Mud Doll

Single-handedly produced, recorded, arranged, mixed and mastered by British talent Niraj Chag, this is ambitiously lofty (if occasionally bombastic) cinematic pop. It will no doubt appeal to fans of his previous album, Lost Souls; his work in film, TV, radio and theatre has clearly honed his ability to couple memorable hooks with brooding, atmospheric backdrops.

This, his third and slickest album, unfolds loosely in two parts, using themes of youth and experience to address questions on what it is to be human. It features various combinations of percussion (including tabla), bass, strings, and occasional sarangi (bowed lute) from Ilyas Khan, guitar from Niki Mukhi and vocals from Japjit Kaur, Nawazish Ali Khan, Priti Menon, Sveta Hattangdi and Melissa Baten. What saves the often grandiose orchestration from sounding too muddled is the exceptional mixing. There is an intriguing complementary interactive website that accompanies this release (muddoll.com); it is a clever way for users to engage with the themes of this album, and is just one of the many ways in which this exciting musician is inviting us into his world.