Rushk’s new single: Different? Yes. Exciting? No

‘Aye Na’ is a trip-rock track with explicit political undertones

KARACHI: Seems the response to their recent gig at the Pak-American Cultural Centre in Karachi has inspired pop-rock band Rushk into regaining faith in their audience and putting out more music. In an interview with The Express Tribune that was conducted only a few days before the concert, band members had little idea when their latest single, Aye Na, will be out. A few weeks later, the track is up and running.

Aye Na is a trip-rock number that somewhat explains the band’s inclination towards making mood music. Interestingly, in that very zone it also hints at undertones of socio-political satire and the idea is loud and explicit. Produced by Rushk and Omran Shafique, the song does take a while to eventually grow onto you but it sure is an experience worth having.

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There’s no questioning vocalist Tara Mahmood’s inimitable tone that fits the bill perfectly. She navigates with great ease except for a few occasions where she sounds off-key for a moment or two. Ali Jafri’s bass lines get under your skin immediately and do their job of unnerving you quite aptly. The build-up to the final verse reciprocates the lyrical message really well; Ziyyad Gulzar, Sikandar Mufti and Uns Mufti make their presence felt.

The poetry on the other hand, makes sense for the most part except a few bizarre moments here and there. At places it randomly invokes classical ghazal tropes like zakhm (wound), saavn (rainfall) and khizaan (fall). We really don’t have much to say about the line: apnay zakham ko meray paseenay say ponch lay tu (wipe your wound with my sweat); we’ll let your imagination do the honours.

If experimentation is a yardstick then Rushk have gone a great length with Aye Na.

Listen to their latest single here:



Published in The Express Tribune, February 13^th,  2016.

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