Digital Raag
Karsh Kale appears to be one of those products perfectly engineered to trounce all over MTV India: London-born and New York-raised, he was classically trained on the tabla, got schooled in drums and now has crossed-over into the electronic world. Somehow, with Broken English, his third and most recent album, he manages to blend his rock, hip-hop and pop influences without coming across as too clichéd, too derivative or too irritating. No, he's not really breaking any new ground, but the catchy, eclectic tracks manage to get the sweaty, mutli-culti kids groovin' to a funky foreign rhythm.
On the opening track, "Manifest"-which serves almost as a statement for the CD's direction-MC Napoleon raps in English while Vishal Vaid sings in Hindi with a backing of Western and Eastern drums. "Free Fall" is one of the most interesting moments with its rock drumming, distorted guitars and Indian flutes that, in a strange way, seamlessly (you guessed it) blend together. Singer Trixie Reiss handles the lead on it with super sexy breaks, while Sabiha Khan provides Indian vocals, resulting in an ambient yet accessible dance track. "Drive" has more of a relaxing, lounge-y feel with sitars and a soft electronic beat.
The strongest track by far is "City Lights," a rock ballad which features a wonderfully played acoustic guitar, sitar solos and heartfelt vocals by band member Todd Michalsen-who draws inspiration from U2's Bono without necessarily becoming a cheesy imitation.
The live show mixes a bit of everything by using recorded loops from the Indian singers blended with the live band, which includes keys, guitars and Middle Eastern instruments. Michalsen will handle most of the leads, and Kale promises a few "surprise guests."