Arooj Aftab - Bird under Water

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Soaring high with a classical twist!

Arooj Aftab is from Pakistan originally and now a resident of that melting pot of international talent that is New York. Such a shift in cultural identities and values would be fertile ground for mixing the western and traditional sounds, which is what Arooj Aftab has done with solo album ‘Bird under Water’. It has overarching sounds of stripped back elements from Electronica, a bit of a Folk sound all with a modern Classical feel about it too.

After putting it on the first time I was not sure what to expect, the sounds swirl and draw you in for opening track ‘Man kunto Maula’ and no I am sorry but I don’t know what that means either. That is the biggest surprise that I cannot understand the vocals and I am certainly not trying to sound  like a member of UKIP. Whereby everybody should sing in English, certainly not it is the mix of heritages that really makes this sound. But it is a shame as she obviously has something to say and I feel the vocals would be interesting, if you can understand Pakistani.

The second track ‘Lullaby’ almost floats in from the first track but with more as the name may suggest almost comforting sounds rather than words, the sounds is also added to by a an addition of a wind section. You almost have to see the album as one piece in a classical sense with different parts as personally I felt it worked as a whole and they all seemed interrelated. My personal favourite was the final track ‘Na ja balam Pardes’ when the beats got the sound moving a bit more as after four tracks of floaty I felt it needed a bit more of a change.

Overall I enjoyed this a lot more than to be entirely honest I expected to and to be honest I do not understand this style as much as others. It is different and interesting work from an obviously talented musician or composer even. As I say I lost something by not being able to get the lyrics properly but that does not take away from the body of work. If you want something slightly outside the box and chilled to listen to then I say give this a go and I doubt you will be disappointed. 

Review by Jon Cooper

Check Out! a live performance Video Below...