Nitin Sawhney Human CD

Human is a passable entry in the realm of coffee table trip-hop. Nitin Sawhney presents the album as the third piece in a trilogy of concept albums. Beyond Skin got things off to a wonderful start with its thrilling mix of exotic world music and lush electronics, and Prophesy was hampered by a pretentious concept and lackluster songs. Human is merely forgettable; it's inoffensive and, in small passages, quite beautiful, but it simply treads familiar ground and suffers from weak songwriting. The concept this time supposedly involves loads of introspection, and according to Sawhney, its themes were inspired by William Blake. Maybe such a premise would be good for a college thesis, but in execution here it merely feels tired and a bit contrived. The best thing that Human has going for it is that Sawhney has chosen some wonderful vocalists to give voice to his message. Indeed, Sawhney's collaborators far outshine his patchwork beats and barely-there melodies. Tina Grace, an aural dead ringer for Lisa Germano, provides some of the album's finest moments. Her tender tones on "Say Hello" bring to mind Jane Siberry's wonderful "Calling All Angels," though Sawhney nearly ruins the mood with an operatic Indian voice wailing in the background near the song's conclusion. Known for his cultural fusion, Sawhney stretches the conceit perhaps too far on Human. Sawhney's attempt to mix Indian and English voices is at least more successful on "Fragile Wind," where Grace and Jayanta Bose prove to be wonderful foils in their call and response, as well as in their harmonizing. Jacob Golden and the honey-voiced Reena Bhardwaj are an equally sublime mix on "Falling Angels," which sounds remarkably like Aimee Mann fronting Alpha. Outside these songs, Sawhney stumbles musically, offering lethargic sound collages, bland techno raves, vainglorious out-of-place samples of Martin Luther King Jr. and Margaret Thatcher, and lyrics that only a mother could love. A particularly cringe-worthy passage from "Waiting (O Mistress Mine)" unfolds as, "what is love, tis not hereafter, present mirth hath present laughter, what's to come, still unsure." Sawhney has proven himself a better songwriter in the past, but Human is weighed down by many of the same faults as Prophesy. One can't help but wonder if either Sawhney or V2 rushed this album to its release, or if Sawhney is resting on his laurels. ~ Tim DiGravina

Sixth album from world fusion maestro follows 2001's 'Prophesy'. Forging ahead with his trademark collision of disparate styles including jazz, blues, soul, funk, Indian classical & drum 'n' bass, 'Human' showcases a deeper sense of spirituality & peace than before & features vocals by previously unknown young singers, most of them discovered by Sawhney himself. Includes the single 'Falling'. V2. 2003.