CD: Thunder Love

Thunder Love marks another chapter in the musical career of the highly prolific Jai Uttal. In many ways, the album is an amalgam of the many different themes he has explored over his many albums - Sanskrit kirtan chant, Western pop songwriting, spiritual themes, a variety of genres, and both traditional and modern instrumentation.

Uttal offers a stronger emphasis on Western songwriting in this album, oftentimes focused on his own personal journeys of approaching the light during dark times. These pieces do a superb job of segueing from Uttal's writing to rousing bouts of kirtan, making both seem like natural counterparts.

The arrangements borrow from quite a few places, from the rhythms of Brazil to a touch of bluesy funk to the sounds of the banjo and harmonica, which give some of the tracks a light bluegrass/Americana edge. Jai Uttal's CD is one of, if not the richest, album he has produced to date; a "must hear" for fans of spiritual pop and chant music.