This writer would argue that music is less for art’s sake, especially as we turn to it for reflection. Whether you are hooked  on to Walking on sunshine or Let it go — James Bay or Frozen, whatever suits your jam, or musician and sound engineer David De Menezes’ debut album, The second wave. Although an artistic exploration and expression, the album approaches listeners with a sit-with-you-in-the-quiet-moments feel to it, as it courses through themes of uncertainty, solitude, and heartache with hopeful, confident melodies. De Menezes, a proficient violinist and bass guitarist, confirms, “More than a sound, the music shares a feeling. If that comes across, I’ll be happy.”

David De Menezes Pic/Anushka Maheshwari