Hi! friends, I got to listen to 'Connections' on a Nokia phone my colleague has bought yesterday. I took it for an hour and listened to the album. This review here are just my thoughts which i typed along as i listened to the album. it is infact not review, but personal notes, as thoughts came by when i was listening to it. Mind you, i listened to it only once. Please dont treat this as review, but as mere collection of thoughts. Himalaya - Raag Mohana..a single melody repeated many times... Jiya Se Jiya - a street folk song..sung by Karthik... song is full of percussions..Not much impressive(my personal opinion), given the usage of raw 'dappu' kind of percussions. Kural - Anthemic background with male & female chorus and tamil sacred verses..proceeding to rap. A rap that is not hiphop or loud but like rhyming poetry. Each holds unto its own. sounds like MMG.good sound. Mann Chandre - Sukhwinder: Punjabi in language..but Pure ARR style, ghatam, keyboards, bass guitar, phenomenal sound sense..it is a slow song..soft on ears..heartwarming melody. Starts with female..then Singh..and later chorus.. sitar strains..tabla joins.. one of the best compositons.. Mosquito - Saaarangi..tweaked a lot..using synthsizers..and also overlaid with normal sounding saarangi..playing rajasthani melody.. ghatam rhythm. dug-dugi kind of instrument also heard, the drums. String section..base guitar..chords..One of the best instrumentals...coz it sounds earthy and electronic.Saarangi stretched like hell. Mylapore Blues - kanjira..ghatam..thavil..guitar..Morsing....piano..in Jazz style..a strange fusion..Guitar playing main tune.. Lot of Jazz-Blues influence..as if a Saxophone melody has been taken and played on guitar... Silent Invocation A - Tambura...Flute..No other instrument... a melodic phrase played (sounds like Mohana again)... this track sounds like a hindustani classical music track by Pt.Hari Prasad chaurasia...but Not many nuances like pure classical. Probably ARR listens to lot of classical and wanted to compose one in that genre. Silent Invocation B - Tambura..Flute..His favourite Sindhu Bhairavi...exceptionally good, much like the above. 9 min track. Silent Invocation C - Flute..this tune sounds less classical and more of film theme kind. Slow..bit poignant.. These 3 reflect his personal taste..for slow-stirring music..a music..which is both...introspectful and evocative...with minimum no. of instruments. Overall, an album with wonderful sound texture.. Songs are eclectic..could be personal preference.Most of the tracks are 6min-9min in length which is wonderful.some tracks like Himalaya and Silent Invocation C have a single melodic phrase played many times, which could make one feel 'if only he improvised more'. While the rest are completely improvised and sound innovative. And to add, it is rare that an ARR album sounds more-than-impressive in the 1st listening itself. This is one album which is like those Music Today range of albums, very contemplative, tranquil (except jiya se Jiya) and soft. Must buy for everyone who likes soothing music. The strategy to release this wonderful album first on mobile and much later on cds is one @$#%$&%*^$% strategy (pardon me for this), because this album deserves immediate attention. I would rate it much above any recent work by ARR (personal opinion). Lets hope it gets released soon.
Regards Kamal Aakarsh Vishnubhotla. http://kamal-aakarsh.blogspot.com
