Washing At the River Bank - Bandit Queen, Vol. 51 by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

Washing At the River Bank - Bandit Queen, Vol. 51 works because it does not try to do too much — it finds one feeling and holds it perfectly. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Roger White's arrangement gives the track a layered quality that rewards repeated listening.

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's vocal here has a quality that is difficult to describe but impossible to miss — it simply feels true. a talented ensemble cast gave the film its soul, and Washing At the River Bank - Bandit Queen, Vol. 51 is the song that most directly channels that feeling into music.

1994 was a strong year for Hindi music, and Washing At the River Bank - Bandit Queen, Vol. 51 was among the reasons why. It fits the playlist for almost any occasion, which is rare — most songs have a narrow emotional window. This one does not.

Running to 1:17, the song is exactly as long as it needs to be, which is the hardest length for a songwriter to find. It is, simply, one of the better songs to come from Hindi in recent memory — and the numbers agree.