Kaantha by KS Harisankar, Pragathi Band

There is an honesty to Kaantha that separates it from most Malayalam songs released around the same time. Behind the melody is the work of Abishekh Amanath, Pragathi Band, whose composition choices give Kaantha its distinctive texture.

There are singers who perform songs and singers who live inside them. On Kaantha, KS Harisankar, Pragathi Band clearly belongs in the second group. a talented ensemble cast are at the heart of Kaantha, and Kaantha captures their dynamic at its most compelling.

Released in 2020, it arrived at a time when Malayalam music needed exactly this kind of sincerity. There is no right time to listen to Kaantha. There is only the moment you press play and realise it was the right choice.

At 3:56, the track does not overstay its welcome — it says what it needs to say and leaves the listener wanting more. The song continues to find new listeners, which is the surest sign that it was made with something genuine at its core.