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Singing the songs himself, Abhay has taken traditional compositions such as “Baanke Piya Se Mai Sharma Gayee” and “Sakhee Shyam Nahi Aaye”, and given them poetic names like “Till We Meet” and “Beauty & Beyond”. It would be futile to see the reason for some of the names. In the album notes he gives a personalised view and explanation of each. With all the compositions being raga-based, he has placed them according to the time of day, building the mood from the serenity of the pre-dawn raga Vibhas to the devotional ecstasy of the midnight raga Malkauns in “Damaroo Baaje” (“Somewhere Around”).

A skilled santoor player, Abhay has exploited the expressional possibilities of the instrument in some songs, while in others, the major effect is of other instruments such as the flute and synthesiser keyboards.

A female chorus is used in some, including the title track “Dancing Dewdrops”, which is based on the thumri “Tum Bin Neend Na Aye Sanwaria, Tarpoon Jaise Jal Bin Machariya”. This one, based on the raga Kiravani, has an extremely western feel. The raga lends itself to this kind of treatment, and has been grist for experimentation with a number of musicians in the past too.

The final track, “Somewhere Around” begins with a haunting sarangi, that most versatile of instruments. Dedicated to the dance of Shiva or Shankara, the song contains a “Hu hu” chorus that is rather jarring. The drums and electronic strings blend with the fast santoor tune to create a disco effect.

Abhay is an average singer. With a large amount of orchestration — sound designing and music arrangement are by Santosh Nair and Jaspal Moni — the album is okay for easy listening. Other musicians’ names are not mentioned.

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