Topiwalleh is all bassy reggae with lyrics that hits out at politicians; Sanjeev Nayak’s violin conversing with the guitar is a lovely touch. Koorane seems to be doffing a hat at The Doors’ Roadhouse Blues; the hook is brilliant, while the folk embellishments are amazing! Rishton ka raasta is pleasant, and pensive, again with gorgeous violin, while Khul ja re‘s quirky percussion works, but is a forgettable tune. Ghum treats child sexual abuse in a dramatic, ominous tune, backed by highly ingenious acoustic guitar. Naane daari, the Kannada song, is reminiscent of Vasu’s work for Bengaloored and is a superb rock-folk mix. Aaj ki taaza fikar mocks the media hype machine impressively and works perfectly as the common man’s voice. Mukhote‘s prominent, violin-dripping prelude paves way to a song about hypocrisy and the more rock’ish portions. Duur kinara, featuring Shubha Mudgal, mixes everything from Kannada to Amir Khusrau to Kumaoni folk, but it is the powerful Kannada portion that stands out. The last track, Yeshu Allah aur Krishna‘s story-telling style in a reggae-base is theatrical and engaging. If Topiwalleh suffers on any count, it is the consistently middling vocals. But the album is undeniably impressive in its imagination and production.
Keywords: Swarathma, Topiwalleh, 200, #200