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Trust Pritish Nandy to try to bring a different flavor to Bollywood. The producer of offbeat films such as “Jhankar Beats” and the excellent “Pyar Ka Side Effects” returns with his latest offering. When first seeing the title, I thought that this was going to be some kind of patriotic war movie. My thoughts couldn’t be further from the truth as the movie turns out to be about a very specific Anglo-Indian neighborhood in Kolkata that lives in one of the city’s oldest buildings. This community is like a pocket universe amidst the sprawling city, where you are more apt to find English Rock ‘n’ Roll being played rather than Bollywood tunes. This community is proud of their heritage and is caught amongst a culture clash that threatens to destroy their identity. Director Anjan Dutt promises to bring forth a poignant and touching tale. A unique community such as this is sure to inspire a unique soundtrack. Keeping things in the family, the director brings his son on board to create the musical soundscape for the movie. Neel Dutt creates a soundtrack that is very much English and very much Indian. One thing is for sure, if you are expecting the usual Pritamatic Himeshsonic soundtrack, then you’ll have to look elsewhere, but if you are in the mood for something different…. then keep on ROCKING! The soundtrack starts off with the track, “Jab Maine Dekha Use” which is sung with much verve by the effervescent Shaan. He brings the house down in a song that could easily have been a Rock ‘N’ Roll hit in the 50’s. The lyrics are written by Anjan and Neel Dutt and sung to perfection by the lead vocalist. This one will get you off your feet and doing the twist. Good golly miss molly, it’s time to ROCK! Shout out, “Bow Barracks Forever”! The second track is titled, “Home” and will make you dream about the inherent pride we have in the place that is called home. The vocalist this time out is Dominique (a backup vocalist heard on other soundtracks, who usually specializes in singing in English). It’s a background song that stands up as a stand-alone track and is sung with much passion by the vocalist. Perhaps the music director had a tight budget and decided to primarily use synth keyboards in place of real instrumentation. I can’t help but think that this song would have benefited from the use of real violins, flutes, and drums. Still, it’s another offbeat winner for this offbeat soundtrack. The lyrics are poignantly written and even if you don’t know what Bow Barracks refers to, you will find yourself singing along and saying, “Bow Barracks Forever”! Now, let’s move forward. I was thinking to myself the other day, is there a really good Hindi Christmas song!? Now, really, is there? We’ve got a great Diwali song from the lost in the shuffle “Home Delivery”, but what else? Well, here comes an instant classic that can be played each year to feel that yuletide joy. The inimitable Usha Utthup sings “Teri Meri Merry Christmas” with much gusto. The lyrics are fun and sentimental, and the music suitably backs the holiday atmosphere;however, it’s Usha Utthups joyously boisterous vocals that makes this an instant classic. So have a “Teri Meri Merry Christmas” and remember to keep on saying “Bow Barracks Forever”! The fourth track, “Bow Barracks Forever” starts with a beautiful piano into which leads the listener to the excellent vocalist, country singer Kenny Rogers! Oops, I meant vocalist Anjan Dutt (who pulls double duty as director of the movie) who sings with a lot of emotion. His voice makes you want to put on a cowboy hat, get on your high horse, and ride into the sunset. (“Yeehaw!”). The song is well sung and subtle. I got all mellow inside after listening to this one and so will you. With this song, you won’t be shouting, but you will be whispering, “Bow Barracks forever”. The fifth track moves away from the mellow sound of the fourth track. “Dance through the Night” is a Latin inspired tune, that is probably the most commercial sounding song of the album. It lifts the listener’s mood and is sung with a gravelly voice by Dibyendu. The instrumentation, lyrics and lead vocals blend in well together in a track that doesn’t fall into the noisy dance track trap. Sing it in Spanish, “Bow Barracks Para Siempre”! For the sixth track, “The Bright Young Love Theme” you need to turn off the lights, close your eyes, and let the soft guitar make you dream of your loved one. It’s a nice little instrumental that whispers softly to the heart. The seventh track, “The Lost Glory” is a nice instrumental cover of the classic “Amazing Grace”. The timeless song gets a jazzy trumpet makeover that is simple, sweet and straight to the point. All in all, this is an album for those of you who want to get away from the standard Bollywood Dhamaka that the Hindi music scene has turned into. There are no dance/trance/techno songs that repeat the same lyrics over and over again ad nauseam (with a little rap/reggae/bhangra thrown in for good measure). Instead you get an album that is worth the effort to listen to, get into, and appreciate for its creativity. Make no mistake, this album is not for everyone, but if you are in the mood to stretch your musical ears a bit, then this is one that is not to be missed. Too bad, that it will probably be unnoticed, just like the movie. In the meantime, take a moment to look into the history of Bow Barracks and listen to this album. A unique story of culture clash results in a unique album that fuses the East and West together to create a memorable soundscape. Be proud, play it loud and shout, “Bow Barracks Forever”!
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