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MUSICBOX: Miles ahead
They know how to play. They know how to sing. Heck, they even know how to come up with catchy melodies. They are Aaroh, and with their debut album Sawaal, they have set the local scene alight with a blazing, passionate first effort.
The darlings of the Battle of the Bands, Aaroh emerged from that operation with exposure and plenty of street cred. However, they were talented enough to back up the hype with a solid, simmering record that features 12 distinct, riff-heavy tracks that run the gamut from driving rockers to flaming power ballads. Their critics can dump on them all they want, but one is sure the band will be riding their melodies all the way to the bank. In fact, it is their melodic sense that sets Aaroh miles apart from their peers.
Sawaal opens up with the title track, surrounded initially by Dire Straits-esque keyboards, but as soon as Nabeel strums his first chord, it is clear this stuff is more Steve Vai than Mark Knopfler. That’s not to say that the guitarist rips anyone off – far from it. Unlike the older generation of Pakistani guitar slingers that has made fortunes out of cannibalizing Jimmy Page and Hendrix (Zaki being the noble exception), Nabeel’s style is fluid and unique, though at times, especially during solos, it recalls the work of his mentor, Faraz Anwar.
The versatile Farook is the band’s secret weapon, as despite being a classically trained singer, he can wail like the best of them. But it’s not all cranked distortion and rock man antics, as Dunya proves with its distinct alterna-pop flavour, complete with mostly jangly strumming and a beautiful keyboard riff. Jalan is the Led Zeppelin express, making a fuel stop in Karachi. Dil ki Baaton ko is another pumped, driving rocker, though in a lighter vein, anchored by Khalid’s subtle bass. The haunting, morose Aag ki Tarha is a moving cut, penned and composed by synth player Kamran. It opens with a simple, three-note keyboard riff and quickly builds into a tearjerker. Easily the standout of the album.
Despite the hammy treatment meted out by most to patriotic songs, the band’s Jeeay is surprisingly light and boasts of some swell harmonies. Near the end of the record is the Vital Signs’ standard Ajnabi, reconstructed and infused with a new soul.
Considering each band member has contributed either to the lyrics or the songwriting, the result is a dynamic, vibrant record that will be remembered years down the line. A classic in the making.—-QAM
The perfect beat
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Manchester’s masters of synth-pop, New Order were always a step ahead of the music industry. At a time when it was “in” to listen to Motley Crue and other hair metal acts, their 12-inch vinyls provided a danceable alternative with much more depth than the rest of the new wave sound. Even today, their music sounds fresh and innovative. The quartet has never fallen victim to trends and has been committed to their creative, original sound.The group is essentially a post-punk British band that mixed the best of punk with hedonistic dance floor electronics, brilliant melodies and dazzling percussion tricks. Masterminds of the synthesizer, the band combined contrived, inventive sounds with deadpan, stoic vocals. Not only have their club beats spawned a large cult following, they have also proven irresistible to the mainstream masses as well.
New Order’s recent release of their greatest hits compilation Best Of is a well-made set of their classics, but is a much poorer compilation than disc one of 1987’s Substance CD. Not only will owners of Substance find this recent release redundant, but also much inferior to the earlier collection. A 16-track set, Best Of focuses on the band’s commercial successes and omits early releases and obscure masterpieces. Although many of New Order’s most successful singles — include the haunting Blue Monday —- are featured, gems like Shell Shock are notable by their absence. Other highlights include incredible Stephen Hague remixes of True Faith and Bizarre Love Triangle, as well as the later hit Touched by the Hand of God. A nice surprise is the inclusion of the cult favourite World in Motion, which the band produced to cheer on the English football team at the Italia ’90 World Cup.
The UK and US versions of this CD have slightly different track listings. The UK version omits the first four songs: Let’s Go (Nothing for Me), Dreams Never End, Age of Consent and Love Vigilantes, from the US version. There is also a companion piece to this collection entitled The Rest Of, but it is a rather poor collection of inferior remixes of old songs.
For diehard fans, Best Of is a must-have, but it lacks much of the “substance” of their earlier collections.—-T. U. Dawood
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