Dimapur artist Temsu Clover makes the kind of modern indie that a lot of us like to put on in a quiet evening; not particularly intrusive but having a sense of melancholy that is bitter but approachable. Her new single ‘Dumplings For The Sad’ fulfils this  in every sense. Besides her picture-perfect vocal sensibilities for this kind of sound, there is a meditative feel to her music that gives you that creeping feeling of sorrow that steals up on you instead of hitting you in the face. It’s all oh-so modern, but it’s strangely comforting.

The modern palate for this consists of warm guitars and ukulele (thank you, Billie Eilish); ‘Dumplings For The Sad’ adds some accordion for a bit of an old-world touch. But the heart of the tune is in Temsu’s quiet, chirpy but ultimately despondent vocal delivery. We’ve heard the melodies she chooses before so many times in both pop and indie music these days, a kind of accepting and lonely sound that is oddly familiar. She sings about being depressed and wanting to eat street dumplings, which is a pretty offbeat vehicle to describe pandemic loneliness but also quite charming. The guitar chords that support her voice are delightful, her vocal parts are only loosely doubled to give them some personality, and there’s very little else. A lot is done with a little on ‘Dumplings For The Sad’, and if hunger and contemplation happen to go hand in hand for you, this is a great song to think of both things to.