Works of art are required to both compel us aesthetically, evoking the far reaches of our experiences, thoughts and emotions, as well as to entertain us — an altogether baser, but no less important prerequisite.
The simple fact that most songs are short, however, compels musicians to focus, mostly exclusively, on the latter, especially when the behemoth that is pop consumes all other aspects of music.
The most notable thing about Sibti and Spoonful’s Badnaam, then, isn’t how well it does both, but to put it quite simply — it’s a song that makes you think.
Badnaam begins with slow guitar-playing as most self-aware, moderately slow, emotive indie rock songs do — you might say it’s the winning formula — and quickly moves on to Jasir’s subtle bass and Hamad’s raw but earnest vocals. Hamad’s voice was reliable, but more attention should be given to the words written by Sibti, who also sweetly plays the piano solo later in the song.
The lyrics allude to a dissatisfied — but not depressed — protagonist, the eponymous badnaam, and as the song progresses, one finds him lonely, alienated, defiant, and eventually optimistic.
Pakistani independent music itself is at a stage where there’s reason enough to despair, but also reason enough not to. Ahmer Naqvi’s exposition on the state of the industry in January’s issue of Newsline points out that independent musicians have to run around recording and bankrolling themselves, not knowing where the next gig — the proverbial ‘meal’ — will come from. But still, they continue to produce great music. In that sense, the uncertainty that our badnaam protagonist experiences also applies to the industry, and Sibti and Spoonful themselves.
Again, like the protagonist, this band’s clearly aware of their talent and versatility. A listen through Spoonful’s (sans Sibti) Soundcloud reveals Zindagi ka Jhaag, a cheeky blues track with marvellous harmonica tunes, evoking The Doors’ Roadhouse Blues in particular. Sue’lee is more upbeat, more Jailhouse Rock-ish. A cursory glance at the (rather slick) music video shows just how self-assured and confident these guys are. With Badnaam, despite its sobriety, they were clearly enjoying themselves, and the intermittent smiles they’d give each other — Ali Haider Habib on the acoustic guitar look particularly cheerful — would at times betray the solemnity of the song.
The problem is the next part. The song moves from bus main hoon aur meri tanhaayi to the seedhi saadhi bholi bhali woman that our protagonist meets. And the journey they shall embark on so that aanay walay daur main misaal hogi humari kahani. Fortuitous? Contrived, more like.
Sibti and the gang have stumbled upon a profound, isolated moment in time, shedding light upon an individual who is unsettled but not in angst, alone but not afraid, confused but not lost. Once he meets the woman, that moment — and the rest — is history. So then how to explain this pre-woman disgruntlement, shall we say? A minor blip? An off day? Our protagonist’s existential struggles seem more profound than that; they definitely are for the band. One can only hope that this band occupies a greater space than their friends’ iPod playlists. They certainly deserve to, but given the lack of infrastructure in Pakistan to support musicians, the future is unclear. Sibti and Spoonful have a few songs up their sleeves, but an album, Sibti admitted, looks far away.
If all this philosophy talk seems irrelevant, the song encourages such meditation. Badnaam picks up, and then relaxes; it puts you at ease, and then tenses you up again. The guitar at the beginning is different from the solo in the middle, which is different from the lead at the end, evoking different moods each time. Crisp editing brought quirks like shattering glass into the mix as well.
From its African-American roots, the blues have the uncanny ability to put a magnificent shine on an otherwise dark, complicated history. Badnaam has the name shine, but the anxiety underneath still comes through. And that’s why it’s so fantastic.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 26th, 2014.
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