Vandana Vishwas' Meera, The Lover is a musical story that plays more like an audio book than an actual album. Complete with a narrator and an actual plot, Meera, The Loveris the story of a mystic, heretic, and Indian poetess known as Meera Bai. It's an interesting enough tale and the songs weave the story of Meera Bai through the use of traditional Indian sounds and vocal stylings. And while Meera, The Lover is mesmerizing world music, truth be told, I wish the songs were able to stand on their own without the aid of the narration.

Much of Meera, The Loverreminded me of the more eastern flavored tunes of Dead Can Dance, which I have always loved. Loaded with mysticism and a sense of enchantment, you can't help but sit glued to your stereo at the sounds at which Vandana creates. Meera, The Loveris a beautifully played album that's authentic in every way imaginable and the songs reflect this. From the opening notes of, "Badara Re," to the closing drones of, "Dandiya," the album will leave you breathless.

As someone who has always been fascinated by the tabla, sitar and other traditional Indian instrumentation this album has been a journey of exploration and fascination and w/the exception of the interludes I loved every minute of it.. Vandana Vishwas is as authentic as they come and her album Meera, The Loveris pure goodness. While I could have done with out the story narration, the songs and artistry that make up this record were more than enough to keep intrigued. For those of you that are open minded you owe it to yourself to check out Vandana Vishwas you won't be disappointed. Meera, The Lover is a captivating record that will broaden your mind, uplift your spirit, and leave you wanting to hear more.