a treat with his album. A strong point in Vaani Dhwani Awaaz is how each song seems to create an aura of its
own. For instance, the opening song Aasmaan is pretty vibey and calming and Singh seems to sing in a somewhat squeaky voice.
This is followed by Baha Le Mujhko, a more fast-paced duet with trance influences, featuring Nishta Singh Thukral captivating and bold vocals. The next song Parvaah Hai Kyun seems to be a more slowed down, stripped-down, philosophical inquisitive musical take at life. The diversity in the vocals and the production carries on for the remainder of the eight-track album.
Each track is well over 4 or 5 minutes but the artist makes the best use of the duration with different sonic backgrounds, so much so that even his background vocals seem hypnotic. A standout track would be the heavily electronic Main Insaan and a close competitor would be Raatein that makes for an engaging chill wave song.
He experiments with his voice in such distinct styles that we even hear Singh recite poetry in the intro of a track called Aaj Phir. Ruk Ab Chal is also one of the most psychedelic entries of the tracklist that sounds almost like Amit Trivedi’s work on DevD or Udta Punjab’s soundtrack. With this being said, some of the album’s songs can achieve further airplay if featured in an upcoming OTT thriller film or series, as tracks like Ruk Ab Chal would make sound good in fast-paced, suspense-filled scenes.
Apart from the potential to make for great live concerts, Singh’s music does have yield cinematic elements too. In all cases, Shirish Prakash Singh’s vocal and musical prowess has the ability to gather your attention, making for “binge-worthy” listening sessions. Vaani Dhwani Awaaz is no short album but the surreal trip that it gives your ears is enough reason for you to listen to it in one go.
Entertaining listeners aside, the album shows great potential for Shirish Prakash Singh to be no less of a trailblazer to shape the future of the independent music scene in India. Love it or hate it, one can’t deny that this album has been a bold experiment for the scene.
Verdict: Shirish Prakash Singh creates not only diverse songs in his stellar album but also diverse worlds of his own.
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