Sure sure, this is a new band (called Groovedarshan) from Mumbai and this is their first single. But make no mistake, this is a tight group of seasoned musicians who know what they’re doing. They’ve been around in the city’s indie circuit for a fair amount of time, and more than anything else, it’s that experience that shows on their quiet but fun debut single ‘Namaste’. They toe that line many bands try and fail to, which is the line between technical prowess and instant gratification. They do neither, which is the correct route to take these days. This is talent having fun and that is probably more important than the sum of its parts.

One could break the song down and sound rather smart at many a party, to be fair. There’s an interesting mix of influences here; neo-soul and funk rubs shoulders with some Indian classical and some good ol’ groovy blues and rock here. There’s great playing from everyone in the band too, so much so that it seems like they almost don’t have to worry about letting one instrument shine over another. It’s all very cohesive. There’s enough structural nuance for at least a 3-coffee conversation as well. The intro has something of a trip-hop vibe (the band even throws in a hard bassline and a cool-as-hell lead into the tune to drive that home, it seems) and then it goes into something that many a neo-soul-funk band would love to call their own. There are some tongue-in-cheek vocal bits (think a funhouse from the 90s) to remind you that Groovedarshan know how to have fun too, but honestly, they needn’t have bothered, because that’s the very thing that makes ‘Namaste’ a good time. The band isn’t beating you over the head with some deep explanation of their quality. What they’re doing instead is inviting you to join in the fun. And that’s what you will do.