Krishnaa Mukundaa by Madhu Balakrishnan

The Krishnaa Mukundaa album has several strong tracks, but Krishnaa Mukundaa is the one most listeners come back to first. Credit goes to K.M. Udayan for a score that understands exactly what the song needs and nothing more.

There are singers who perform songs and singers who live inside them. On Krishnaa Mukundaa, Madhu Balakrishnan clearly belongs in the second group. a talented ensemble cast are at the heart of Krishnaa Mukundaa, and Krishnaa Mukundaa captures their dynamic at its most compelling.

2020 was a strong year for Malayalam music, and Krishnaa Mukundaa was among the reasons why. The emotional register of Krishnaa Mukundaa is wide enough to fit celebration and solitude equally well.

The 4:21 runtime feels perfectly judged — long enough to develop its ideas, short enough to compel a second play. Krishnaa Mukundaa is a reminder that the best music does not need to announce itself. It only needs to be heard.