Written Lauren Rosier
Singer/songwriter, Arnab Sengupta, shares his new album, Leap of Faith, out now.
On his third album, Sengupta incorporates different aspects of inspiration such as life experience, which will appeal to many different listeners. The sound incorporates various different genres from jazz, blues, world, and classical.
The first track, “Face In The Crowd,” talks about being in the crowd and trying to find yourself.
My songwriting journey started way back in 2006 after a good 15 odd years of having assimilated a plethora of musical styles and genre, by studying, performing and nurturing Contemporary music in various capacities. It was my last year in the frivolous 20s. I was soon entering the more mature 30s and various incidences and situations impelled me to look at life much more deeply from within.
Musically the harmonic sophistication of Jazz music left the most enduring impression in my artistic expression. I was not a great improviser, but I couldn’t get enough of beautiful chord changes. But it wasn’t until 2015 that I released my first record ‘Refrain’ which I feel is a very bold album, very fresh, creative and is harmonically rich and lyrically deep and evocative. I recorded this album in an online mode with the help of musicians from the Berklee College of Music in Boston. The lyrics largely focus on my inner journey of self-discovery and self-expansion.
“My second album ‘Inadvertently’ was recorded the following year in 2016. By that time, I had found a steady musical direction and style with my original music and was well established in my unique sound. This album too, was recorded with the help of the musicians in New York via online exchanges. The words and music have a slightly more straight ahead jazz feel to it than “Refrain,'”
“For ‘Leap of Faith’ I wanted to try out some new styles and sounds. The creative ideas for the songs in this album have spanned over 5 years, which entailed my migration to Australia, my experiences of setting up life in a new environment, my learning and regular practice of Vipassana meditation and dedicating my musical direction to learning and practicing Jazz piano with my teacher from New York. So this album did mark a ‘Leap of Faith’ in many ways. The songs in this album are more versatile and there is a certain stylistic variety which shines through, though the words are still about my pursuit of the final frontier – the ultimate truth and meaning of Life.” – Arnab Sengupta
The second track, “This Way,” has a funky jazz feel and I love that. Sengupta creates these genre-bending songs that have intelligent lyrics. The end of the song features a really cool guitar solo. He sings “life has been full lies… following the rules of my father and mother… I don’t who am I… the face in the mirror keeps changing..”
On the next track, “Leap of Faith,” he sings about taking a chance, taking a leap of faith. They sing “how do I know what lies ahead? Only if I take a leap of faith…”
The “Perfect Line” track opens with an incredible jazzy, yet bluesy piano, bass, and drum session. The music is so classic and beautiful. It features a great brass solo that really gives the track some depth and texture.
Connect with Arnab Sengupta
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