The Darbuki Kings are having a lot of fun with their new release Lawrence of Suburbia. The two European looking gentlemen on the cover of the CD are actually Antonio H. Albarran (Laouto, Bouzouki & Sitar Guitar) and Robin Adnan Anders (Tabla, Tabla Beladi, Tars, Rigg, Dabola, Muzhar, Zills, Guitarron, Strings, Kanun).
The humor about this is obvious with their appearance, playing the part of the overseas pied pipers with the mountains as a backdrop including the zany titles of the tracks. That is merely a smokescreen, a temporary distraction. What you will hear on this recording is some amazing world music with a plethora of musical instruments that you would find on a traditional Greek folk album not a release distributed here in the U.S. To be perfectly honest I have not heard of half of these instruments but I really enjoyed this CD.
I have heard my share of the Bouzouki and Sitar in my day and usually have my ears wide open always waiting for a new discovery or slight nuance I have never heard before. This is an album full of atmosphere and musical brilliance. For just two men, they really know how to put these instruments to work in the most appealing and appropriate way.
Lord knows how they came up with the names for the songs, in most cases, I wonder this with instrumental tracks, and have found that usually it is a personal thing for the artist with some kind of story behind it. If you are the kind of listener that tends to ponder on these things, have no worries, that will dissipate rather quickly once the music begins.
I cannot pick out any one track that stood out as a favorite and for the simple reason that I really enjoyed the entire listen. That in and of itself, is always refreshing. I felt swept away to another land far away in my mind’s eye with this music. Unquestionably, that is the purpose and intent of what you will hear.
If you need a change of pace minus the vocals and feel the need to escape and go on a musical vacation this CD is for you.
Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-March 6, 2008
