A dozen peaceful melodies and a lovely mix. Bobin Bajracharya’s Songs of Love is a strong album that has aged gracefully with time. The album starts with the meditative and groovy “Dhamma” that makes you want to dance with its percussive elements but the Om Mane Padme section makes you feel blissfull as well. A lovely tune and an awesome way to start of this beautiful record. The audio mix is lovely from the get go. “Ralaima” makes it way up next and this one is engraved in many hearts and memories. A feel good song – a country roads equivalent tune of longing, nostalgia and peace – an ode to Nepal and its beauty without a direct mention. The vocal harmonies are lovely on this one. This tune is ageless. “Wild Dream” comes in next and is the best one in terms of the fusion elements in the instruments. The bassline is extravagant on this one and the vocal delivery is one of the most energetic in an otherwise laidback album. The flute section and the arrangements are lovely. One after another, this album gives you such sweet world-fusion and acoustic melodies. “Clap song” comes in next which is definitely a participatory song in live settings. The sitar tune and the 60s nomadic spirit is alive in this one. The fifth track “Suldyo: comes in with an auspicious intro and you instantly recognize and connect with it. The table is so finely mixed throughout this record. The acoustic strums and the whole feel of this song is pure joy. This is the first instrumental of the record and works as a lovely interlude. “Can You Erase It” – the essence and nuances that Bobin can paint with acoustic melodies is definitely instantly recognizable in our music scene. This one feels like Neil, Floyd and Springsteen mixed into one – and then the vocal harmonies – It’s a line between you and me – It’s a line between he and she – the title tells you the rest. “Again and Again” comes in with a sweet tremolo intro before bursting into a madal laden melody. Bobin’s melody sense is impeccable and if done with drums, this would have been a straight forward song – but the choice of percussions instruments has made it a series of crests and troughs. “Swaniga” is the most jhyaure beat based and the simplest sounding on the album. The infusion of English lyrics on this beat gives it an interesting twist and the La la las are definitely a fun one. “Bancay” comes in next with its Latin flavor mixed with Eastern classical and is the second instrumental of this record. A groovy six minute journey with the Sitar taking the center stage. A lovely hypnotic tune. “Soul Rhythm” comes in next with a seucy intro that feels like Chris Isaak on Eastern weed – for the lack of a better analogy. This song shows off soundscapes later explored on “Rainbow Vibrations”. This is a trippy track and we like it. “Song of Love” is pure nostalgia for us watching him perform at Jatra, Thamel around 2009. This is such a sweet sweet tune and is exactly what it has named itself. A song about love, harmony and the vocal soars are fun on this one along with a lovely monologue as the outro. The last track on the album is a cover song. When a cover song works, it gives another dimension to a lovely track already and if It doesn’t leaves a bitter taste. In this case, Bobin’s take on Redemption Song by Bob Marley is the first kind – an earnest delivery, a sweet execution and a heartwarming rendition of an already timeless classic. This album is for a breezy afternoon, a laidback carefree moment away from the hustle and bustle of modern life. A definite recommend.