CD Review

Artist: Aaron Nazrul

Title: Butterfly Man

Record Label: Lit Fuse Records

Released: November 27^th 2007

3 ½ Stars

Reviewed By: Kindah Mardam Bey

Aaron Nazrul’s Butterfly Man is the first record turned out from rap artist Baba Brinkman’s Lit Fuse Records Label. Don’t be mislead though, Nazrul’s laidback sauntering vocals are a far stretch from the world of rap. Gently strummed guitar and smoothly sung lyrics, which sounds akin to something Ben Harper would create, is what Nazrul’s music is mostly compiled of.

The first five tracks ‘As The Sun Comes Down,’ ‘Standing On the Bridge,’ ‘Butterfly Man,’ ‘Take These Chains,’ ‘Lay Low,’ have more of that relaxed unprocessed feel to them, as if Nazrul had picked up a guitar around the campfire and started ad-libbing a song in an effortless way. Then as you get further into Butterfly Man the tracks become more experimental, and show some outside influences that add a great flavour to the collection. ‘Delivered’ is a great track with Nazrul pairing his vocals with Frazey Ford that seem to compliment each other comfortably. Whereas ‘Tired Of Waiting’ is a more of an energetic and playful addition.

Nazrul seems to have a wide range of influence reflected in his songs that do have a Ben Harper feel to them on one hand, and then songs like ‘In A New Place’ sound like you might have found it on the charts in the 1970s (more Elton John, less Bee Gees). I’m inclined to prefer the songs further into the collection as they stand out as a distinct style Nazrul could cultivate as definitively his own. Overall a strong debut album, that allows Nazrul the range to come out of his cocoon and fly.

As The Sun Comes Down

Standing On the Bridge

Butterfly Man

Take These Chains

Lay Low

Delivered

Tired Of Waiting

Come And Get It

In A New Place

When The Night

Savannakhet Breakdown

It’s Only Life

Mandarin Oranges

Daylight

Butterfly Jam