Sukshinder excels at traditional Bhangra without making it sound clichéd. It’s no surprise that songs which are more traditional are the better tracks on the album. Amongst the traditional songs, Saari Raat Nachdi Rahi is the best. It has an energy to it which should translate well to the dance floor. Mucch Khari is also worth a listen.
Four of the songs open with speech dialogues. Dialogues are a pet hate of mine as they aren’t usually funny enough to listen to more than once and need fast forwarding. They can also interrupt the flow of songs in a playlist. The worst dialogue was from Zamana Fast Hogaya which took over a minute to do. There is an interesting irony in the song. The artist is bemoaning technological advances, some of which he uses to promote his music.
Rock Da Party has two singles already released by Sukshinder. Hurr has been widely played and the opening dialogue to Hurr is an annoying attempt at self promotion. Nanka Mail is the better single of the two. But I thought that this song was overlooked because it’s video acts like a full blown film. The chorus brings in a nice contrast to Sukshinder’s vocals. Even though it is over eight minutes, there was enough in there to hold my interest right to the end.
The title track on the album was underwhelming and defiantly not something to rock the party. The changes in tempo and feel lead to a disjointed effect. Some of the lyrics felt dated as listing various designers has been done before. The other two more modern tracks on the album were ok. Do Pegg Desi De is an electro house experiment that sounds like it is from a Bollywood remix compilation. One in a Million is better and has a nice slow groove.
There are two songs that I was particularly drawn to on the album and found myself listening to more than the others. Hanju is the slowest song on the album and Sukshinder‘s vocals were excellent on this track. It is sad and mellow but doesn’t drown in its own tears. Ni Sohniye Ni opens the album. With it’s Latin themes and summery vibe this is a great song for the current weather and I'm pleased a video has been made for it.
Verdict: Sukshinder Shinda is a consistent artist who sings well. Despite it’s modern title Rock Da Party is a great album for those who like their Bhangra traditional.
No comments:
Post a Comment