'Till I Reach Bombay' by Amanda Homi album review

Amanda Homi’s Till I Reach Bombay is a jubilant album. It is Indian pop music that is energetic and joyous.

The album is, at its core, an ode to dance. Homi’s voice wails out, filled with vitality. Lightness and merriment are all part of the journey.

Homi is of English and Indian descent. She is originally from London. Homi sings both lead and background vocals, zills, and harmonium. A singer with a career beyond dance music, Homi has also written and sung on many national commercials and wrote the theme to the popular TV show, "Bridezillas".

Till I Reach Bombay is consistently a celebration in dance, and though Homi has a distinct musical voice, there are no deep, dramatic themes throughout the CD. If moments of the album seem too sweet, it is never too sweet to listen all the way through the album.

“Dancing Girls” is a fine pop song, with a melody that flies along. The last line of the song urges the listener to “get on the floor with the dancing girl.”” “SambaFeliz” is a quick song. Homi asks us to find the samba in our heart. Like an ocean breeze, it can pass through you. The third track, “Shoes,” features lyrics about all of the kinds of shoes, from Prada and sandals to throw around. The tempo slows a bit for “Lorca’s Desire.” There is special attention paid to the rhythm section, which is complicated in all the right ways. The Indian singer asks to “Carry my birds to my light.” Although it is slightly haunting, it was refreshing and affirming.

“Till I Reach Bombay” is a good, traveling song. In the song, Homi reaches across the Hudson River and the Jersey Shore, and she won’t look back until she reaches Bombay. When she sings about all of the images that she sees across the waters, it is far reaching and exuberant. The last song on the album is a fine departure with Latin rhythms. Homi seems to be calling her listeners and asking them to the dance floor.

All in all, Til I Reach Bombay is a lively, fine album, and worth a listen.