You can buy the album here.
Like Abhijeet Sawant’s previous album, Farida too features multiples composers – four in total. Of Harpreet Singh’s (composer of the unfortunately under-rated sufi albums Teri Rehmatein and Teri Justujoo) two songs, title song makes beautiful use of the Former Indian Idol’s classical base over an instantly likeable guitar+synth-base. Aao Morey Piya too is very pleasant (the charm of hamsadhwani raga?), but sounds quite like a poor brother of Harpreet’s own Saaware that appeared in Shor In The City. Once again super singing by Abhijeet. Wonder if that electric instrument is a sitar or a sarod. Nakash Aziz is the weakest composer among the lot. Barring a few moments in the interludes, Jhalleya is largely middling, marred by the overused Punjabi base. His other song Kuch Kar Maula fares better, but only in comparison with the first. The tune has a very heard before feel about it, which is mitigated to an extent by the singing and some elements in the arrangement. Only to an extent though.
Composer 3 Rajiv Bhalla (who did that lovely called Bojhal Se in I AM) features some super guitar and sax in the rock-flavored Dil Fakira, easily one of the picks of the album. Watch out for the accordion-esque synth bassline that kicks off at the antara – very nice touch that. Firaaq Mein isn’t as good, the composer resorting to a stereotypically melancholic (read Bhatt) template. He does spruce it up with some nifty elements in the arrangement though – the man seems particularly enamored with the accordion sound; it makes an appearance here too. The final song of the album is a statement that Abhijeet isn’t the only competent musician in his house. Abhijeet’s brother Amit Sawant does a confident debut (?) as composer with the semiclassical piece called Baawri. Flute, harmonium, tabla are all put together quite deftly to delightful effect; Abhijeet doesn’t disappoint on his part either.
Last time it was Biddu, Amit Trivedi, Mithoon etc. In Farida, Abhijeet Sawant once again makes a wise choice of composers and creates a commendable set of songs.
Top Recos: Baawri, Farida, Dil Fakira
