Customer Reviews

Lal Meri

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Lal Meri's fun self-titled debut album is like drinking down mango lassis and savoring vegetable samosas. From its opening,trancelike "Dreams of 18" to the closing,mystical title track, it's easy listening with an Eastern touch. Nancy Kaye,who once went by the name Rosey, provides the smoky,spicy vocals. Lal Meri's sound is reminiscent of Bitter:Sweet,another LA-based jazz fusion group. As Bitter:Sweet provided themes for NBC's now-defunct "Lipstick Jungle",so does Lal Meri provide themes for shows like "Samantha Who?"

Lal Meri is delicious easy listening. "Sweet Love" and "Bad Things" are humorous. "Borders" is more dreamlike. "Give your light" and "Take me as I am" are songs about relationships. "Rainbow" has a swing feel to it. "Mausam" (interestingly,this is also a song title on the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack) and "Lal Meri" are more mystical.

Lal Meri's self-titled debut is promising. It's a rainbow of sound!

I love this CD. I heard some tracks on NPR,and fell in love with it. I was not disappointed with the full CD, which blends western pop, amazing vocals and traditional Indian music.

This CD is fantastic. Lal Meri's voice is alive and her personality shows in every cut. This is a great album.

Nancy Kaye's ability to convey emotion and sexuality through her voice is nothing short of amazing. Her jazz background mixes well with the world inspired music. The music itself is catchy and brilliant. The combination comes out as an unexpected and beautiful surprise.

Simply put Lal Meri is addictive so do yourself a favor and give this album at least a few listens.

I heard the NPR review and nabbed it right away. It's a really pleasant fusion of musical styles. I think the real highlights are the first three songs, but there really isn't a bad track. It's not a five star album, but it's a good, solid four star.

Just stumbled onto this album, but now I wake up daily with the various songs in my head. Persuasive. Great lyrics, vocals, and production, with insightful tabla, trumpet, and oud, for something that leaves you feeling whole and good--with a sensuous undercurrent. Best musical surprise in many years (outside Thievery Corp).

I also heard about this group from NPR and immediately downloaded the entire album from iTunes. The album is solid from start to finish and each track is unique and enjoyable. Nancy's voice is versatile and sexy and it's what sets this group apart from others that have a similar East-meets-West feel. If you're looking for accessible lounge music that's also catchy, you found it.

If you love music,

you will love this CD.

The work is the ultimate in fusion.

Elegant and dimensional.

I was constantly reminded of Zero 7 throughout.

There is merit to each and every song on this disc.

A rarity these days.

Well done, very well done - Lal Meri

After being haunted by DREAMS OF 18 for almost a year, I finally downloaded the entire album. Time wasted -- the time I waited to hear the rest of the album. Although there have been other attempts at blending Indian music with western music, Lal Meri has done it best. They've not just mixed and matched the two styles in a counterpoint which is more than the sum of its parts, but, they've thrown in original and very good songwriting. To top it off, Nancy Kaye is a world class singer waiting to happen. When in her lower alto voice, she has a smoky nightclub voice, seductive like few others. When in her upper range, she conveys every emotion imaginable from innocence to a no nonsense pop directness. When doing backup vocals against Lal Meri's mesmerizing Indian singer,Pooja Lal, the possibilities seem endless. Although the only thing missing in this band are guitars, the rainbow of sounds that Ireesh Lal and Carmen Rizzo create against the mix of Indian and western percussion don't leave any void. There's enough depth to this album to listen over and over. I can only think of a handful of other albums in my life that I've listened to endlessly as I have this album. This is a band that is onto something never accomplished successfully before. Don't miss out.

This is an amazing album all the way through. Very unique sounding and vibrant. I cant stop listening.