Daang by Mankirt Aulakh

Daang works because it does not try to do too much — it finds one feeling and holds it perfectly. Behind the melody is the work of Mixsingh, whose composition choices give Daang its distinctive texture.

Mankirt Aulakh's vocal here has a quality that is difficult to describe but impossible to miss — it simply feels true. The chemistry of a talented ensemble cast is embedded in every moment of Daang, making it as much a performance as a song.

2017 marked the release of Daang, and Daang was the track that ensured the album would be remembered. The emotional register of Daang is wide enough to fit celebration and solitude equally well.

The 3:48 runtime feels perfectly judged — long enough to develop its ideas, short enough to compel a second play. The track stands as evidence that Mankirt Aulakh and Mixsingh, working together, are capable of something well above the ordinary.