Across the Universe

Amit Chaudhuri is a one-off in India, a writer, intellectual and composer who says things like “I don't see any separation between music and thought” and aims to make “an argument in each song.” If you had to reach for equivalents elsewhere you might think of a David Byrne or Caetano Veloso – clever as hell but fear not, like them this album is not a dry academic work, but full of real pleasure and joy. There are some head-scratching collisions, like the final track which mixes Joe Zawinul's ‘In a Silent Way’ with the Indian National Anthem, written by Tagore. An oblique piece of anti-nationalism or merely a couple of beguiling tunes which work together? He says it's a ‘re-contextualisation’, reclaiming the anthem for its musicality. The Beatles’ ‘Across the Universe’, it turns out, works with a Rageshri raga. A version of The Doors’ ‘The End’ is turned inside out and upside down. You wouldn't call Chaudhuri's voice one of the greats but it's very effective in this context, surprisingly sweet and seductive. He is joined on the album by a relatively minimal line-up of Matt Hodges on delicate piano and keyboards, Paul Williams on the bass, Nafees Irfan on the tabla, and Adam Moore on the guitars. The way he destroys boundaries is liberating, a triumph of free-thinking. It's been 13 years since his last outing, too long. A thought-provoking but delicious listen.