Club Caramel – Zindagi (KM Single Review)

By Hasan Faridi

Club Caramel isn’t an illegal club or a new confectionery treat. It’s an upcoming pop band from Pakistan. So get stuck in!

The band mainly consists of Kiran Chaudhry and Adnan Sarwar. But artists and musicians such as Farhan Albert on keyboards and Sameer Ahmed on bass also add to the band, especially in the latest single named “Zindagi”, meaning “Life” in English.

The journey of Club Caramel started when Kiran and Adnan met at a gig in Lahore. A small chat led to the two of them merging together with a couple of acoustic guitars and playing some songs, inspired by the likes of artists such as Eric Clapton and David Guetta. The two artists created a full band line-up and held their first cover show in 2006.

“Zindagi” is Club Caramel’s second single. Their first single “Teray Bin” is under-rated compared to this one, and shouldn’t be left unnoticed. The difference in Youtube views just goes to show it. “Zindagi” is a more contemporary song, whilst “Teray Bin” is a more mellow and soulful number, a musical treat not to be avoided if you happen to enjoy “Zindagi”.

The song kicks off with funky electric guitar strumming, similar to the style of the music played by Pakistani band Mauj. The strumming is repetitive, but it still hooks the listener in as the funky bass slides in. As soon as Adnan starts singing, at the most unexpected moment, a small guitar solo breaks in. Throughout the song, both vocals are eerily catchy.

The video is heart-warming, well mixed and well produced. Kiran looks beautiful (almost in a distracting way) and Adnan has many close-ups. Too close for comfort. But hats off to the mysterious female tambourine player/singer in the back. The video was shot in the beautiful city of Lahore, but that actually goes unnoticed. It was the safety of the band performing on top of rooftops so close to the edge that captures the attention. Think of the drum-kit dropping below! Think of the “Zindagi”!

Speaking of over the edge, let’s just hope Club Caramel can prove they can cross the boundaries in their debut album releasing soon.