Sheila Chandra, ABoneCroneDrone

Album of the Week, October 3, 2026 The last studio album Sheila Chandra released on Real World was rather different than its predecessors. While Weaving My Ancestors’ Voices explored the intersections among British folk song and traditional South Asian ragas (among others), and The Zen Kiss added in themes of the lived experience of women across multiple cultures, ABoneCroneDrone strips away much of the experience, as well as language. What’s left is drone and pure melody. In some ways ABCD is the most straightforward of Chandra’s albums, with different meditative vocals atop drones played by longtime producer Steve Coe, along with contributions from bagpiper Paul James, didgeridoo player Jim Mills, and engineer Stuart Bruce (contributing guitar harmonics). There are six tracks (“ABoneCroneDrone 1 – 6”), each clocking in at between seven and eight minutes long. What’s not simple are the melodic ideas explored along the way. The opening track is birdlike, with an almost pop melody over…