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Sound and vision
Music isn’t simply about notes or lyrics anymore. It’s seen just as it is heard and that is the primary reason why musicians are investing in image makeovers to improve the overall appeal of their music. When composer, producer, sequencer and artiste Shiraz Uppal released the video of Jhuki Jhuki, the first single and title track off his latest album, audiences knew he had done one half of the job right. Sporting stubble and flaunting a rugged look, Shiraz Uppal’s new album has the artiste delivering rustic tunes in his natural style. With a majority of tracks in Punjabi, Jhuki Jhuki is all set to take Shiraz Uppal to refined musical heights.
Shiraz Uppal’s first claim to fame was his contribution to A. R. Rahman’s Indian hit, Shakalaka Baby. His debut album, Tu Hai Meri (2001), got a lukewarm response but his sophomore album, Tera Te Mera (2003), was what actually put him on the music map. His latest album boasts of some of the best ditties put together by the artiste.
The title track is a mellifluous number with Shiraz Uppal going public with a spanking new image. The video, directed by Umar Anwar, harmonizes the mood with the mind and captures the nuances of the song well. The smooth introductory notes and bucolic feel of the instruments, especially the flute, blend well with Shiraz’s vocals. Mann Ja Ve follows the light vein of the album with a romantic chorus that accelerates into a rapid tone. Saiyyan Ve, a fast paced number, appears to be laced with an Arabic flavour and is one of the better tracks on the album. Yaad Aya and Hum Charon Humdum are Shiraz Uppal’s odes to his homeland and he sings them with patriotic verve. The album also includes two songs the singer sang on the soundtrack of a tele-film by Javed Fazil: Milaney Ko is a decent collaborative effort with Shabnam Majeed but Pyaar Ka Din is nothing more than a disappointing alliance with Fariha Pervez.
The Pakistani pop music industry is about to be swamped by a flurry of releases with Noori, Evolution, Shiraz Uppal and Shehzad Roy having recently released their new albums and EP, Fuzon, Jal and Rungg expected to follow suit, soon. Overall, Shiraz Uppal’s Jhuki Jhuki remains one of the better releases of the season.—Taimur Saleem
Lend them your earsColdplay’s sophomore disc, 2002’s multi-platinum A Rush of Blood to the Head, sold countless copies and won the band a faithful fan following. Despite having some mediocre tracks juxtaposed with the chart-topping hits, it was clear that the band showed promise and potential. With hits like Shiver, Clocks, Yellow, The Scientist and Politik to their credit, the band seemed destined to sit pretty on success. Chris Martin, the band’s lead vocalist, also created ripples in the showbiz world when he tied the knot with actress Gwyneth Paltrow.
However, the British quartet’s much anticipated release X&Y isn’t exactly the most progressive disc around. It has a couple of delectable ditties but overall the album gives one the déjà vu feeling of ‘been there, done that.’
The first single off the album, Speed of Sound, has been hogging the airwaves for a while now. And the similarity of its delicious and vivacious introductory notes with Coldplay’s earlier hit Clocks is unmistakable. The vocals may not be at par with the musical arrangement but the tune delivers nonetheless.
Coldplay don’t seem too keen to experiment with new stuff. Instead they stick to what they have been successful at. The album opener Square One is one such instance where the band record their trademark sound. Strong lyrics like, “You just want/Somebody listening to what you say” form the backbone of this number.
Numbers like the title track, the persuasive What If?, the piano-seasoned Hardest Part, the acoustic hidden track ’Til Kingdom Come and A Message do showcase something new from the band, but it seems that Coldplay is not too comfortable with experimentation and every now and then the band even manages to sound stereotypical.
While the album cover may remind many of kiddie building blocks, it actually reads X&Y in Baudot code. But that doesn’t really draw attention from the fact that their current album could have been a lot spicier and less repetitive. It features Coldplay performing their tried-and-tested style. The band’s sound is eccentric and may not click with the audience in a single listening. But lend Coldplay an ear and you might be pleasantly surprised to find them growing on you.—T.S.
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