Tarli Digital - #Digitaal

#Digitaal is Tarli Digital’s latest album. At eleven tracks and an intro, it’s a hefty album. I like the title and the colourful album sleeve with its sharp straight lines, so the first impressions are good.

Tarli doesn’t mess around with his Bhangra, which is a good thing. Songs are kept simple and traditional. They have a classic feel to them and nothing sounds out of place. But there were a few tracks where I felt Tarli could have experimented a just a little more.

There is a good mix of singers on the album, but disappointingly there are no female ones to add a bit of variety and contrast. Dalvinder Singh sings on three of the tracks on the album. He has collaborated successfully with Tarli before and this working relationship shows in the music. The songs that Dalvinder provides the vocals for have a more modern feel and were the better tracks on the album.

The first track with Dalvinder Singh was also released as a single. Mittran De Naal Karde is made for the dance floor with plenty of dhol thanks to The Dhol Foundation who feature on the track. There is some nice bass and I expect to hear this a lot over the current wedding season.

Dil Dhak Dhak Soniye was also released as a single. I first blogged about it here at the end of January and I am still playing it. With the current weather, it’s summery vibes have come into their own and it is one of the best songs on the album.

Angrez Ali provides the vocals for Roop Tere Teh which is another track earmarked for the dance floor. This is a more traditional song which is well put together. Shareef is another good traditional song. There are nice changes of tempo in the track which stop it from becoming too monotonous.

Out of the slower songs on the album, Ik Saun Mahina is my favourite. There is a laid back feel to the track and the string sample halfway through the track worked wonderfully. Khwaba Vich is another slower song that is worth a listen.

Leh Gaya Haaseh is a modern qawali featuring Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. It seems like he is springing up on every album currently released. It’s great to hear him doing what he does best with a backing group, which is often left out when producers borrow Rahat for a track.

Verdict: #Digitaal is a great example of how good traditional bhangra can be when it is well produced. Tarli Digital has put a lot of effort into #Digitaal and it has paid off. A solid album with some good stand out songs.