“the essence of timing’ is straight off the bat, uncomplicated. One of the highlights of the album is the generous focus each element is offered, given its streamlined use of instruments. It discards unnecessary solos and instrumental breakaways, which he is very capable of. Instead he chooses to rely on the strength of his songwriting. Furthermore this project has been rearing to to see the light of day with some of his numbers being in the works for upwards of half a decade. And while the EP does hint at a possible longer tracklist as the initial plan, it provides a successful glimpse of Aamir’s versatile abilities that I imagine will be honed in his debut album.
At the heart of this project Aamir is a songwriter. The function defines the form. The songs aren’t witchcraft but measured vials of cute potion. I use this term lovingly and not with the seemingly derogatory reputation it has built. Don’t come at me. The songs don’t break necks or tear open some road to unchartered territory. It is a crystallisation of his innocence that’s unbreakable. Aamir is in no rush to prove himself as a sophisticated songwriter, instrumentalist or lyricist and that is the probably the best thing about this EP. It’s also what reassures me as a listener that Aamir is in this music thing for the long haul.
For those of y’all not familiar, Aamir is a highly trained jazz guitarist, currently more drawn to the keys and piano. This is pretty obvious in songs like ‘it feels so good’ and ’emergency contact’. His fascination overtakes his need to express himself virtuously. On ‘it feels so good’ the chord work is straightforward, supporting the vocal melody throughout the song. The piano breakaway is more of a friendly exploration than a prepared piece, simple and functional. The song does a good job in setting up the structure, which helps the listener receive the song. The contributions of Supratim Bhattacharya and Aditya Serviah are not just limited to session but extend well into the bounds of dynamic expressive exploration. This shouldn’t be surprising as the three of them regularly play live and as such have a chemistry which is hard to ignore.
It’s also felt on ’emergency contact’ where both Supratim and Aditya have contributed a more focused delivery. Their flare for their respective instruments thickens the simplicity of the song. Lyrically also, these first two songs convey the importance of time and different points in his life converging to create this body of work. Aamir’s performance on ’emergency contact’ is also the best one here. The struggling delivery adds a layer of sincere melancholy to this song which, by chance is missing on the others. Production wise these two songs are highly functional that aren’t trying too hard to convince me. Like I’ve said before each instrument is presented fully and that makes the landscape of the album very pretty and balanced. Clinical but also possessing a warm shine. ‘get w me’, which features Aadya Jaiswal in addition to the ones I’ve mentioned earlier, is probably the rawest track out here featuring very, in your face backing vocals which presents itself as importantly as any other instrument on the track. Lyrically the weakest in my opinion, but also the one that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s just fun.
Production, arrangement and emotion completely switch up on ‘everywhere i go’. The tone of this song is more serious, sad even. Noticeably stripped down, the song features nothing more than a set of keys, acoustic guitars and a genuinely heartfelt sax played by Agneya Singh. Drizzled with harmonies, that reaffirm the core of the EP i.e. simplicity. Dare I say too simple? ‘recalibrate’ originally by Ansh Mehta is featured on this album which has been re-harmonized and reconstructed in collaboration with Aamir. In my opinion, this is the best track on the album featuring a style that is slightly tangential to that of Aamirs. It features interesting harmonic and melodic choices that break away from Aamirs usual flavour. Easily the most satisfying collab amongst the bunch featured on the EP, Ansh’s chord choices and phrasing expands on Aamir’s approach.
The EP also features classical Indian arrangement on the song ‘my green tea’ featuring Jyotirmoy Chakraborty & Dipalok Biswas. Jyotirmoy on the tabla is minimal. The sound of his instrument provides a distinct low end and his playing is adapted more to Aamir’s sensibilities. Even Dipalok uses the same minimal style of playing creating melodic motifs that uphold the songs arc. Both these instruments are noticeably treated in a western way. The progression is gentle and the Indian instruments , slowly start revealing themselves in a regulated manner.
One thing that really stood out was these two distinct styles co-existing in the EP. This compelled me to assume that there may have been a few more tracks that bridge the sonic gaps in this EP, but didn’t make it. But that isn’t my main gripe of the EP. Despite being well produced, arranged and featuring some fine performances by all the contributors, melodically, the EP still feels unexplored. While the EP does show glimpses of his nuances, it’s not enough for the body of work to be truly singular. All in all ‘the essence of timing’ feels personal, yes, but also scattered. Easy to listen to and also leaving me needing more, knowing Aamirs commitment to his craft and more importantly his artistic depth. ‘the essence of timing’ is by no means a bad EP. Actually its pretty good but a few steps away from being Aamir. Eagerly looking forward to his debut album.
Listen to ‘the essence of timing’ on Spotify and Apple Music
