When Smoke Rises

If we encounter perfection in When Smoke Rises, it is only shades of it; a refined vessel for Mustafa’s insight and passion. It is, however, a brilliant, arresting display of talent and a promise of things to come. Mustafa had not been on my radar at the start of this review. I had never heard anything by him, except for one of his songs ‘Air Forces’. Though I didn’t like the song on the first listen, I gave it another spin after seeing how Frank Dukes and James Blake were involved in the project. Though it stuck me as a folk song on the first listen, the production on the project is far from synonymous with the normal folk style. That said, a folk song it is, and it is actually a very good one. The album does a lot with very little. It clocks in at just eight songs and around 24 minutes. Although there is a bit of filler, the songwriting on the album is amazing; Mustafa’s lyrics and melodies just flow out of him. The production also sometimes fizzles into the background, allowing him to take the centre stage. At the same time, I couldn’t help but wish that it was better – harder and more dynamic – especially considering that the album never ventured outside of its sound quality. The songs are also connected by a tread, as the first six songs carry the same tempo and atmosphere throughout. However, Mustafa’s haunting voice coated with a layer of sadness and, accompanied by the minimal use of ambient guitars create a beautiful backdrop. The depth and beauty of Mustafa’s delivery and his lyricism fill ears with grief and loss so punctured by poignant songwriting that it was nearly impossible to let go. I’ve never listened to folk music with such colour and artistry like this project. I did not even know that folk music could plumb depths of this magnitude. This is what do-it-all singers do. This project is a tantalising display of Mustafa’s prowess. It also indicates that Mustafa is in a field waiting to be explored and developed.

MUSTAFA - When Smoke Rises

RATING - 7.6/10

FAVORITE TRACKS - Capo, Ali

GENRE - Folk, RnB, Indie Folk