Perhaps not as crash-bang energetic as a lot of bhangra, this compilation from ARC Records collects a number of the brighter stars in the bhangra world, albeit for a fairly laid-back run of the genre. The album opens with the usually highly energetic Daler Mehndi, here tossing in an excellent piece that mixes acoustic guitar with a throbbing beat and chorus. The tempo is keyed down a bit, but the energy is somehow infused from Mehndi's emotive delivery. Rajeshwari Sachdev contributes a number with a nice trip-hop style ...
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Perhaps not as crash-bang energetic as a lot of bhangra, this compilation from ARC Records collects a number of the brighter stars in the bhangra world, albeit for a fairly laid-back run of the genre. The album opens with the usually highly energetic Daler Mehndi, here tossing in an excellent piece that mixes acoustic guitar with a throbbing beat and chorus. The tempo is keyed down a bit, but the energy is somehow infused from Mehndi's emotive delivery. Rajeshwari Sachdev contributes a number with a nice trip-hop style layer underneath her slinky vocals, and Rajinder Raina tosses in a piece of more traditional fare. Jasbir Jassi's first contribution tries for emotive power, but the end result is somewhat more melodramatic than it is dramatic. Despite that, the album picks right back up with more energetic pieces courtesy of both Ashoo Punjabi and Daler Mehndi. Sukhwinder Singh's version of bhangra has something of a minimalist electronica bent which verges on the menacing, but the album again picks itself back up with Daler Mehndi's energy, followed by another dose of Rajeshwari Sachdev's slinkiness. Preet Brar contributes a particularly modern incarnation of bhangra to good effect, and after a quick stop with the Bindaas Boyz, the album ends with something of a redemption for Jasbir Jassi, who managed to pull back on the melodrama a bit for a little more vocal subtlety and a more digestible bit of electronica. The album as a whole is an intriguing look at bhangra, usually known for its all-night party power. Here it's a more emotional bhangra, a more modern one, taking on more layers than one might usually notice. ~ Adam Greenberg, Rovi
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