NEW YORK TIMES: Weezer’s Rock ’n’ Roll Nostalgia Trip, and 10 More New Songs
NEW YORK TIMES: Weezer’s Rock ’n’ Roll Nostalgia Trip, and 10 More New Songs
BY JON PARELES
“Arooj Aftab, who was born in Pakistan and now lives in Brooklyn, carries an ancient verse form, the ghazal, toward the West on her serenely innovative album released on Friday, ‘Vulture Prince.’ Written by the Indian poet Hafeez Hoshiarpuri, ‘Mohabbat’ declares, ambiguously, that “the number of people who love will never decrease,” and it has been recorded many times in traditional South Asian styles. Aftab, who attended the Berklee College of Music, transforms it. Her voice is contemplative, breathy and relaxed, with the intimacy of indie-pop and jazz though she occasionally uses the microtonal embellishments of classical South Asian singing. She’s accompanied by intricate plucked patterns on harp, guitar and bass fiddle, sustained tones from brass and electronics and quiet metallic percussion. The song doesn’t bridge two worlds; it creates its own.”