Sri 2025
Unpretentiousness supreme: Indian musician simplifies his approach to melody to muse on existential issues with a lot of shakti and nuance.
Answers
Recent years proved to be very productive for this artist, and the fusion veteran’s two latest offerings measure the extremes of his work: while 2024’s "Full Moon" found Shankar Lakshminarayana delve deeply into classical waters, without losing sight of folk motifs which have always been present in his oeuvre, its follow-up couldn’t fare more different. Not that Mr. L. was ever a stranger to pop patterns, but if 2020’s "Chepleeri Dream" still demonstrated a prominent layer of world music, the nine numbers of “Answers” relinquish traditional tunes in favor of seemingly unsophisticated songs – focused on his voice. However, one should not underestimate the importance of the album’s instrumental aspect, emphasized by the presence of such luminaries as bassist Tony Levin and drummer Stephen Perkins who recorded with the Madras master before and are back now to elevate his performances, in vocal and violin departments, to artsy heights.
Although the title track opens the flow with sweet nervousness, Shankar’s bow going across the strings with funky intensity, it shows wondrous warmth, and the listeners are enveloped in the glow of his ivories, “Lot Of Things” compresses magic into an almost darkwave swirl only to unleash an irresistibly upbeat refrain and stay in the audience’s memory long after the infectiously hard-hitting “Thinking” is dissolved by silence. Surprisingly, “Innocent” – a lyrical duet with Juliett Rose that feels as strong in romantic terms as the sublime ballad “For You” – introduces Josh Lopez’s robust, yet delicate, riffs to the platter’s sonic palette, which “To Live” will take to the dancefloor. “Power Within” marries synthesizers’ shimmer to acoustic strum in a rather endearing way too, so yes, the R&B arrangements may alienate some fans of the Indian maestro, but the allure of “Answers” must attract fresh audience to his music.
****2/3
