World Music Round-Up: June 2009
First Appeared in The Music Box, June 2009, Volume 16, #6
Written by Douglas Heselgrave
Mon June 22, 2009, 04:30 AM CDT
The Idan Raichel Project
Within My Walls
(Cumbancha)
Within My Walls, the second album from Israeli keyboard player/composer Idan Raichel, follows the same formula as his groundbreaking, self-titled debut. Once again, Raichel essentially acts as a facilitator. To craft the endeavor, he asked artists from all of the cultural and ethnic regions of his country to join him in the studio to create music that is full of optimism and hope. Reflecting a mélange of styles that ranges from traditional Jewish folk songs to Ethiopian trance music, Raichel’s compositions successfully balance the diverse influences of the gathered musicians to produce songs that succeed on their own terms.
Of course, Raichel’s approach inevitably means that some of the tracks on Within My Walls work better than others. While he must be commended for the inclusiveness of his ego-free style, there also is a tendency on a few of the album’s cuts for his encompassing keyboard melodies to drift into the realm of new-age fare. When Raichel has his mojo working, all the pieces come together. Some of the cuts, such as the brilliant Todas las Palabras (All the Words), are exhilarating.
In the troubled region of the Middle East, Raichel has become an icon whose
cultural relevance is at least as important as his musical status. His work
represents and demonstrates tolerance, hope, and compassion. If everyone shared
Raichel’s global vision, the world would be a much happier place. 
½
Purchase: Barnes & Noble
Lee "Scratch" Perry
Repentance
(Narnack)
Over the past 40 years, Lee "Scratch" Perry has done a lot to change the sound of modern music. As a result, whenever he releases a new album, it inevitably is judged on the basis of everything else he has accomplished. Repentance, Perry’s latest endeavor, is a collaboration with up-and-coming producer Andrew WK. Unlike many of his recent efforts, which seem to be collections of random thoughts, Repentance feels as if it has been carefully planned. It is absolutely breathtaking how the material on the outing runs the gamut from roots reggae to disco and from soul to techno.
After several prolific decades in the business, Perry stunningly remains
capable of conjuring rhythms that are out of this world. He is at the top of his
game throughout Repentance, and it’s wonderful to hear him actually give
everything he has to his vocals instead of relying solely on the
stream-of-consciousness raps that have become his trademark. Repentance
demonstrates that it’s too early to count Perry out. After all, how many other
septuagenarians not only could sing "Pussy come/Pussy go/Jesus Christ is
eternal" with immense passion but also make it work in a song?
Purchase: Barnes & Noble
Midival Punditz
Hello Hello
(Six Degrees)
Midival Punditz is a New Delhi-based electronica duo that successfully merges aspects of traditional Indian fare with modern techno music to achieve a sound that is increasingly its own. Formed in 1997 by recording engineers Gaurav Raina and Tapan Raj, Midival Punditz initially garnered attention by touring with Bill Laswell and Zakir Hussain’s collaborative project Tabla Beat Science as well as with Karsh Kale. Over the years, the group has refined its jagged, hard-edged persona, making room alongside its synthesized beats and vocals for classical Indian textures, such as bamboo flutes and dhols.
Midival Punditz seems to delight in its approach, and this, in turn, lends a
joyously playful air to all of the tracks on its latest set Hello Hello.
The best song on the album is the band’s enthusiastic, beat-infused cover of Led Zeppelin’s Four Sticks. Here, the faux-Indian melodies that originally
were conjured by Robert Plant and Jimmy Page have been carried to their logical
conclusion. The results are dizzying. Other standout songs include the gentle,
chill-out soundscapes explored in Naina Laagey and Drifting. Tunes
like Desolate and Sun Mere Sanam are equally enjoyable because of
how well the group bends its style around modern dance music. For certain,
Hello Hello is Midival Punditz’s most compelling outing yet.
Purchase: Barnes & Noble
Of Further Interest...
Broken Spindles - Fulfilled/Complete
Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2009 The Music Box