1.The Music Room – Sonu Nigam and Bickram Ghosh
The unlikely duo—Sonu Nigam, a singer and composer, and Bickram Ghosh, a well-known percussionist—have already collaborated for 2 films (Sooper Se Ooper and Jal), but it is in this album that their music soars! It has occasionally cringe-worthy lyrics (Spyder-man, by Sonu himself), but the bewildering array of hyper-inventive tunes and sounds helps the album immensely.
2.Shukriya & Malanga – Gulraj Singh
This was a 2 album combination, meant as spring-board for 2 kids who won a singing competition conducted by an insurance brand! The best thing that happened to all three parties involved—the kids and the brand—is the choice of Gulraj Singh as composer. Gulraj treats the kids as adults singing in a competitive world, and trusts them with excellent quasi-filmy tunes and gets the best out of them!
3.Filament – Shankar Tucker
For a man known primarily for highly interesting cover versions of popular songs, Shankar's debut album shows how he, as a late entrant to Indian music, has imbibed it with a lot of passion. He demonstrates it all over the album, with his clarinet playing alongside tabla, sarangi, violin and harmonium, along with a fantastic set of singers like Vijay Prakash, Nikita Gandhi, Shakthisree Gopalan and Job Kurian, among others.
4.Navarasam – Thaikkudam Bridge
After an extended period involving singles and cover versions on Kappa TV's Music Mojo, the long awaited debut album by Thaikkudam Bridge delivers really well. There is a pronounced metal edge to their music, even as the crowded band deftly mixes a lot of native Kerala folk sounds into it, including a majestic power-Theyyam right in the middle of the Panthuvaralai-raaga based title song!
5.And A Half – Arka (Listen)
Singer Karthik has already made his composing debut with films like Aravaan, Okkadine and Courier Boy Kalyan. But he seems to have found a more interesting footing in the band he has created, called Arka, along with kanjira player Selvaganesh, flautist Ravichandra Kulur, drummer Gino Banks, bassist Mishko M’ba and guitarist Santhosh Chandran. It's a diverse and talented bunch of musicians and the album—understandably—bubbles up with vibrant energy that is so very Indian, beyond its fusion ambitions.
