of the pair's separated efforts, the songs on Night Song were written collaboratively. The album contains down-to-earth lyrics about relationships and spiritual cleanliness, although Consumable Online noted that, despite this, "the two artists make an obvious, pronounced effort to lead one down a path of pure spiritual ecstasy." The opening song "My Heart, My Life" features West African kora and electronic backing, with Nusrat singing in a relaxed mid-range voice. The song was compared to a Salif Keita ballad as it works up to its "energized" closing chant. Eyre said that "My Comfort Remains" and "Crest" are "essentially pop numbers with catchy melodies, the former bouncy but static, the latter building towards a revelatory crescendo." The fifth track, "Longing", features Nusrat's signature scat singing and his singular wail, "unmistakable even when lavished with effects." Consumable Online said that the song is "a slow ballad beginning with a slide guitar's sweet melody and ending with strangled pleas (In English, "my dear longing for you is killing me.")" "Sweet Pain" begins "deep in dream space with a wandering bassline and a simple backbeat, and then heating up to powerful close with Nusrat delivering spitfire scat." "Lament" is "plodding, desolate and dark," with Nusrat droning "without you there is gloominess–come back home sweetheart" as mellow background guitar sounds "soar." "Intoxicated" is a more upbeat than "Lament", and features "unexpected outbursts of Nusrat's rapid-fire, metaphorical vocals about obsession." Release and reception {{Album ratings | rev2 = AllMusic | rev2Score = | rev1 = All About Jazz | rev1Score = (favourable) | rev3 = Billboard | rev3Score = (favourable) | rev4 = The Guardian | rev4Score = (favourable) | rev6 = Q | rev6Score = (favourable) | rev5 = The Observer | rev5Score = (favourable) | rev7 = Rolling Stone | rev7Score = <ref name="Billboard p. 42">Billboard, 25 May 1996 issue, p. 42</ref> }} The album was released on 20 February 1996 by Peter Gabriel’s world music label Real World Records. Considered a commercial success for a world album, it reached number 4 on the United States Billboard Top World Music Albums chart and number 65 in the UK Albums Chart, where it charted for one week. The album was acclaimed by critics. Banning Eyre of AllMusic stated that “wherever you stand on Real World's arty aesthetics, you have to admire the Qawwali star's sense of adventure here.” Consumable Online said that “Night Song makes