Amid Ktm Souljah's croons and raps about social and political themes with Tumbleweed Inc., there's a unique voice starting to emerge through his self-produced album. Souljah has distilled his personal inward journeys into the songs. Kicking things off with Sikka, the Kathmandu based rapper takes the listener back to his humble beginnings.
The second track 'Khusi' is a story about discovering what makes him happy; Music, and who better to accompany it than Sarad Shrestha, one of the most acclaimed musicians in the scene. Sarad Shrestha takes a sparse approach in his guitar comping and outro solo, never overpowering and backed with wah throughout, very reflective of his style. Souljah switches gears to heavy-handed preachiness in the songs 'Sarwopari', and 'Eklainai Thikaichu'. He pulls back slightly from the narrative form of writing in favor of a more direct approach in these tracks. The rapper dives into themes of social consciousness in the songs 'Garo Bho', 'Prasna Chinnah', and 'Thari Thari'. The latter carrying the most thought-provoking issue of social hierarchy and caste-based discrimination. Opening with audio samples of multiple politicians, the song 'Majhi Aula' sets an aggressive tone from the beginning. It's a straightforward diss track for the corrupt. The song is reminiscent of his work with Tumbleweed Inc. with an electronic twist.
'Aasha' is a song about hope or lack of it. Souljah reflects on and questions his relationship with God. The song has a sense of disappointment and bitterness. It has the most interesting hooks among others and is primarily accompanied by piano which brings a sense of hope contradictory to the lyrics. 'Mahishashur', showcases Souljah's proficiency in English writing though his bars of Nepali lyrics trumps both the technical execution and flow. Most of the production surrounding the album feels like it came from an intuitive process, and his beats may sound familiar but they have this warmth and rawness to them that can produce the rare hit that feels intimate.