“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.” -Alan Watts
Very rarely does anything good come out of a terrorist attack (I distinctly remember that unfortunate collaboration between Nelly ( “I’m just kiddin’ like Jason”) and Fred “Don’t get me started” Durst, with a god awful cover of “What’s Going On” by Artists Against AIDS Worldwide that would illicit a tasteless Marvin Gaye joke.). Nitin Sawhney goes against the grain, and produces a heart-felt tribute to London that acts as an eclectic mix of songs that capture a snapshot of how London has changed since 9/11, and the terrorist attacks on 7/7/2005 by four people in response to the War in Iraq.
Nitin Sawhney’s work has appeared everywhere from The Proms (an eight-week series of classical music concerts and events in London) to dance clubs around the world. He has taken his musical background and made a bunch of critically successful, and award winning albums. “London Undersound” features guests ranging from: Imogen Heap, Natty, Paul McCartney and Anoushka Shankar (Ravi Shankar’s daughter/ Norah Jones Half-sister). The album successfully recreates the eclectic sounds from around the world that you’d hear on a journey on the Tube; all mixed with a healthy dose of dub.
The album has fantastic political commentary from London Bombing survivor Natty (was in Tavistock Square when bus exploded and few carriages away from Jean Charles de Menezes when he was shot in a case of mistaken identity) Paul “I still have not forgiven him for Wings” McCartney waxes philosophical on the paparazzi, and the cult of celebrity and some brilliantly mixed interludes that show the current political turbulence in Britain.
The album might not be for everyone, but it’s a must buy for anglophiles and people who want something on the cutting edge.
Review By: Shawn Alexander Roy
[Rating: 5/5]