This California-meets-India fusion mashup is a good composition and a great arrangement for the pair of performers, a duet that fills the space of fifteen. And while you should give it a listen, what you really need to do is keep tabs on the brains of the operation, Sanchit Malhotra. 

When it comes to solo acts, it’s exciting to find a musician who goes beyond turning in a solid performance, and instead finds ways to shine as an innovative artist. Malhotra handles penning covers deftly, but also turns out compelling original pieces, has soulful vocals, is absolutely captivating on acoustic guitar, and oh yeah, pipes all this through his homegrown studio, North Ave Studios, where he produces his own work and collaboration tracks. So no, he’s not an a cappella artist — he’s a skilled jack-of-all-musical-trades. 

Malhotra's production craft is top-notch, demonstrated so strongly on this mashup that I’m startled by the smooth result from two opposing songs and styles. How many times have we cringed at a cappella mashups that force unrelated songs together in uncomfortable ways? Here, hip-hop and rap meet the pretty soundtrack to a Hindi movie without any resistance. There’s obviously a perfectionist sitting in the engineer’s chair, and aren’t we lucky listeners to hear this seamless pairing. Even the vocal panting is perfectly pitched and placed in the mix. 

I’m inspired. May Telegraph Ave. / Manmohini Morey be the mashup primer going forward. And hey, tune your dials to Sanchit Malhotra, because he’s the real deal.