For composer Vinayak Pol, the idea of fusion was a part of life. Growing up in Sion, the drummer would listen to the classical and semi-classical works of Pandit Bhimsen Joshi and Pandit Hridaynath Mangeshkar alongside the Bollywood melodies of RD Burman and Lata Mangeshkar at home while also being entranced by South Indian Carnatic music wafting from the temples in Sion and Matunga. “I always wanted to use these elements and bring them together in fusion. Most fusion focuses on the Western harmonies to tie together Indian rhythms. I wanted to build on the traditional Indian sounds and classical forms through the instrumentation,” Pol shares.

This gives his band, Bombay Lights’ debut EP, Come on home, a dash of charm. The three-track compilation is a beautiful mix that made this writer conflicted. There is something at once familiar and strange about the listening experience. The six-member band features Pol (drums), Umesh Warbhuvan (percussions), Nusrat Apoorv (vocals, harmonium), Omkar Dhumal (shehnai, saxophone), Niranjan Joshi (keyboard) and Sayar Mitra (bass).