posted: 2024-06-30 Night Reign Arooj Aftab

Night Reign is vocalist, composer, and producer Arooj Aftab’s fourth long-player and her solo debut for Verve. In 2023, she collaborated with Vijay Iyer and Shazad Ismaily on the Grammy-nominated, collectively written Love in Exile for the label. Aftab has been recording since 2014, but most Westerners encountered her on 2021’s Vulture Prince. 2024’s Night Reign has a pervading atmosphere that sonically illustrates the album’s title. Her band includes harpist Maeve Gilchrist, guitarist Gyan Riley, bassist Petros Klampanis, and percussionist Jamey Haddad. Also contributing are her Love in Exile collaborators, vibraphonist Joel Ross, pianist James Francies, spoken word artist Moor Mother, Chocolate Genius (Marc Anthony Thompson), bassist Linda May Han Oh, guitarist Kaki King, tubist Heather Ewer, and flutist Cautious Clay. Aftab arranged all but one track and produced the album. Given Aftab’s aesthetic aim to illustrate the many spirits that make up the night, she delivered her most experimental, and intoxicating, recording to date.

Set opener “Aey Nahin” is colored by the acoustic guitars of King and Gyan Riley, upright bass, and harp. Aftab’s deliberately soft yet throaty approach is overdubbed in layers, providing expansive harmonies for the instruments as they gently ratchet up the drama. Aftab’s striking cover of standard “Autumn Leaves” is adorned by bass, percussion, synth strings, and electric piano. The vocal production underscores the emotional and spiritual desolation in the lyric. “Na Gul” is a tenderly illustrated tour de force. She sets the poem of Indian 18th century Urdu musician and courtesan Mah Laqa Bai Chanda, ruler of Hyderabad, to music and stages a conversation between herself and Chand Bibi, 16th century queen of Ahmadnagar. She rearranges or deletes verses according to the grand Urdu tradition; it marks the very first time that the author’s poetry has been set to music. “Bolo Na” is driven by a dubwise bassline, economical, haunting vibes from Ross, and an airy, circular brushed snare. Aftab moans the lyrics in contralto and falsetto before an oud underscores the melody. Moor Mother begins reciting a poem of steely vulnerability as she asks if her romantic partner’s love is real. The artist completely understands that night-time is home to desire, its expression and freedom.

First single “Raat Ki Rani” offers delirious, yet insistent percussion loops, resonant piano, haunting bassline, and overdubbed harps swirling around a minimal lyric to maximum effect. Second single “Whiskey” juxtaposes folk, chamber jazz, and art song. The bassline follows the vocal as cymbals, harp, guitars, and percussion overlap in a dreamscape as Aftab’s lyric reflects her beloved’s appeal despite intoxication and her own vulnerability in accepting love. There is a reprise of “Last Night” from Vulture Prince featuring Cautious Clay’s flute, King’s guitar, and Gilchrist’s poignant harp. Its walking bassline and Wurlitzer piano coax the vocal and other instruments into a seductive dance. All Aftab’s earlier recordings are captivating. That said, Night Reign is a powerful, sensuous, and commanding illustration of the artist’s mature vision. It reveals just how receptive, and even vulnerable she is to the spirits of creative inquiry, possibility, and revelation.

Thom Jurek, AllMusic