Unbounded (Abaad)
Sufiscore, 2021
9/10
The sitar wizard Purbayan Chatterjee is in excellent company here, as Aleif Hamdan, Paras Nath, Michael League, Deepak Pandit and many more contribute their talents to the very diverse tracks that span the globe on this true worldly adventure.
“Shanmukhapriya- The Mystic” starts the listen with quivering strings and expressive vocal acrobatics, as dreamy moments of folk ideas are met with western jazz nods and Hindustani melodies, and “Sukoon- Catharsis” follows with sublime string plucking that radiates warmth and mystery as Thana Alexa’s stirring pipes guide the soothing beauty.
In the middle, the meticulous woodwinds of “Intezaar- The Wait” are complemented by graceful piano and dual gender singing that’s passionate and poetic, while “Lalitha- The Joyful Mother” flows with incredible dynamics between the strings, percussion and vocals, where a soaring climate develops amid a firm cultured appeal.
Near the end, the title track recruits Gary Husband, as he helps cultivate a romantic mood that welcomes Gayatri Asokan’s pretty singing alongside the subtle brass, and “Nayi Shuruaat- New Beginnings” exits the listen on a lush and meticulous album highlight, where keys, flute, strings, light drumming and flawless singing mesh together in inimitable ways.
A charming and captivating listen that pulls in artists from several countries, Chatterjee and company span Latin, jazz, folk, country, Sufi tradition, Western and Hindustani classical music textures here, and it’s all executed with much poise and depth.
Travels well with: Lucasz Pawlik- Long-Distance Connections; Flounder- I’m The Flounder