Jimmy Khan impresses with ‘Aisay Kaisay’

The singer’s second single has a progressive funk sound to it.

LAHORE:

Hassan Jamil Khan, aka Jimmy Khan, is no new name in the local music scene. After gaining considerable amount of popularity in Lahore, where he performed as an underground artist for nearly four years, the musician made inroads into the mainstream industry as a solo artist in July 2011, when he released his first single “Pehla Pyar”.

Undeterred by the slumped economy and the dilapidating music industry, Khan decided to carry on and as a result of his sheer determination, the singer has now come out with another interesting track “Aisay Kaisay”.

Khan, a former student at the Beaconhouse National University and an in-house singer at Gun Smoke restaurant in Lahore, is anything but a conventional musician. Having gained a reputation for performing acoustic covers of legends like Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan and others, the musician surprised everyone with the crossover into Urdu music. In the past, many critics and supporters alike questioned whether Khan would be able to adapt to singing in Urdu but with “Pehla Pyar” and “Aisay Kaisay”, the musician has proved what a diverse and multitalented artist he is.

Diversifying with ‘Aisay Kaisay’

Produced at the True Brew Studios in Lahore, the track was one he had been performing quite regularly at his live shows recently. By including the likes of Co-Ven bassist Sameer Ahmed, Mekaal Hasan Band’s drummer Kami Paul and the experienced producer and guitarist Jamal Rahman as session players, Khan has managed to put together probably one of the most talented young live bands in the music scene today. This line-up also allows Khan to diversify from the acoustic genre and experiment with different sounds.

The lyrics of “Aisay Kaisay”, which has a funky 1960s and 70s British rock sound, have been penned by Khan himself and it’s the sheer simplicity of the lyrics that attracts the listener’s attention. In the song, Khan tries to focus on how people have certain perceptions about individuals and how that can lead to problems in the society.

Other than the intense lyrics, the video of the song also strikes a chord with the viewers. The video, which has been directed by film-maker Taimoor Salahuddin and produced at his Aflatoon studios, takes one back into another era. Set in the classical backdrop of 1940s, it shows how even though time and situations may change, people remain the same.

Musically, Khan plays within a certain sound that he is comfortable with but it would be interesting to see the musician experiment a little more in his next singles and try his hand at hard rock, or electronic music.

Currently, the singer is working on his next album, which is scheduled to release later this year.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 14^th, 2012.