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His songs often play with listeners’ perceptions and expectations. Happy-go-lucky tunes are contrasted with sombre, serious words. Rarely broken-hearted love lyrics, though, because Babu Menos apparently has bigger fish to fry. In this respect, the first release coming from his tiny studio in quite a while is no different.

You wouldn’t be wrong calling “It’s Not Me, It’s You” a protest song. It’s about being sick and tired of all the empty promises that politicians, corporate bosses, “leaders” have been making, about the fear and despair facing the end of the world, and about the anger and disgust towards those who have known for decades that our way of life was going to destroy the planet, and yet covered it up and lied about it for personal gain and corporate profit.

And it’s not just the ones “up there” who have failed: “You know it’s high time we all change our ways”, the opening line of the first verse, is directed towards all of us who keep telling ourselves that our own white lies and petty sins don’t matter; that our new smartphones, SUVs, air travels, amenities, and impulse purchases are somehow okay. But they aren’t—“it’s time for something new”, and ultimately, for “someone new”.

With its singer-songwriter-like acoustic guitars, a full drumset, congas, electric bass, several melodicas, two steel tongue drums, glockenspiel, bulbul tarang, lots of handclaps, and dozens of voices, “It’s Not Me, It’s You” feels almost like a live band recording, although it’s been produced by Babu Menos alone, as always.