Geoff Wilbur's Music Blog Covering Great Music Regardless of Genre Home Table of Contents FAQ About the Publisher Writers Contact Subscribe Search … Album Review: Sultans Recent Posts of String with Anwar Cosmo Sheldrake – Pelicans We EP May 27, 2016 Album Review: Katrina Stone – Never Wanna Grow Up May 26, Khurshid – 2016 Album Review: Sultans of String with Anwar Khurshid – Subcontinental Drift Subcontinental Drift May 21, 2016 Posted on May 21, 2016 by JamesMorris Geoff’s Night Out: The DuPont Brothers at The Backyard May 15, 2016 Album Review: Persona – Elusive Reflections May 14, 2016 Album Review: Jimmy Lee Morris – Wilderness Wood May 7, 2016 Album Review: Rusty G’s – Low May 1, 2016 Album Review: Amy & the Engine – TandeMania April 26, 2016 Album Review: Altered Sky – Without Wonderland April 23, 2016 Album Review: Fire Tiger – Energy April 16, 2016 photo by Kevin Kelly; photo courtesy of LW Communications Album Review: PreCog – Are We Lost April 14, 2016 by James Morris, Contributing Blogger Album Review: Apocalyptic Lovers – Redemption Volume I April 12, 2016 Album Review of Sultans of String with Anwar Khurshid: Album Review: Cherry Suede – Subcontinental Drift Between Here and There April 2, 2016 Album Review: Samantha Preis Subcontinental Drift is the 5th album from Sultans of String – Good News March 27, 2016 who were formed 8 years ago through the unique musical Album Review: Park Sipes – Rise Above March 25, 2016 relationship between violinist Chris McKhool and guitarist Kevin Album Review: Ilona – Laliberte. The band’s signature sound was cemented by the Fragile Heart March 21, 2016 joining of three additional members: bass player Drew Birston, Album Review: The Sweetest Condition – Edge of the World a veteran of Chantal Kreviazuk’s band, Cuban percussionist March 17, 2016 Rosendo Chendy Leon, who’d previously played with Album Review: Love and a .38 – Nomads March 14, 2016 Parachute Club, and guitarist Eddie Paton, who’d worked with – Nomads March 14, 2016 Album Review: The Chapin flamenco star Robert Michaels. Sisters – Today’s Not Yesterday March 10, 2016 In their illustrious career, the band have enjoyed success in the Album Review: Byron Nemeth – The Video Chronicles March 7, Canadian national radio charts, received the Sirius XM 2016 Independent Music Award as well as other multiple awards and accolades including two JUNO nominations and two Canadian Folk Music Awards. They have mixed with renowned artists, Recent Comments including Paddy Moloney and the Chieftains and for this new Ricardo Alvarenga on Album Review: Samantha Preis – … Ken Hill on Album Review: Samantha Preis – … troup1998 on Album Review: Park Sipes – Ris… Album Review: Ilona… on The Road Back #9: Ilona Album Review: Simon… on The image courtesy of LW Communications Road Back #3: Dr Scar… album are joined by special guest, sitar master, Anwar Khurshid. Archives Anwar’s music has previously appeared in the Oscar winning films Life of Pi, Kama Sutra, and Love Guru, and his May 2016 April 2016 contribution to this album certainly adds colours and rhythms March 2016 that are both exotic and cinematic in scope. February 2016 January 2016 There is a genuinely uplifting feeling about the whole thing, and December 2015 November 2015 at times it put me in mind of the spirit captured by Mark October 2015 Knopfler in his soundtrack to Local Hero. Sure the styles are worlds apart, but they both share an inexplicable ability to transport you and release your imagination through mesmeric Categories musical imagery. Administrative Album Reviews Chris McKhool is unsurprisingly excited about the collaboration Live Reviews Music Reviews (excl albums) with Anwar Khurshid: “There is something magical about Music Reviews (excl albums) Meta Log out Entries RSS Comments RSS WordPress.com Follow Blog via Email Click to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Join 14 other followers Follow photo by Kevin Kelly; photo courtesy of LW Communications joining the world music rhythms we play, with pop sensibilities and blending that with the music of the East.” He is not wrong, and I have to say how much I enjoyed the album. It seemed to pull on so many of the musical influences of my past but in a fresh, out of left field, kind of way. Memories were stirred of early Rod Stewart, “Mandolin Wind” and “Maggie May” on the opening track “Enter The Gate,” with the folksy intertwining guitar and violin. This also led me to remember the fiddle playing on “Don’t Pass Me By” on The Beatles’ White Album. Of course when you start thinking Beatles, there is the Harrison factor when listening to the combination of sitar mixing and swirling with the rest of the band. The whole talented, textured performance drips passion and pleasure. This is, no doubt, why the whole thing sparks a real joie de vivre for the soul. The mix of traditional folk instruments and photo by Kevin Kelly; photo courtesy of LW Communications sitar work sublimely. Inspired really. It’s this happiness to mix things up that makes the second track “Rakes of Mallow/ Rouge River Valley” so upbeat and uplifting. A foot tapping jig with a wonderful twist. More links to my musical favourites were highlighted by the bold cover of Dylan’s “Blowin’ In The Wind.” It’s one of those songs that maybe you don’t do, too familiar, too cliche? But I was blown away by this distinct and imaginative adaptation. I’m pretty sure Dylan, who is no stranger to taking his tunes and changing arrangements, would be really happy to hear how this reggae/bhangra/folk fusion turned out. The only slight disappointment on the album for me was “A Place To Call Home”; with its country-style vocal, it seemed a bit out of place. It is a lovely song but somehow less exotic than the rest of the album. It was a brief dip on what is otherwise an exceptional album, and I was soon on my magical journey again. After being swept along by the hypnotic “Snake Charmer,” I was delighted by the beautiful voice of another guest performer, Shweta Subram on “Parchan Shaal Panhwar.” photo by Kevin Kelly; photo courtesy of LW Communications So many great songs on this album make it hard not to try and detail each one’s benefits. “Journey To Freedom” was the next track, and it slipped like silk across a musical landscape so simple that it’s gentle footsteps made all the more impact. The song, jointly written by the band and Anwar Khurshid, traces Anwar’s journey from Pakistan to his new home in Canada. Before rounding things off, I want to also mention the lovely fat bass lines on title track “Subcontinental Drift” and then the delicate, almost Paul Simon like calmness of final track, “A Heart Does What It Does.” A beautiful end to a classy album. I’d not listened to Sultans of String before and the strength of this new album made me go and check out their previous releases. I was not disappointed and can easily see why they enjoy the award-winning success they have had. Inviting Anwar Khurshid to collaborate on this album was a stroke of genius and has created an album of sunshine, happiness and positivity like a meditative soundtrack for your soul. On the Road According to the tour calendar page on the Sultans of String’s website, the bandhas two remaining gigs in May – the first, tomorrow night, May 22nd, at Cafe Nine in New Haven, Connecticut; then April 26th at a conference at Humber College in Toronto. Beyond that, upcoming concerts include a June 3 Kerrville Folk Festival date, a June-July 2016 tour of the UK and Ireland, and dozens of dates booked across Canada and in the U.S. throughout 2016 and into 2017. Check to band’s website to see when the group will be performing near you. Share this: Press This Twitter Facebook 3 Google Pinterest Email Print Reddit Tumblr LinkedIn Pocket Reblog Like Be the first to like this..