Arooj Aftab

directed by Tessa Thompson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLE-B7_bSSw

this is the single and yeah it is very much giving sade vibes, i love it

gorgeous song and video

New album Night Reign coming May 31. Moor Mother guests on a track

Contender for SOTY (so far) IMO

US tour....in 2025, it looks like

Such a beautiful song

Contender for SOTY (so far) IMO

― Tim F, Friday, April 19, 2024 6:29 PM (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink

absolutely, my goodness

I'm not so sure it works in isolation as a single, but I am sure it will in the context of the album. I like the instrumental development in the middle, the vocal effects are a bit much but still gorgeous.

Agree, sounds like an album cut to me. Very hyped for this!

reminds me a bit of Sade's "Immigrant"

new song is lovely and mesmerizing as usual

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QwMt4tflD8

Wow.

“I think I’m ready to give into your beauty and let you fall in love with me”

This album looks set to be the best “X goes mainstream” heel turn ever

gorgeous!

This is undeniable. Beautiful.

Wow, she's following on Mohabbat and taking the progressive folk / singer-songwriter direction. I love the way she's been evolving her sound. This feels less minimalist and more orchestrated.

I like all the various approaches she has used including the latest

Rave review of new album in WSJ--paywallled, but I read the print at library: Mark Richardson says her mastery of various approaches is dazzling and totally accessible.

Rolling Stone has a paywalled piece on her too

So excited

first track on this is utterly divine

wonderful album but that first track kinda towers over everything

i just keep listening to it on loop instead of the rest of the album

lol elvis costello plays on this?

First track is glorious (and reminds me of Bad Timing/Threeway/Eureka era Big Jim).

I am midway through the second track and I want to say this was my most anticipated album of the year and rightly so

can confirm opening track is as good as anything on the debut, gorgeous

I'd say the whole album is as good as the debut: similar execution, meditative but moving, nuanced and mature but youthful, with a richer sound and collaborations, very satisfying balance. Compositions seem great and ideal to spend time with - some clothed in shadow, not immediately revealing, others brightly sensitive. I'm just babbling, when the album enjoins to sit and stay quiet, I'd post that if I could.

i think it's even better than the debut

This album is all I'm listening to today. Another highlight for me is the deep groove of the bass-driven Bola Na, Moor Mother's spoken voice being a great complement to her singing. I also like the double bass on Last Night Reprise, although it does not beat reggae, and obviously the bass on Raat Ki Rani. On the side of strings, several moments on Na Gul and Saaqi. All aside from Aey Nehin.

This is amazing.

Album rules. Would not have thought she could top the debut but this might do it.

"Raat Ki Rani" is still the one for me on this album but the opener comes v close

Rave review of new album in WSJ--paywallled, but I read the print at library: Mark Richardson says her mastery of various approaches is dazzling and totally accessible.

― dow, Thursday, May 30, 2024

Oh, thanks for the heads-up (my libary has electronic access to WGJ). Geeta Dayal's written about it for 4 Columns, too:

https://4columns.org/dayal-geeta/arooj-aftab

That's a very good and enlightening review

I regret assuming Vulture Prince was her debut, I believe at the time of its release her earlier records were not streaming.

this has prompted me to listen to the self-released debut "bird under water" which is excellent and confident

love love love hearing kaki king's guitar on this

this album is wonderful

I feel bad, but the only thing I could do without is the Moor Mother feature, just doesn't quite gel for me as much as I like them both and, theoretically, the idea of them collaborating

Sorry, but Moor Mother has a William Shatner cadence on that track. I can't unhear it.

the version of autumn leaves on here is gorgeous

This is absolutely fantastic! All of the comments on the first track otm.

Hard to say that this is ""better"" than Vulture Prince, but this is definitely more up my alley.

Aey Nehin an Na Gul are wonderful, the rest of the album doesn't really work for me

The reprise of Last Night feels a bit inessential, but the rest is great, esp. Autumn Leaves.

Front row in Bristol Beacon last night. She sang. She bantered. She gave me (and about 20 other people) a whisky. Bloody phenomenal. What a voice.

Sounds great

anyone else prefer Night Reign to Vulture Prince

Me. It feels more of a singular piece.

Vulture Prince is, as she herself said last night, a sad album, but Night Reign is more joyous, flirty, exciting. It has a broader emotional palette. I prefer it, just.

And Siren Islands is something else entirely.

caught the night reign tour, great band, "bolo na" was a surprise highlight, don't care much for the album version but it ruled! kinda metal vibe, droney, broody

and "last night" got the drum and bass treatment, super cool version

I like em both. I hope that she continues to get year end acclaim in a music world focused on US and UK pop, and indie rock