August 17, 2008

Too many musicians in Pakistan seem content to skirt over issues of socio-political importance, treading the same dregs of human emotion again and again. However, after the boisterous Saali, Shehzad Roy has decided to pen an album of tracks that has more than its fair share of swipes at the current elites in charge of the nation (peppered, of course, in between the usual fare of radio-friendly ballads and songs leering over the edge with catchy — if not cheesy — riffs).

Qismet Apnay Haath Mein has generated a substantial amount of hype and fanfare for the seemingly controversial material embedded within the album. Of the songs on the album, Laga Reh, has been prompted to the fore with its polemic nature. It starts off with Roy going “Mein jab dus saal ka tha, toh maine nine o’clock news par suna kay Pakistan tareekh kay aik nazuk morh se guzar raha hai.” One rather jumpy guitar riff later, he pronounces, “Mein phir 20 saal ka huwa, maine phir nine o’clock news par suna kay Pakistan tareekh kay aik nazuk morh se guzar raha hai.” A stark commentary on the way our nation is run is juxtaposed here, in a rather surreal manner, with the usual Shehzad Roy manner of song; lots of jovial guitar riffs running around coupled with bhangra-esque percussion.

Shehzad Roy’s method of tackling issues of political and social importance in his music differs however from those of, say, Rage Against the Machine. Surprisingly, his commentary is deft and full of sarcastic quips, rather than an outright attack on the institutions in our country. This is evidenced in the other significant politically-charged track on the album, the title track, Qismet Apnay Haath Mein. Throughout the album Roy is lyrically in fine form, chucking interesting turns of phrase left, right and centre with aplomb.

Musically, the album is rather scattershot. On occasions, it has some wonderful moments of balladry and sheer hook-laden pop, with wonderful melodies floating all over the songs (post chorus in Qismet Apnay Haath Mein). There’s also some fantastic guitar work on the album; as mellow and emotive as it is often enamored with ‘funk.’ Janay Kahan opens up with a brilliant harmonised riff that settles easily into the song, while Aankhen has guitar work that at times acutely resembles Incubus.

 

Throughout Qismet Apnay Haath Mein, Shahzad Roy is vocally on top of his game. His range and his tone have vastly improved, and he sounds just as easy on songs that seem to be tailored for weddings (or car stereos) as he does on the songs where he decides to take a pin and poke at those in charge of the country. More often than not, the music supports him.

 

On the other hand, some of the time the music seems strained and forced, if not derivative. This is best evident on Quaid-i-Azam; an inspirational track for the youth, stating that perhaps the Quaid himself might’ve been prone of the occasional bout of misdemeanor.

Then, of course, there are those songs that are made-for-radio. Here, somehow, Shehzad Roy falls into some sort of an abyss of boring pop music. Despite the usual gloss, these songs have as much substance as a Bollywood song.

The usual songs about love make their appearance on cue (Ek Baar and Darwaza). Neither of these songs is especially bad (despite strong vocal performances), but they are a chore to sit through as there’s really nothing special about them. There are also lots of songs with leniently used voice samples/interludes, and these don’t tend to work at all, especially those used in the middle of songs (Khul Ke Pyar). Despite some rather catchy hooks in the song, its stop-start nature, thanks in no small part to the samples, make it an annoying experience.

Throughout the album, Shehzad Roy is vocally on top of his game. His range and his tone have vastly improved, and he sounds just as easy on songs that seem to be tailored for weddings (or car stereos) as he does on the songs where he decides to take a pin and poke at those in charge of the country. More often than not, the music supports him.

Despite the trappings of a conventional pop musician in our country, Shehzad Roy has taken a step out of the restrictive shadows and decided to do something more than just provide a couple of songs for the next long-haul trucker’s mixtape. While having its share of lows, the album Qismet Apnay Haath Mein has enough hits to be worth money well spent. That aside, it is also something that needs to be picked up by everyone just to listen to the biting tracks, Qismet Apnay Haath Mein and Laga Reh. — Asfandyar Khan