SONS OF ZÖKU - ËNDLËSS

(LP, CD, Digital on Copper Feast Records)

Fancy a bit of mellow psych?  I was originally going to refer to this enchanting album as psych-folk, but then decided it’s too layered and built up for that.  What we’ve got is some angelic, laid-back songs of the highest order.  Sons of Zöku is an Adelaide, Australia-based outfit on their sophomore outing.  Consisting of Portuguese-born Ricardo Da Silva (vocals, guitars) and Ica Quintela (vocals, flute, keyboards, percussion), plus Aussie natives Eddie Hannemann (drums), Oscar Ellery (sitar, guitars), Jordan Buck (bass), and Hannah Yates (vocals).  Their sound is an accessible, melodic blend of western hippie mysticism (the theme is about an endless search for enlightenment), and eastern thoughts and rhythms.

Some of these songs are just exquisite.  Tracks like “Moonlight,” which sounds like early Tame Impala at their best, plus “Hunters” and “Lonesome Tale” are about as beautiful as you’re about to hear any time, anywhere.  Redolent with languid melodies, gentle vocals, gorgeous male/female harmonies and heavenly flutes, these three especially flow over you with pleasure.  This is the sound of paradise.  It’s as if the band is standing beneath waving palm trees in a bountiful seaside garden, arms outstretched, compelling you to take that step into heavenly bliss.  And whatever it is they’re selling, I’m buying.  These songs are perfect.

Their vocal styles on the songs fall into two styles:  traditional vocal melodies and harmonies; and spiritual chants.  These ears strongly prefer the former, though your mileage may vary.  In fact, if I have a minor bone to pick, it would be not enough regular singing and too much chanting.  You might have to hear the fantastic marvels they’re capable of in “Moonlight,” “Hunters” and “Lonesome Tale” to understand.

On other tracks like “Kuhnoo,” “O Saber” and “Yumi” they zip, zig and zag all over the map between acoustic folk, sitar and tabla Indian treasures, Saharan touareg, afrobeat, far eastern Asian melodies, and Anatolian psych.  Indeed, “Yumi” may be the most well-traveled and fascinating track on the record.

What an album!  This one hits all the pleasure centers in the brain.  It’s the rare grower that I already started out loving, and then successive listens squared and cubed those opinions.  Sons of Zöku, a band who clearly likes their umlauts, has swirled together many geographic influences to invite you to their Garden of Eden, an Aquarian Shangri-La.  Make the journey.

(Mark Feingold)

AROOJ AFTAB – NIGHT REIGN

(LP on Verve Records)

The title of Arooj Aftab’s latest album is a perfect description of its contents.  It’s a noirish collection of songs about what goes on in the darkest hours, when for some loneliness abounds, and for others, love in all its messy, fumbling ways takes hold.  As in her previous albums, Aftab sings mostly in Urdu, often using centuries old poetry for her lyrics, and occasionally in English.  But what Aftab always excels in is setting a mood.  The songs are quiet, smoky and sensuous.

The instrumentation is almost all acoustic, and creates a warm, organic feel.  Harps, pianos, double bass, flute, soft horn, gentle strings, vibes, and hand percussion all float in and out of the soundscapes.  The musicians all know automatically when to yield to Aftab’s vocals, and she likewise knows when to give them the spotlight for a stretch.  There’s a light touch of reverb on almost everything, including Aftab’s voice, which softens the vibe even further.  Sometimes the playing is jazzy, sometimes it’s more straightforward, but it’s always exotic.  Aftab always sings SLOWLY in her low, vaporous, sultry voice.

The musical backing gives the songs space to breathe.  Indeed, perhaps the key to the success of the songs is what isn’t there; thanks to the uncluttered arrangements, you can almost picture the fingers on strings or Aftab inhaling and exhaling between phrases.  There are too many highlights to hit them all, but my favorite is “Saaqi,” a drop-what-you’re-doing-and-listen-to-this-gorgeous-song track.  The lyrics (in Urdu) are from the 18^th-century poet Mah Laqa Bai Chanda from Hyderabad.  Strings (or synth) seem to float all around you, anchored by Aftab’s emotional, resonant singing and guest Vijay Iyer’s delicate piano.  (Aftab’s previous album, 2023’s Love in Exile, was a collaboration with Iyer and Shahzad Ismaily, and both feature on this album as well.)

Some of the songs have echoes of Sade, with a prime example being “Raat Ki Rani.”  But I’ll say this about the comparison; nothing against Sade, but if she released a new album I would probably not get as enthused as I am Arooj Aftab’s music.

There are some swings that didn’t connect with me.  Thanks to her well-deserved success, including 2021’s Grammy-winning Vulture Prince, Aftab incorporated some of the trappings of contemporary pop music on Night Reign; these include the apparent need for a plethora of guests and collaborators (most of whom I’ll say are solid contributors to the album); a couple of spoken word passages that didn’t resonate with me; and even a light helping of the dreaded autotune on one track.  Considering that Aftab has said she wants her music to be devoid of any musical category or time, these items don’t help with that intention.  Still, the overall negative impact is minor.

This is late night music.  Whether the location is beneath the moonlight reflecting on the water, long past midnight at the pub, or just lying in bed, there’s no hurry about anything while you’re listening.  Night Reign has the power to both loosen up whatever knots you have in your muscles from the day’s stresses and imbue you with the feeling that you’re experiencing something special and one-of-a-kind.  Because you are.

(Mark Feingold)