Azam Ali - Portals of Grace

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Music reviews of Portals of Grace

Music Review: Azam in the Sun
Rating: 3 Stars

Despite those kind words, it is with a heavy heart that one has to put this album aside as one of those recordings that 'could have been so much more'. It is a sad day indeed when a world music artist fails the litmus test, and considering the horrendous track record of sub-par recordings that we have witnessed over the last year, I am not terribly suprised that Azam Ali's work here is, at best, 'pretty'. On her first solo album, entitled 'Portals of Grace', she records ancient love songs from around the world. A fascinating idea indeed, but you can see how a project like this could lead to disaster.

We must be kind to Azam though, and admit that her voice here is better than on most of her albums with Vas (except for the first one, 'Sunyata'), and that she is commendably immersed in bringing these songs to life. She sounds thoroughly engrossed in her work, and displays vocal skills that are far better than some of her counterparts in the business at the moment. However, it all comes across as a regular day at the office after a while, and this is never the sign of a stellar musical endeavour. The problem, I think, lies with the source material and instrumentation. One reviewer said that 'everything sounds the same'. And yes, to an extent, it does. But much of the mistake lies in the machine-like background score and Greg Ellis' done-to-death percussion. I also was unable to fall under Azam's intended *spell*, which obviously meant that the listener would go ga-ga over all these ancient songs from Brittany, Sweden, and Galicia. I am fond of world regions, but when Azam's interpretations of them make them sound like everything else thats out there, we know shes in trouble.

Azam Ali was born in Iran, and raised in India. That is certainly a recommendation. Unfortunately, even when she sings in French (on Track 1, "Laisse pour Quoi"), it sounds as if shes singing in Arabic. On Track 7, "Sackpipslät", shes supposed to be singing in Swedish, but it sounds like Arabic. On Track 10, "Inna-I-Malak", shes supposed to be singing in Arabic, and shock!, it IS Arabic. None of this is incredibly rivetting stuff, and by the end of it I was bored stiff. If Azam Ali intends to Arabianise everything she puts her voice to, then thats fine. She just shouldn't expect the accolades to roll in everytime she enters a recording studio....

I would recommend this album to people who are looking for a passable substitute to the music of Dead Can Dance, Stellamara, or Axiom of Choice. Note that this is very much like Dead Can Dance in terms of mood and *some* instrumentation, but it falls short in a number of departments. It compares better to the works of Axiom of Choice, as it draws heavily upon Persian influences just as they do, but as a work of art, or even as a reflection of the lead singer, it falters. If you're looking for a serious and classy New Age recording, you would do better looking elsewhere : Susheela Raman's "Salt Rain", Peter Gabriel's new "Long Walk Home", and Lisa Gerrard's "Duality".

Mildly recommended.

Description of Portals of Grace

International CDs

• Music > Styles
• New Age
• Pop