Producer Starita has worked with a wide range of artists like Childish Gambino, Third Eye Blind, and A Trible Called Quest among others. His latest collaborator is Chennai-based Pratika Gopinath who is popularly known as the vocalist for Pune alternative outfit Easy Wanderlings. The new single, titled Changing is quite a philosophical track that deals with the transient nature of life and being alive through all trials and tribulations.

The track starts off slowly with some ambient fingerpicking by American guitarist Robin Applewood. It takes time for Pratika’s vocals to fade in, but the track remains increasingly catchy and versatile throughout. The featured singer’s voice is hauntingly beautiful, coupled with Starita’s atmospheric buildup. His music is fluid and diffusive, an exercise in patience that suits the lyrical content of the song. 

The final act finds the vocals rising, signifying a new hope and optimism. Pratika Gopinath’s vocals are bound to give listeners goosebumps by the end of the song. It’s interesting to note how in the age of globalisation, artists are being interconnected across borders to create such nuanced music (especially after the year of the pandemic). 

If anything, the title of the collaboration itself can have multiple interpretations, be it the changing variations of the song’s atmosphere throughout its duration or the changing backdrop of the world around which the song was created in the first place. Further, Changing serves as a good entry into recent throughful (rather than commercial or stereotypical) Indo-Western collaborations in music. Here’s hoping that listeners get to hear more of Pratika’s solo work after this. Starita, on the other hand, has expectations riding high with his upcoming album The Wake Up Call, which will also include Changing as a single. 

Verdict: A fine collaboration with diverse dramatic themes and moments. 

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