There is something about Bombay in the monsoon. You either hate it or you love it.

For some the city is mucky, everything is damp, UBERs are never available and worst of all butter garlic crab at Trishna is off limits.

For me, nothing compares to Bombay in the monsoon. I get captivated by that goodly smell of rain on dry ground, the neon green leaves on the banyan trees, the fierce Arabian breeze and the clouds that fade to grey.

Just like the monsoon, this jam has its ups and downs… enjoy.

1. BADlands – Bakar
2. Ultimatum (feat. Fatoumata Diawara) – Disclosure
3. Heaven Only Knows – Bob Moses
4. White Ferrari – Frank Ocean
5. You and Me – Durand Jones & The Indications
6. Say it to Me Naked – The Shivers
7. Any Place – Bahamas
8. Don’t Miss It – James Blake
9. Singin’ In The Rain – Gene Kelly
10. How Seriously You Take Yourself – Ski Lift
11. Speaking Terms – Snail Mail
12. Ruins – Collections of Colonies of Bees
13. Woo – Beach House
14. Sweet Tides (feat. LouLou) – Thievery Corporation

Playlists: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube

Camden rocker Bakar’s music is incendiary. BADlands, off his latest album, defies genre and just smacks you in the face.

Disclosure just dropped their first single of 2018 – Ultimatum featuring Malian singer Fatoumata Diawara. Diawara is singing in the ancient language Wassoulou and her husky voice coupled with Disclosure’s groovy beats is sublime.

I’m a huge Noel Gallagher fan and when I heard the opening lines of Heaven Only Knows – I was like wait a minute! I love Canadian duo Bob Moses’s harmonies throughout the song and while the bass line is piercing, it doesn’t take away from the melody.

I received so many messages about Moon River on my first ever playlist. So here is another stunner by Frank – White Ferrari. Listen to the closing verse… no it’s not who you think it is! I was so sure it was Justin Vernon of Bon Iver singing but no, just Frank Ocean, versatile as ever.

If you don’t know by now, I’m a sucker for oldies. Durand Jones and The Indications are bunch of music students from Indiana University’s Jacob School of Music (my alma mater) who came together for a one night gig and ended up cutting a record. I love the falsetto and the 50s R&B sound on You & Me. Durand Jones’s voice is just insane – check out this YouTube video of their song Is It Any Wonder.

The Shivers latest single Say It To Me Naked is a soulful acoustic love song. I just learned this on the guitar and playing this on my balcony at sunset in the pouring rain is my version of heaven.

Afie Jurvanen of the Bahamas has the most incredible voice. Any Place is about moving on from a love lost and the struggle most of us face when striving to live in the present moment.

Don’t Miss It is a stunning song. Along with Frank Ocean, James Blake just doesn’t cease to stretch the boundaries as a singer songwriter. His use of effects to manipulate his voice and music is spectacular. The entire song is in two chords – simple but so deeply complex at the same time.

Singin’ in the Rain takes me back to the happiest day of my life. There is nothing more to be said.

In their first release since 2011, Ski Lift has surprised us with an enigmatic EP which is fiercely original. How Seriously You Take Yourself is the perfect afternoon song to watch raindrops by.

Snail Mail is the project of 18 year old Lindsey Jordan. Her voice is intoxicating in the song Speaking Terms off her debut album. Lindsey’s lyrics are deeply personal and I can see her being one of the voices of her generation.

The effects on Ruins are just exhilarating – I love it. Like Ski Lift, Collections of Colonies of Bees hasn’t released music since 2011 – I guess this is the year of cicada rockers?

Beach House’s latest album 7 has so many amazing songs – but Woo is definitely my favourite. I love that I can recognise a Beach House song from the very first beat – golden.

Sweet Tides is a classic that I have just rediscovered over the past few days. Thievery Corporation is still coming out with the most intriguing sounds but LouLou’s singing in this song is just so damn sexy I just cannot get enough of it.

Playlists: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube