Ei Raat by Shilajit, Dev Sen

Ei Raat is one of those rare Bengali tracks that manages to feel both fresh and familiar the moment it begins. Credit goes to Dev Sen for a score that understands exactly what the song needs and nothing more.

The voice of Shilajit, Dev Sen carries Ei Raat effortlessly, which is the highest compliment a song can give its singer. For fans of Chiranjeet Chakraborty, Koneenica Banerjee, Indraneil Sengupta, Rajatava Dutta Roni, Rudranil Ghosh, Rajesh Sharma, Sudipta Chakraborty, Sohana Saba, Ei Raat is one of those songs that immediately conjures specific scenes and emotions.

Released in 2016, it arrived at a time when Bengali music needed exactly this kind of sincerity. Whether it plays on a long drive, during a quiet evening at home, or through earphones on a crowded commute, the song meets the listener where they are.

Running to 3:46, the song is exactly as long as it needs to be, which is the hardest length for a songwriter to find. The song continues to find new listeners, which is the surest sign that it was made with something genuine at its core.