The last time Bally Sagoo released a Punjabi album; I had not even started Uni. Now over 4 years later, I have finished Uni, and Bally has finally given us some more Punjabi flavas in the form of 'Hanji'. I know that the remixing of Bollywood tunes has a huge market, especially in India, however I feel Bally does bhangra best - after all that's how it all started off. Many claim that Mr Sagoo was the originator of fusing East and West music. There have also been many critics, saying that he couldn't get away with today, what he did back then. One thing is undisputable - some of his old albums can definitely go down as classics. Anyway, enough about the past, let's talk about his latest release.

The album starts with an intro (I swear it's the same guy who did the Nehru accent on the intro of Star Crazy 2). Anyway it's all about Bally trying to give to the traditional fans an album that will satisfy all from India to America. Onto the music…

The first proper track is 'Bottlan Sharab Diyan'. The singer is Meet Malkit, a new talent as far as I know. The singing style reminds me of a tune from A.S. Kang's The Untouchable. The beat is very desi and very lively. The lyrics are top. Overall, it's a decent start to the album.

On first listening of the album, Jind Saadi Mang was constantly on repeat. Without a doubt it seems to have the most crossover potential. Although there are no dhol's, dholki's and tumbi's, I don't think the beat is too westernised for the desis. The singer is Surjit Khan. I haven't previously heard of this singer, but he gives a good account of himself in this tune. The lyrics again are excellent. I got say it's another wicked tune from Mr Sagoo.

The next track is an interlude. It begins with a really chilled out beat with Hanji repeatedly being said in the background. A discussion between a husband and wife follows. Basically it's about bigging Bally up, and says how many of the older generation would love to be matchmakers for Bally, despite his earrings etc. I don't really see the point of this but I'm sure he has his reasons.

Back to the music - Billo Ni Tera Dil Mangda, begins with a very traditional beat - dhols and all. The beat throughout the tune remains at a very traditional level. The singer is Satveer Dhillon. I think the tune is quite good. It grows on you after a while. However, whether I would have given it the chance to grow on me, had it not been on a Bally Sagoo album is another matter.

Bally treats us to a garage tip on the next one - Tera Aashiq. The singer is Surjit Khan again, and once more he does a fairly decent job. However not the same can be said for the MC in my view. MC Marga fails to deliver the type of goods I would expect from a Bally Sagoo album. At one point Bally provides the perfect platform for the MC to totally rip the beat, but he disappoints. This is the first I've heard from him, and not sure how much more we will get to hear from him, in what is fast becoming a very saturated art form. I'm not sure whether it's his voice or his lyrics, but I really don't think he was suited to this tune. The beat is quite good with a nice bass line.

Punjabian Di Chale Glassi sees a return to the traditional music. It's a very lively number once again. The lyrics are also good. The singer is Jassi Jaspal, and he shows Mashooq was not just a one-off hit that he came out with. To compare the two tunes is impossible - they show two different sides of a very talented singer. This song reminds me of the two tunes about Punjabis from Star Crazy 2. It's another solid number.

It's time for a house version on the next track - Yaar Mera Tu. I think when bhangra is mixed with house, which doesn't happen often, it does sound good. Don't get me wrong - I've never bought a house record in my life, but I think mixed in with bhangra it does sound good. The singer is Bobby Sidhu. Again, I've never heard of this singer, but hope to hear more from him after this. The only sample that I can identify in the album is also used in this tune. Black Legend's hit from a few years ago is sampled (Yes boys - THAT beat). However, the sampling is not blatant and does not take over the tune. Overall, another respectable tune for the album.

A tumbi starts off track 9. The track is called Dupatta Meri Pag Varga. Again it's a very desi track - complete with 'Hareepa's', 'Balle Shavas' and 'Hoye Hoye's'. The singer is Surjit Khan once more, and he maintains the high quality of singing on the album. The lyrics are spot on once again.

Another interlude follows, and again I don't really see the point of it. It's just saying how people are dancing away to Bally Sagoo's album from what I can gather.

The next track is a duet between Karnal Sivia and Kamal Preet. It is called Kidda Ji. I'd liken the track to Preeto De Ghar purely because it is a duet and has a similar kind of beat. It is an even more desi beat. The singing is good. Overall, the track is average, nothing special - doesn't compare to Preeto De Ghar.

The outro says how Hanji has smashed the desi dancefloors. It's quite a funny outro - I won't ruin it for you…

One thing that is apparent from the album is that all the proper tracks come in at well over 4 minutes. This shows just how talented a producer Bally is. The fact he can hold the listeners attention for this time in all the tunes speaks volumes for him. A further plus point of the album is that all songs seem to be originals. None of the tunes are covers from what I can gather. There are no Boliyan and Tappe, which seem to be a constant fixture among albums nowadays. However, the reality of the album is that many of the tracks seem to just grow on you. You give the album more of a listen just because it's produced by the main man himself Mr Sagoo. I'm sure if half the tunes were on an Indian release, not many people would listen to it twice. A further bad point is that although it looks like you are getting amazing value for money, with 12 tracks - if you take away the intro, outro and two interludes, you are left with a less impressive 8 tracks. Production wise, Bally has done better. The extreme bass he often provided in his tunes in the past is sorely missed. It's good to see a number of new (or undiscovered) vocalists being exhibited. I've lost count of the number of albums featuring Amar Arshi or Labh Janjua. After repeatedly hearing their singing, I feel the novelty of it has worn off. Overall, Hanji is a solid effort. I wouldn't say it is as good as Star Crazy 2, but I would still give it 7.5/10. Keep it up Bally.