Hats off to Zee Records for giving Kashti an album. And those who accuse us of plugging Zee, be damned. First it was Agosh, and now Kashti. The music coming from this label seems to be getting only better, unlike some other record companies we know.We couldn't claim we heard about Kashti prior to the release of their debut album Parchaiyaan. Chennai-based Kashti is a two-member outfit – vocalist Bonnie and guitarist-keyboardist Neil Mukherjee – ably supported by some very talented session musicians who are in no hurry to flash their stuff. So even though they're doing some pretty amazing things with whatever instrument their playing on the eight tracks of Parchaiyaan, they're only teasing you with small doses of fantastic stuff. So by the time you've tuned your ear to some interesting sound you caught on atrack, it's gone. No element is pronounced; everything softly glides into the soundscape. Another remarkable feature on this album is the seamless way in which a Carnatic tune meanders into rock, or folk. Sometimes even into pure funk. And here again, even before you can categorise a tune into any of the abovementioned genres, it slithers into some other genre.

Two other aspects that this album stands out for are the recording quality and lyrics. Recorded and mixed in Picture Productions Pvt. Ltd., Chennai and mastered at Sound Wizard, Auroville by Didier Weiss, the quality is sparkling. As for the lyrics, by Ashutosh Sharma, we'd like to hear from anyone better. This lyricist's verses are sublime, sometimes philosophical. But then he's also good at giving vent to all his angst.

Parchaiyaan opens with Aage Main Chaloon, with chiming bells, Carnatic guitar, mridangam and a pounding bass – a racy track that aptly showcases the Kashti sound. Shehar is a lazy rock track full of pathos rendered in a story-telling format. The guitar work on Shehar will keep you guessing whether it's Carnatic-based or rock. Raat Pighla Paara is a funky tune, thanks to an exquisite sax piece, that settles into a soothing and relaxed beat. The guitar appears sparingly on this number. The folksy Bekaari, rendered in zesty vocals, is the about the addiction (or desperation) of unemployment that says Bekaari ajab hai yaar, Iska nasha gazab hai yaar. It's unfair to make comparisons– and this is no attempt at one -- but this angst-laden track is much like those of Suman Chatterji, Nachiketa and Anjan Dutta, the popular contemporary artistes from West Bengal.

Side B opens with Ateet. It's a rock-funk track with Carnatic percussions, a spaced out guitar piece and the heart-wrenching call of a Baul singer. Aur Ek Shehar is another slow rock track rendered in a story-telling format in a voice full of pathos. The folk element reappears on Tana Dere Na – a lilting tune unfortunately drowned by a heavy, pounding bass drum. The final track, Har Kshan Har Pal is a befitting closing to the album. It talks about a new beginning: Yeh raat chup chaap dekho badh rahee hai, Yeh bhi jayegi dhal suraj aayega nikal... Mera din lekin kis khayal mein, Ya kisi khyal bin shuru hoga kal.

This is an album you can't afford to miss. Brilliant musicians, eclectic arrangements, slick production, thought-provoking lyrics... you couldn't ask for more. With this album, Indipop moves on to another level.