Streaming Soundtracks: Hits and Misses
From Mikey McCleary’s zest on ‘Four More Shots Please!’ to Neel Adhikari’s dreaminess on ‘Afsos’ and more
The cast of web series 'Four More Shots Please!' Photo: Amazon Prime Video
Afsos
The soundtrack for Indian black comedy Afsos – helmed by film composer Neel Adhikari – is quite an immersive listen. It includes delicate flamenco-style guitar work on the title track accompanied by singer Arijit Singh’s deep resounding voice. “The Kill” is a spine-tingling offering juxtaposed with Pati Amor’s sultry vocal delivery. There’s percussion delight on both “Emergency Exit” and “The Loser” while “The Difference Between” is a total mesmeric experience with lush piano motifs.
Four More Shots Please!, Season 2
Music for the second season of web television series Four More Shots Please! has been helmed by artists Mikey McCleary, Parth Parekh and Achint Thakkar of Mumbai’s Bay Music House. The hopeful opening track “Back Together” sung by vocalist Saachi includes slick production and a well-strung melody. “Jo Mera Dil Kare” and “Lollipop” both fall short of listenability and feel watered down. Normalcy returns with the saccharine “Sixteen,” pop-rock “Warning Signs” and emotional “Your Body On My Body,” all featuring L.A.-based singer Natania.
Panchayat
Assamese film composer Anurag Saikia has focused mainly on retaining a strong acoustic base for the soundtrack of comedy-drama web series Panchayat. Apart from the upbeat “Pasa Phenk” which comes across as overly produced, there’s some good tunes on here. The charming “Paheli” and dreamy “Hiya Tho” both carry weight while the breezy “I’m Happy” is a relaxing listen.
Hostel Daze
The soundtrack for comedy-drama Hostel Daze is one that needs to be heard while watching the series because it doesn’t hold well on its own as an OST. The production is all over the place and its hard to find a standout single from this batch of songs. There’s repetitiveness within tracks (“On My Way” and “Colours of Infinity”), “Jungle Ka Sher” is a lackluster attempt at a hip-hop offering and “These Are the Days” also gets stuck in loops without any dynamics.
Maska
Hindi drama film Maska’s soundtrack opens with a bang from New Delhi rockers Faridkot’s vocalist IP Singh belting out “Majja Ma Re Tu” over distorted guitars and a groovy drum beat. Mumbai hip-hop artist Enkore drops some tasty bars on “Down on the Street” while Indo-Canadian singer Jonita Gandhi shows off her vocal chops on “Chuney Chuney” over emotional piano chords.
