Punchavayal Karayil by Sooraj Santhosh, Renjith Jayaraman

There is an honesty to Punchavayal Karayil that separates it from most Malayalam songs released around the same time. What makes Punchavayal Karayil musically distinctive is the composition by Bijibal, which balances simplicity with depth.

There are singers who perform songs and singers who live inside them. On Punchavayal Karayil, Sooraj Santhosh, Renjith Jayaraman clearly belongs in the second group. Anson Paul, Rahul Madhav, Aju Varghese, Aradhya Ann gave the film its soul, and Punchavayal Karayil is the song that most directly channels that feeling into music.

2023 was a strong year for Malayalam music, and Punchavayal Karayil was among the reasons why. Some music is background. Punchavayal Karayil demands attention — not aggressively, but in the way a good conversation does.

In 2:04 minutes, Punchavayal Karayil builds, opens up, and resolves in a way that feels complete rather than truncated. For anyone yet to hear Punchavayal Karayil, the experience ahead is a good one. For those returning, it will be as good as they remember.