Singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Bharg hailing from the capital, came out with his latest release titled “Nithalla” in November of 2024. A 3 track EP spanning a length of just under 10 minutes, the title seems to be a direct successor to his 2nd full length LP “Nikamma” which was released one year ago, in November of 2023. On Nikamma, we got to see a whole new side of Bharg. While his debut album “Sab Chahiye” with Rawal featured an array of chill, laid back tracks, on Nikamma, he embraced the punk rock sound, complete with the staple elements of it, heavy, distorted guitars, rapid drum grooves, and angst filled vocals and melodies.
“Nithalla” to me seems like a toss up of stuff that Bharg has been working on for his next release, where he continues to evolve towards the soundscape he creates, as well as the lyrical content. These tracks could be some loosies that he decided to let out to give the fans a little taste, or because they didn’t make the cut for Nikamma or his next record, as we can see in a little easter egg in the album cover art with the “Album coming soon” written across a vinyl cover.
The first self titled track of the EP is like a crossover between the sounds of Sab Chahiye and Nikamma, with the first half being a smooth indie instrumental over which Bharg delivers mellow lines, and the chorus and outro being a heavy, grungy B section over which he throws an expressive solo. The song talks about the juxtaposition of dreams and pressure, how we want to do everything and anything to accomplish our dreams, but how the pressures of being an adult and life are all on us, how we try to live life to the fullest by brushing our problems under the carpet.
The second track “Orange Pepsi” sees Bharg and UKato teaming up to create an amazing sonic experience. The track starts off with smooth strings and guitars to set the stage before the drop comes in out of nowhere, catching you off guard. It switches the vibe completely, the track goes from a smooth drumless cut to a heavy DnB track, complete with the saw basses zipping and zapping past you as the electronic drum hits embellish them. The pitched up 808s, perhaps borrowed from the UK drill genre, are a very interesting and great choice for this track, acting as both a percussive and a melody element.
The third track is by far one of my favourite tracks from this EP, probably one of my favourite tracks from Bharg and Foosie Gang both. This song, put simply, is a shitpost, which has been done and executed so perfectly, that it is an absolute banger. The goofy beat with the chromatic melody pairs perfectly with the over-the-top auto tuned vocals that Bharg delivers. Bhappa and Arpit Bala come in with the classic Foosie Gang lyrics, only this time so much more out of pocket. These lyrics remind me of 2001 Eminem, in the best way possible. The song credits Yashraj as a writer on this, a nice little easter egg. Combined with the accents and the timbre of their voices with which Bhappa and Arpit deliver their lines, this track turns out to be an extremely politically incorrect banger.
