Aaukhir Jun Mur by Zubeen Garg

There is an honesty to Aaukhir Jun Mur that separates it from most Assamese songs released around the same time. Zubeen Garg's arrangement gives the track a layered quality that rewards repeated listening.

Every line Zubeen Garg sings feels considered, as though the performance was thought through long before recording began. On screen, a talented ensemble cast bring the emotional world of the song to life in a way that enhances rather than competes with the music.

By the end of 2018, Aaukhir Jun Mur had moved well beyond its original audience and into everyday playlists. The emotional register of Aaukhir Jun Mur is wide enough to fit celebration and solitude equally well.

Running to 5:04, the song is exactly as long as it needs to be, which is the hardest length for a songwriter to find. It is, simply, one of the better songs to come from Assamese in recent memory — and the numbers agree.