Succeeding the acclaim and popularity she garnered with her first album, ‘Bimbaakash’, Bartika Eam Rai put out the much-anticipated album, ‘Taral’ in 2019. A collection of brilliantly written songs that traverse themes of falling out and growing up, losing and loving, ‘Taral’ wraps the listener in a spirited atmosphere and speaks to the coming-of-age heart. The opening track ‘Shunya’, written after Bartika’s sudden surge in fame following the attention her songs from her previous album received, picks up her music where it was left off. Jerusha Rai, producer and engineer for the song, has left her brilliant touch in the eerie tone and reverberating background sounds. An important contributor to the album, Diwas Gurung, who has engineered and produced all the songs, brings together Bartika’s distinct vocals with the indie sound, while introducing elements of folk and rock. While ‘Hola’ is a silent ballad, ‘Ghar’ uses the classic Nepali upbeat drums – the music fits the theme; a tune reminiscent of home, Nepal, and Bartika’s life back here. The album bears shocking vulnerability and earnesty; ‘Anumati’, a song about letting go of the things holding you back and allowing yourself to live, and ‘Umer’, that sings of life, death, and aging, are difficult to not resonate to. Following the bitter-sweet lullaby-esque ‘Nidari (ko Nimti)’ and the captivating harmonies of ‘Aasha (II)’, the album comes to an end with ‘Taral’, a song that looks back, reflects, and concludes, with a gentle reassurance of fluidity. – Noodle