‘Five Foot Three’, the debut album by Goa based singer-songwriter Anika Bharwani, is a message to herself where she confesses her desires as a human, woman, lover & friend. Through the album she reconciles with not just her sexuality but delves into her unresolved childhood hurt while normalising exploring love that doesn’t align with the orthodox. Releasing after a string of unrelated offerings, this is possibly the first time Anika has really spoken about herself.
In a recent conversation with the artist, she was adamant about having an album. Not a bunch of singles or an EP, an album. Her writing process was chronological, following a natural narrative that takes shape with every song you listen. ‘Five Foot Three’ opens with ‘Sex is Overrated’ and Anika wastes no time revealing her vulnerabilities. The song and largely, the whole album features a very direct writing style. Anika comes across as someone who is aware and in turn misplaced within her 21 year old friend circle. She speaks as someone who is far older and carries herself with a tender maturity. ‘Five Foot Three’, the title track is lost at number two on the album. The theme suggests a strong flavour of finality, more suited to close the album. It’s a realisation of her reluctance to love, respect and cherish herself like she does for others. Its a promise to do better by herself. The track also features strings played by Protyay Chakraborty.
The next two songs, ‘Tic Tac Toe’ and ‘Dancing with a Pisces’ feature a fair amount of production by Tejas Menon and the latter featuring drums by Sanket Pahurkar. The songs themselves are the most cheerful of the lot and as such carry a lightheartedness providing the album with some breathing space. Both songs emit hope and embody the spirit of putting oneself out there to find love. Easily the two most dance-y songs on the album, also showcase Anika’s ability to be a versatile writer. The album would’ve flowed even better if these came right after the opening track. ‘Dancing with a Pisces’ also features my favourite vocal run when Anika sings ‘Even if I have to say goodbye’. The delivery is most unique and sheds potential on her ability to craft and sequence melody’s that are totally characteristic of her.
‘I know you know’ is a sort of an interlude. Production wise, its stripped down to make for an intimate moment on the album. This is my favourite song on the album primarily because of the more suggestive style of writing as compared to the usual straightforward lyricism. Her delivery also works very well for the way in which the song has been produced. In terms of a narrative this song provides a solid turn into the remaining songs. ‘Bring me Flowers’, the penultimate track on the album is the heartbreak song of the bunch. Slow and indulgent, Anika’s voice gently caresses pain as she sings about recognising the end of a relationship. Recalling the painful acts that keep bonds alive even at the brink of their demise. On ’19’, Anika talks about what matters in life. Another song that serves as evidence for Anika’s emotional maturity, aligning with her old soul.
On the whole, ‘Five Foot Three’ is a solid effort by the singer-songwriter and a much needed offering that’ll catapult her into more music. However, the album isn’t without its flaws. For example, production by Tejas Menon could’ve been more obtuse to bring out Anika’s singular personality. Anika’s writing style though direct, transparent and brave, through the course of the album, runs the risk of getting repetitive. Furthermore the lack of whacky vocal production is a missed opportunity. All this leads me to wonder how Anika will tackle her next project. As a singer, her extremely unique vocal delivery definitely puts her a cut above the rest. Her dedication to her craft as a guitarist is also something I’m eager to see grow over the coming years. Personally, I’m excited to see someone like Anika, who places so much importance on her writing and composition, in this scene. I’m keenly waiting to witness her evolution as an artist.
