Mumbai-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Pritpal Sudan has released his latest album in 2024 titled ‘Sudan’. It is a 13-track album aiming to play a pivotal role in shaping the sonic identity of him done with production and mastering engineering as well. Sudan is no new-kid in the Indian music scene and in his decade-long musical journey, he has spent most of his time in the studio mastering the sonic projects of other artists. This new 13-track album is a delightful experience of song texture assortment, electropop sounds, voices, and styles of versatility. In the intro song as well as in songs like OMG, Trouble and Can you, he has given layers of sublime electronics that amount to a detached resilience in a soundscape warm and expanding.
When an artist is just starting out to venture into the robust spectrum of music, he finds that in our age most music critiques out of lukewarm feelings give 6 out of 10 to those who are budding. However, with Pritpal Sudan, the case has been that he is being compared with the works of world-renowned electronic artists and acquiring critical points of 8 and above. This album has been in the making since the last three years when Pritpal declared he would release something to showcase and reflect his most inner musical aspirations and philosophies through tunes and melodies aloof from the general gems of the diaspora.
Songs like OMG, Can You and Trouble is heard are infused with guitar tech mastery and electronic proficiency. But among the other tracks, for example, the intro track is elemental to philosophical lyrical mastery. Lines where thesunset and the moon are brought together to cause a picturesque phenomenon to the eyes of those who can appreciate the beauty of nature. The musical aligning is done with tech mastering with guitars and backing drums, the beats pulsating to cause a subtle bouncy feel to his tracks. And to top it up, the Lo-fi recordings of soulful singing also elemental with rap and piano chords transfuse into a brimming electropop and soulful sonic structure.
To say Sudan is a pop artist will not be entirely true or false either. His electronic influences are evident in all the songs. There are also piano and keys, creating grooves, further layered with forlorn vocals to encapsulate a love for sounds for those who hear. A sense of melody is seen that is unique.But they also conjure the garage groove revival we lost in the last decade.
Can you call Sudan’s lyrical mastery a ballad? No, but they are flamboyant enough to sprinkle the R&B touches. In some songs there is a use of the Uke as well and those where the melodies are acoustically structured and emotionally deep. It is quite understood that Sudan has done due-diligence and maintained his creative flow throughout the album, but keen listeners who can listen to the songs in the deep night will think that he has been clever in all his compositions. Overall Pritpal Sudan deserves a 7 and a half for this album.
