Bangalore-based pianist Viraaj Arora released his first EP in 2019. That release was very much in the ‘score for a movie that doesn’t exist’ place; you know, the kind of music you can easily attach your own memories to. Another thing he has going is that his piano skills are nothing to sneeze at (he’s played since he was ten) He leans into the same evocative approach on his new single ‘The Waltz’ but turns the nostalgia factor up, so if ever there was a time to look through old photos or think of ‘all the good times we had’, this is absolutely the right song for it.

It should be said that the song’s vibe by itself inspires a lot of its charm. It is a waltz as stated and its shy, romantic melodies are very much at home in this context. It should also be said that Viraaj is a more than competent musician. His playing here is buttery smooth and allows the song to float along for its four and a half minutes. There is a sort of refrain or motif that forms the main musical idea, and it’s followed by some classic chords and transitions. Of course, this isn’t just one lonely piano; there is some backing instrumentation to lend some much needed warmth. These take the form of some quiet drums (brushes for the win) and some suitably emotive strings. This setup allows for some sweet moments; there are moments of quiet that are contrasted with slow swells that increase the whole warm and fuzz component of things. There’s a great opportunity to relive a good time with ‘The Waltz’, all pretentiousness aside. It is that sort of song that encourages memory, and maybe that’s far more important than we think now.