Jehangir Aziz Hayat – “Losing Rest”
Jehangir Aziz Hayat – “Losing Rest” – Single Review
Well, I’ll tell you this much…it doesn’t take a genius to figure out what kind of sound Jehangir Aziz Hayat is gonna be rocking with if you’re looking at the picture that comes with this new single “Losing Rest.” As I pushed play, it was immediate confirmation in that sense of this song/artist sounding exactly like you think it probably will. Ain’t nothing wrong with that of course…from my perspective, it certainly beats any kind of false advertising. Let’s be real here…it would have been very, very strange if we all pushed play on “Losing Rest” and a delicate orchestral sound came out of our speakers instead, right?
Anyhow. I think I’m going to go ahead and say I dig what I hear in this single.
To me, this is a real case of it would be way quicker for me to highlight any concerns I might have as opposed to citing the vast majority of things that are going RIGHT for Jehangir on his latest song, but y’all know I like to kick things off in a positive direction whenever I can, so let’s start there. LISTEN to the way “Losing Rest” immediately explodes will ya? Honestly, it’s got an absolutely killer opening that instantly establishes the intensity you wanna find in guitar-based Alt-Metal music, and I felt like it pretty much only got better from there. Obviously this dude can play, and as a solo artist, I’m assuming that he’s also doing the programming of the drums and such that come along with “Losing Rest.” I’ve met many artists & guitarists that do things in a similar style, and believe me when I tell ya, they have some of the most intricate and detail orientated minds you’ll ever meet. One note or beat even slightly out of place & they’ll toss & turn for months, losing sleep until the issue is resolved. I listen to the complexities of “Losing Rest” and I know exactly how much work has gone into the bedrock of this song, long before Jehangir picked up his guitar to add the main ingredient into this recipe. What’s even weirder, in most cases, is that these musical madmen seem to generally have an idea of exactly what the beat is going to sound like in their mind, then they painstakingly replicate that digitally to perfection, and go back and just start shredding their guitars overtop of it all like it was as easy as snapping together pieces of a puzzle they could clearly see the picture of all along. I don’t know for a fact that this is the case with how Jehangir operates as an artist personally, but I’d be willing to make a fair wager that I ain’t too far off the mark. This dude probably lives in Pro-Tools or whatever program that he makes his music within, and sleeps real close to his amplifiers at night, never more than ten feet away from his favorite guitar.
Because, you never know, you might just wake up in the middle of the night inspired & need to riff it up.
So yes…I think Jehangir deserves a ton of credit for how tight the 2:42 of “Losing Rest” is from start to finish – he’s done an exceptional job with all the aspects of the musicianship involved, digital to analog. The drums are punishing…the guitars are potent…the whole structure is brilliantly creative, with starts, stops, chops, and intricate moments colliding together to make one massively enormous sound – and that solo he adds in is wicked as hell! If anything, it’s a little bit on the short side of things…I’d have taken another thirty-seconds or so of Jehangir doin’ his thang in the solo…but I think he opted to create a song that was a little more on the single-worthy side of Metal overall. Don’t get me wrong, I love a great solo, but I understand that every ticking second you add to one can instantly detract from a song’s appeal to the masses…so in that respect, I feel like Jehangir made the right choice if he’s looking to make something with more potential for a widespread audience. I don’t at all think you need to be a complete and total metal-head to appreciate “Losing Rest” – the main hooks he’s got threaded into the chorus of this song could appeal to Alternative, Hard Rock, and Grunge fans just as easily, and for those out there that simply appreciate great musicianship, this dude’s got the goods to keep you entertained.
It’s the chorus that most folks are likely to remember, but Jehangir should be commended for everything you’ll hear. He’s got a freakin’ GREAT voice that easily rivals the appeal of his guitar playing, which makes him a verifiable double-threat as a musician, or triple-threat if you factor in his programming, which of course, you should. The songwriting is solid…there’s just as much melody in here as there is intensity, which personally, I appreciate. Metal can often be very one-note when you’re not too careful, but Jehangir has been very mindful to make the melody just as much of a priority as the menacing musicianship is. Lyrically, he’s probably got a few opportunities to sharpen things up a little bit there, but it ain’t bad. I look at things like where he’s got the words “arms” and “disarmed” at the end of lines in the first verse, and think it’s a little easy to complete the rhyme scheme when he’s basically using the same word…and the situation pops up in the second verse as well with “pride” being used at the end of two lines as well. I’m not saying that’s wrong or against the rules in terms of lyrics, but there are more interesting ways to go about it. As for the main hooks…again, probably not the most inventive lyrically, but I’d never dispute the effectiveness of what he’s got penned in there, or how perfect of a fit that it is. So don’t get it twisted…I’m not complaining, I’m simply pointing out the few tiny spots where Jehangir might have an opportunity to do anything just a fraction better than he already is. Most folks wouldn’t even notice the shit I’m talking about anyway, and admittedly, I see it more on paper when I’m reading the lyrics than I notice it when I’m listening. I ain’t suggesting he change a thing really – not about how results like this came out – but going forward, sure, there’s always space to sharpen anyone’s craft in certain areas…that’s all I’m getting at. As it stands, I think “Losing Rest” is entirely gripping from start to finish, and executed with the touch of a truly dedicated musician. The music & vocals are fucking great, and “Losing Rest” is designed to shake the walls of your reality around you while you listen. Nothing but green lights from me on this – Jehangir is fantastic at what he does & he’s got an exceptional song here.
Find out more about Jehangir Aziz Hayat at the official pages below!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jehangiraziz
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7mrUmSGsDjOPpSRSHWZXVR
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/JehangirAzizHayat
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/jehangir-aziz-hayat/353094374
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