Anubhav
Indrani Sen
Prime Music; Rs 42

This is definitely a different Indrani. Those who are into Indrani?s Rabindrasangeet would surely get a different experience in this album. The songs here require her to bring out that playful quality in her voice and she has done it with accomplishment.

The songs are written by Amitabha Bhattacharya, and Soumya Basu and Debashish Ganguly?s music gives Anubhav a feel of revival which was lost from Bengali modern songs. It?s nice to listen to Indrani masterfully voicing a style that?s not identified with her. Undoubtedly, her voice has a versatility that is proved again in Anubhav.

Each song experiments by incorporating strains of Hindi, English and Sanskrit and that works well with the sound though can?t say that they are very related to the main theme. The song, Mon, has Soumya singing the line, Sajna bina man maane na kyun, or similarly in Rang, the line, Barse barse saawan. Again, Sparsha has Rukmini Sen accompanying Indrani in English, Touch the rain, but they do give each song a distinctive touch. On the whole, it is a smart album in terms of music, lyrics and presentation.

Madhuparna Das

Khola Janlaay
Samik Sinha
Prime Music; Rs 42

Samik Sinha dishes out his mixed bag of modern Bengali songs in Khola Janlaay. Among the eight numbers there are two tart satires (Swasur jaane and Dale dale jog din) which amuses at a certain level. The folk-based love lyric, Tiring biring (written by Kingshuk and tuned by Samik himself) is rendered with verve. Dekhi na sakaal (penned by Sougata Rudra, tuned by Amit Sur) is a plaintive number. Samik imparts a good dramatic quality to his renditions, but he should avoid singing lyrics like Phire eso Nilanjana which, in its theme and vocabulary, reeks strongly of the Nachiketa predecessor.

Rangbahari
Rita Bhattacharya
Prime Music; Rs 42

Rita Bhattacharya has a cultivated and intoxicating voice, suitable to laghusangeet. But, one feels, she should be a little more choosy about the songs she lends voice to. The words of most of the lyrics seem too drab and dated to make any lasting impression. The music by Banikantha are acceptable, but not extraordinary ? that of Baje riniki jhini sounds like a not-too-clever appropriation of Salil Choudhury?s Baro sunyo sunyo din (sung by Lata Mangeskar). But Rita, all the same, sings them with elan. Meghla din (written by Amit Das) and Mon je mataal (by Sri Barun) are the two of the most pleasing ones.

Arnab Bhattacharya