Sunday Star review, 02 July 2006

Eating Pomeloes from Tokyo to Tamil Nadu Makes My Heart Go Gubra

Artist: HARDESH SINGH

(SoundWorks Productions)

Reviewer: HARI RAJ

AT first glance, Pomeloes is a somewhat ungainly creature, as the prospect of four separate soundtracks looks to be about as balanced as a newborn giraffe. The album finds its feet soon enough, however, in the same length of time it takes the listener to realise that the emphasis is on composition, not cohesion.

The songs for Amir Muhammad’s still-banned Lelaki Komunis Terakhir are an intriguing lot, with all the ironic heft of a raised eyebrow lent by virtue of an almost RTM-esque delivery.

The music for Yasmin Ahmad’s Gubra and the Deepak Menon-helmed Chemman Chaalai continues in the same vein, spanning idyll and ambition, headache and heartbreak, with the latter set showcasing the composer’s Indian classical roots.

The album finishes with an edgy flourish, with the ambient score to Amir’s Tokyo Magic Hour veering into territory that is experimental as the film itself.

Rather than inundating the listener with variations on a theme, Pomeloes presents a veritable chocolate box of choices. It is an outstanding showcase to the versatility and talent of a man who (as only revealed by the briefest of liner notes) either composed, produced, performed, programmed, recorded or mixed every song on this album ... our very own Hardesh Singh.

Incidentally, if you are rushing out to get this, bear in mind that the album is really hot off the factory floor and might not be widely available until next weekend.