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MUSICBOX: The morning after — Corduroy
The rock revolution that has recently spawned in the Pakistani music scene is a good omen for the future. While bands like [EP] might have harvested some success with their high power balladry and fusion of English rap with Urdu rock, newer players in the field like Corduroy have gone for an out and out English venture.
Known best for vitalizing the crispy scent of youth at live gigs through their energetic performances, this rock band from Islamabad showcases substantial promise. With their debut album, The Morning After, the pentad band (current line up includes Moby on the vocals, Sarmad Faraz on lead guitar, Ameel Zia on drums, Ali Qamar on rhythm and Ahmed Siddiqui on bass) gives listeners a lavish sampling of 10 English tracks and a solitary Urdu number.
The lyrics department of the album comes out fairly strong and satirical. Penned by lead vocalist Mubashir Noor (aka Moby — a pseudo Eddie Vadder); the band goes from strength to strength on the weight of its incisive lyrics which make their music an exceptional social document.
The album opener, Your Song, is a brutally depressing, yet honest track that has conspicuously dark undertones. Stronger tracks like Leeway, Goddamned and Dystemper follow suit, with torment and anguish being the core themes the band preaches. Corduroy also tries its hand at softer stuff. Encased in auras of decent guitar work, numbers like Prologue and You’re Everywhere acclimatize the listeners with the dynamic range of music that Corduroy can grapple. The only Urdu song (and the last number on the disc), Aas, is unfortunately the biggest letdown of the album. It is an uninspiring and comatose effort in an otherwise brilliant production.
Now, coming to the hiccups the band faces as it goes mainstream. Firstly, the independent production, distribution and marketing of an English album in Pakistan is tantamount to a huge gamble. Secondly, the album leans too heavily on English rock and one wonders if general Pakistani audiences are ready to digest a desi version of Pearl Jam-meets-Eddie Van Halen-meets-Dave Matthews Band with its idiosyncratic mantra of all rock and no roll! Thirdly, can they stay afloat in the competitive music scene while targeting such a limited audience? Fourthly, are all the resemblances the band appears to have (including the name of the band which is actually the title of a track from PJ’s 1994 album, Vitology) with western rock giants just flattering coincidences?—Taimur Saleem
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