By Deuce

Rare—exceedingly rare, in fact—is the dirge to which one can dance, party, or otherwise let loose to. There are pregnant, ponderous moments during Ajay Mathur’s single “Anytime At All” (Aftermath of Silence)”, b/w “Anytime At All” that adhere to this tradition. Then again, there are equally cogent times during the tune where he defies it, shredding it to pieces, in fact, with an almost celebratory passion that’s difficult to miss.

That he’s counterbalancing such energy in a song (or two, technically, though one functions as a remix or alternate take of the other) is a testament to his songwriting ability and, perhaps, enduring ardor for the subject of this affair.

The latter facet owes a lot to the drums on this cut. They’re certainly multifaceted—he went through at least three drum patterns before this reviewer stopped keeping score—and set the tone for the different moods accompanying this outing. But those he unveils during the hook in which the bass line thrives, the synths open up at times, and the drums kick in with a fervor typical of the early 90’s rap drum patterns they obviously hearken back to certainly bring this track life—exactly the same way the vocalist can’t for another’s sorely missed presence.

The pianos are equally as catchy, if not more so, in a manner decidedly at variance with the exuberance the drums produce during the hook. Their primary melody is haunting and befitting of the subject matter in which Mathur laments “here lies the body/numb and cold”. The piano’s wondrous during the intro and outro as it teases through a highly effected, tripped out snare before the tom toms (artfully programmed, it sounds like) evoke a transition for Mathur’s pathos.

Would that he could do so as well for his lamented personage.

Interestingly enough, “Aftermath” brought home the Best Pop Rock Song awards from The Akademia Music Award. The artist followed up that honor by releasing his music video for the tune on All Hallow’s Eve.

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