Wanderlust is Kiran Ahluwalia's fourth release, and on this album her voice sounds as if it's finally found its home. Technique and repertoire meet, expressing a complex range of lyrics and emotions with flexibility and warmth. Ahluwalia brings Punjabi folk tunes to life with sprightly rhythms and enthusiastic instrumentation, giving them a universal appeal, but her more significant repertoire is ghazal - sung poetry requiring the singer to improvise on the lyrics. Kiran seeks out contemporary poets to create new works, which she sets to music. With full translations in the liner notes, we can appreciate the language of longing: The lines on my forehead seem to predict that we are not destined to be together, or humorous commentary on religious dogma: If you must say something, then tell me about yourself. Don't tell me this robe-and-turban story that is someone else’s.

There is an astonishing communication between her and guitarist/arranger/producer and husband - Rez Abbassi. Rez is a jazz guitarist with his own touring band (Kiran sings with his group as well.) Kiran describes how living together, they hear each other's experiments with melody (hers) or chords (his), and how their music develops together in the process. Some of those delicate, unexpected turns are truly breathtaking, a living embodiment of the improvised love lyrics in the music.

A specially beautiful touch on this album brings Portuguese fado guitarist Jose Manuel Neto into the mix for three songs recorded in Lisbon when Rez's band performed there. The sound of the Portuguese guitar combined with Rez's unique style is memorable. Hopefully this collaboration can be extended on further recordings. Altogether, a delightful album with a variety of pleasures.

By Lark Clark