Rebirth
Jennifer Lopez
Sony/BMG; Rs 150

Super butt Jennifer Lopez has been rebirthing with each new relationship. If her last failed attempt with Ben Affleck gave us This Is Me?Then, her latest fiasco-in-the-making with Mark Anthony has spawned Rebirth. And that?s the only new angle one can associate with her regenerating anything at all and calling it a brand new record.

We don?t have to face it for we just know that JLo?s music is not to be taken too seriously. She has cheeked up many a hit single and all that?s just part of her spot-on entrepreneurship that has productively layered up the millions she keeps spending so damn recklessly.

The beats on Rebirth are hardly path-breaking as the album?s name leads us to believe, but is an enjoyable ride even with its partial share of sprightly moments. Get right has a peculiarly catchy rhythm that gets you moving from side to side in an instant, but after a while the infectious beats take a scratchy turn and are then smartly copied on to the next track, Step into my world, a sensuous Arabian style groove-ridden cut that catches you tapping a fair amount of toe.

The real surprise is, however, the hard-edged Cherry pie, which meshes a generous spread of funk rock with her energetic boogie beats giving us something dissimilar from the mainstream grind and ballad fare that?s pumping on this disc. She asks herself an amusing question here ?Why do the wild ones turn me on?? (to which we can only pretend by saying that we wish we really knew) and ends up hollering out an innuendo a la Janet Jackson, ?I can be your cherry pie and you can be my cream on top?.

Whatever you wanna do is another funky dance heavy track that gets you in the groove immediately. I got u and Still around are catchy mid-tempo songs with some amount of flair, holding the mid-section of the album together before it cracks up towards the end. He?ll be back is a pathetic little love song even by JLo standards. (Can?t believe) this is me starts off well but is suddenly obscured by its overtly melodramatic chorus. Just goes to show that JLo performs better within her limitations and also that there isn?t much left to explore.

Just one more feat remains to be achieved by JLo ? that of divulging her real assets and putting an end to all the hype that drives one to watch her films or buy her merchandise, not to mention her music. That would be the definitive rebirth.

Sunny Dua

Pagol
Rasiya Swagato
Sagarika; Rs 40

This album is a breath of fresh air. When Bangla bands are dominating the music scene, Swagato manages to hold on to his own. He sounds like a one-man band. His voice oozes a lot of energy, the music and the lyrics are folk, but his singing style is distinctly urban. This unique fusion sets the album apart.

Also, what strikes one about Swagato is his powerful yet unusual voice. He has mouled it brilliantly and always seems at ease which means he has got what it takes. This is evident in numbers like Laiya laiya, Ore moina and Pagol rasiya. At times he gets carried away and sings unnecessarily at a very high pitch which could have been avoided. The lyrics (by Swagato, Abhijit Basu and Tusharkanti De) could have been a little more imaginative. They stick to the tried and tested folk themes. But overall, a good effort.

Prithvijit Mitra

Bishwabhara Pran
Mohan Singh
Bhavna; Rs 40

It?s always a pleasure to listen to the rich voice of Mohan Singh. This album showcases his inimitable rendition of 10 Tagore songs. A few songs seem to have deviated from the tune we are accustomed to hearing, but Mohan Singh is otherwise authentic in his style and the songs are in conformation with the Santiniketan tradition. Songs included in this album are masterpieces like Dariye achho tumi amar, Antar mamo bikashito koro, Bimalo anonde jago, Amar matha nato kore dao among others. A coveted possession.

Madhuparna Das