Childlike by Varun Das: Review

by admin June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

Varun Das’s “Childlike” is an invitation to step out of the fast-lane blur of adulthood and step into a sunlit field of memory, mischief, and musical freedom. Released on March 21, 2025, this New York-based sonic storyteller feels fresh and familiar, where improvisational jazz and nostalgic rock coalesce in a melodic playground of emotion.

The song opens slowly, with a gentle melody and soft stick ticks echoing like footsteps on a quiet morning. This simple groove lingers, holding space like a memory half-remembered, before horns burst in with a warm, pulsing uplift like laughter breaking through clouds.

As the track builds, the energy follows suit. Upbeat drums join in, cymbals splash with a sense of wonder, and the horns take center stage, delivering playful rhythms that feel like the soundtrack to a carefree bike ride through childhood streets. Das’s jazz background breathes life into every corner of the arrangement, balancing precision with freedom. There’s a sophistication here that doesn’t talk down to listeners but instead lifts them up, reminding them that the joy we had as kids never really left—it just got buried under deadlines and logins.

Working with a brilliant ensemble, Nick Marziani, Mike Hilgendorf, Almog Sharvit, and guest artists Dayna Stephens and Charles Altura, Das builds a community of sound. “Childlike” moves with the sincerity of analog days and the heart of real-life experience.

“Childlike” reminds us that the best parts of us, the curious, creative, open-hearted parts, are still there, just waiting for the right melody to bring them back to life. Come back to life with it and check it out on YouTube.