Reviewed by George Luke

One of the most exciting developments in the pop scene over the past couple of years has been the emergence of the "Asian underground": that loose collective of British Indian artists such as the Asian Dub Foundation, Talvin Singh and Nitin Sawhney. To my surprise, the group responsible for this album (to my knowledge, the first to bring any of that East/West fusion into the Christian arena) hail not from Leicester or Birmingham, but from the USA. Aradhna are Chris Hale (sitar, vocals), Peter Hicks (guitar) and Travis McAfee (bass) - who, united by a love for Indian spiritual music, set about re-interpreting a collection of Christian bhajans (Indian religious songs) with help from tabla player Naren Budhakar. The result is an album that is soothing and contemplative, just perfect for meditation and quiet reflection. The songs are all sung in Hindi (English translations are provided on the lyric sheet); all are traditional worship songs with the exception of the closing track "Chosen," which was written by Hicks and Hale. When it comes to Asian music, my personal preference is for the kicking, upbeat bhangra-type stuff; however, after repeated plays, this has really grown on me and I love it. Don't be scared off if you've never listened to Indian music before; if you like something mellow, 'Deep Jale' is perfect. And if any of this has piqued your curiosity, visit the guys' website (see address above).

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