Brahmaputra is a unique album, not only because it is multi-lingual but also because its sound is fresh, the tunes seem to be Western but also have very Indian touches and flourishes.
It would be difficult to slot it into a particular genre; some of the songs have a pure soft rock sound whereas a couple are acoustic numbers. Five of the songs are Assamese, two Hindi, one Hindi/Nepali and one Deori.
The mood of the album is set straightaway with a beautiful guitar intro in the first song, Tumar Baabe, an outstanding love ballad in which singers Utkal and Bhabna hit some really high notes which are rarely heard in Assamese songs. Someone must have been truly inspired while composing this song.
The second song, Kaan Dhorisu (Mod Nakhau) is a comic song with a populist flavour, the kind that a group of friends would sing along with a guitar or two after getting drunk. The first two lines are ‘Kaan dhorisu aru mod nakhau / Suwali loi aru ghuri nasau’.
Mon Maya Tora Bhora is probably the catchiest song of all. It’s an uptempo, playful song sung by Bornalee, and has nice guitar and piano work.
The next song, Moy Asu Roi, shows Utkal’s amazing vocal range and power. It has very minimal instrumentation, featuring just acoustic guitars, bass and piano, and ends with a cradle-song-like hum.
Sokulu is another intense song about lost love. Of the Assamese songs, this is the one with the pure rock touch, featuring two guitars, bass and drums.
After the atmospheric seashore end of Sokulu, the song that follows is the very pleasant Hindi love duet, Aksar. A beautiful piano progression forms the basis of the song. The only drawback would be the lyrics, which are no great shakes.
Woh Ek Shaam contains some really great, adrenaline-rush inducing guitar work by Silman Marak. This song is pure rock, and might remind one of power ballads by bands like Def Leppard, Creed and Bon Jovi. One can imagine listening to this song with rain pouring outside and a hot cup of coffee in hand.
The bilingual Jao Na is linked with Woh Ek Shaam in that the opening lines of the latter are repeated in this song too. The vocals could have been a little more accurate on this song, which is nonetheless still pleasant; it’s about meeting your loved one after a year.
The last song, the Deori Igaba Gyani O brings the album to a very mellow close. It was written as an elegy to a departed husband. The tune is wonderfully pleasant and heartbreaking at the same time.
As mentioned before, Brahmaputra defies easy slotting, but what definitely can be said of it is that it has a feel-good vibe running throughout. Even though the lyrical content of some of the songs may be tragic, the overall impression is still uplifting. A few minor pronounciation errors exist in places, but only a nitpicker would hold that against what is otherwise a very good effort.
Serene, natural and pure music which is a real steal at Rs 45. The songs can be heard online at http://soundclick.com/brahmaputra The album is currently available in selected shops across the country.- With inputs from Jehan Handa and Amarjit Singha.
