Anand Lakshminarayan aka AnandL, an alumnus of UC Berkeley, who graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science says his main interest is in music. Since last year’s “Throwback Covers” playlist, which included songs by Mario, Enrique Iglesias and John Legend, the R&B singer- songwriter has moved on towards completing his original EP, and recently released his second single, “Read Receipt”, produced by Ivan Reyes at Templo Records. The song finds AnandL stepping into the spotlight, a vibrant portrait of an artist on a quest to cultivate a creative statement as an individual. The track offers listeners a fresh perspective of a dynamic voice that will resonated with core R&B fans around the world.
AnandL’s flawless vocals and the feel-good vibe will put this one in the conversation for one of the better underground R&B tracks of 2017. But the song is more about progression than imitation, as it investigates the question of infidelity and faith and the need to have your partner believe in you.
The track’s groovy, no-frills production accentuates that message. The lyrics are just as poignant as the beat, with AnandL coping with an insecure situation: “I’m talking about that infidelity. I’m talking about that lack of faith in me. I’m talking about that dude you see, but why can’t it be me you see… ”
Throughout “Read Receipt”, AnandL’s voice remains the star of show. He’s incredibly expressive, exhibiting authenticity, smoothness, and soulfulness. Something that never goes awry in the recording is the voice. Among other pros is the production work. The production, sound, and vibe thrives off a familiar sound.
The harmonic progressions remain jazzy and sometimes out of the box, a rarity among the new-school of R&B musicians. Musically, there’s the sense that this song is clear ‘descendant’ of 90s R&B, hence accurately representing the characterization of rhythm and blues. The keyboard lines are shimmering, the guitars chill, and the overall feel is smooth and lush.
All in all, “Read Receipt” is a fine addition to the newly launched AnandL discography. He sounds awesome vocally, the song is well-written, and the production work is excellent. He never really misses the mark on any count here.
AnandL sings relatable material. It’s about love, it’s about hope for the future. It’s not too fancy or filled with over the top instrumentation or overblown vocal pyrotechnics. AnandL keeps it simple and very much blue collar R&B. He is one of those singers that you could listen to over and over again.
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