Raghav:
Storyteller

Release Date: 6 September 2004

Reviewed By: Oli Marlow

1. Let's Work It Out

2. No I

3. No No

4. So Confused

5. Bad Bad Bad

6. Come On

7. Weakness

8. Winter In My Mind

9. Ain't Nobody

10. Can't Get Enough

11. Angel Eyes

12. Sooner or Later

13. Baby I'm Amazed

14. Another Bad Goodbye

15. Chor Diya

16. Teri Baaton

Angie Stone - Stone Love
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R&B with bhangra rhythms is a concept that some listeners could find hard to digest, swallow or even put close to their mouths let alone ears. Yet, this model seems to gel for Raghav who utilises the possibilities of both genre styles throughout his second long player ‘Storyteller’.

Whilst glossy production melts gloriously into cinematic strings and quivering bass lines, the lyrical subject matter seems to hover monotonously around Raghav’s relationships, or lack of them.

Adhering to such R&B stereotypes doesn’t do anything to push the boundaries for an artist who has the full roster of Craig David’s minions at his feet. The opening tracks ‘Let’s Work It Out’, ‘No.1’, ‘No No’ and ‘So Confused’ seem to fade into the obscurity of the inner caverns of pop music, reappearing later looking and sounding slightly dishevelled, yet brandishing with pride the seemingly impossibly high chart position they achieved.

To say that ‘Storyteller’ is unoriginal is a statement that lacks thought, listening integrity or even a second listen. Merging together the pounding thump of Hip Hop and R&B with his cultural influences and traditional Hindi instruments is something that has proven hard to pull off; [see Panjabi MC] but by mixing hip hop beats and woodwind instruments on ‘Winter In My Mind’, Raghav proves his originality providing something a little different to the mainstream competition.

Unfortunately, directly after this display of talent and innovation, the album dips back into that banal melting pot of rhythms and all too predictable jiggery pokery; producing bog standard tracks like ‘Ain’t Nobody’ that weave and bob their way through their respective time limits.

Appearances by Iceberg Slimm, Jucxi & Franky Maxx and Kardinal Offishall do do something to vary the onslaught of bhangra-tinged R&B and prove to be some of the albums standout tracks. ‘Can’t Get Enough’ featuring Iceberg Slimm sticks out like a sore thumb, but it corroborates to be Slimm’s verse that accomplishes this very highlight.

The surprising thing with the material on ‘Storyteller’ is that when hip hop beats and brass stabs are being used (like on ‘Baby I’m Amazed’) the product is something that could struggle to be boxed in the R&B pigeon hole. It strives to deliver a more varied offensive, twisting soul and hip hop music into something Raghav really can call his own.

The variety within the album has boded well for the end product, yet in my opinion, we are yet to see the best of Raghav. The soulful glimpses ‘Storyteller’ showcases are enough to suggest that if Raghav has sufficient ingenuity, in future a genre switch could be more than beneficial; yet these moments of musical vibrancy are eclipsed by the sheer “stand off-ish-ness” of the full force pop offensive.

For R&B fanatics, ‘Storyteller’ could well be a competitor to ‘Slicker Than Your Average’ by Southampton’s greatest achievement, or on par with the latest predictable R. Kelly duet; but somewhere in the mix, we all have to accept that artistic integrity and talent take a back seat to cater Raghav for chart proceedings.

Rating: 2 out of 5

Top three tracks:
8) Winter In My Mind
13) Baby I’m Amazed
6) Come On

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