Rudebox
Robbie Williams
EMI; Rs 135

Cock-a-doodle-doo America! Even if it means breaking out of his skin and delivering another set of funky tunes that take him to a lot of places but reach him nowhere. We now think that Robbie Williams has tried as hard as one possibly could, and it’s time now to please his true fans, instead of wracking his brains to find a way into the Americas with another set of mishmash tunes. It’s just not working pal, time you realised. Rudebox isn’t exactly shameful, in fact it has its share of flaring moments but they just point back to the fact that Robbie should play to his strengths, and maybe someday, even Mexico might hear. No real standouts here along the lines of Rock DJ, Feel, Angel, etc but songs like She’s Madonna, The 80s, The actor, Burslem normals, Summertime and Never touch that switch give us the good ol’ Robbie feel minus the big arena sound. Viva life on Mars is a brave attempt at capturing the current mood with a 70s frame of mind. We’re the Pet Shop Boys featuring the Pet Shop Boys is the surprise package here but it’s a funny feeling to hear the veteran band pronounce their own name. We’re the Pet Shop Boys… we’re the Pet Shop Boys …who else can you be? Hee hee! Lovelight meets the cool disco floor while Bongo Bong And Je Ne T'aime Plus meets plain stupidity. Most of the rest sums up a bore. (C)rudebox carries a parental advisory as well.

Sunny C. Dua

Shaala! Kono Upaye Nai
Kharaj Mukherjee
Prime Music; Rs 42

Crass as the title may sound the songs in it are not all that base. Songs like Aage bolo ni kano? (lyric, Joy Sengupta; music, Shubhomoy) or Sona rang, Dhak bajaye pelam prize or even the title song all written and set to music by Kharaj are a satiric take on Bengali lifestyle, wives, theme-puja and the likes. There is one song, Shib he, written and composed by Ramaprasad Banik. Coming essentially from a theatre background his singing has that rough edge and his deep voice is qualified for it. But the last song in the album, a Lalan Fakir song, Aamar e ghar khana, just might change the way you look at him as a singer.

Madhuparna Das