Faraz Anwar has been the frontman of Mizraab for over a decade and more recently accompanied Noori as lead guitarist for their US tour. Tu Kareeb Hai is the latest offering from Faraz Anwar and his first solo artist track in a while. Possibly one of the most undervalued artists in our music industry; Faraz Anwar is a multi-instrumentalist and has been in the industry since he was a teenager. He might be an acquired taste to some but there is no denying there is wealth of creativity this artist can draw upon and his compositions are often deep, thought-provoking and unpredictable.
This song we’re going to review today, Tu Kareeb Hai, was a remake of a track on Mizraab’s first album (Panchi, 1997). The album was released unfinished by the record label and in order to do justice with those songs, Faraz Anwar has been redoing them. The first reincarnations were on Maazi Haal Mustaqbil where we were introduced to much heavier progressive rock classics in the form of Panchi and Mayusee. Since that album, his playing style has evolved and become more distinct. There are to be remakes of Sahil and Nami and Kahani’s has already been released (I strongly suggest everyone checks out Kahani’s Remake). Faraz Anwar is much more versatile than given credit for and his prowess as a jazz fusion artist shines through this track. Masterfully blending elements that will keep both old fans and new converts satisfied, Faraz Anwar has come up with a beautiful track and I can not get enough of it.
As a Mizraabian, I have heard the old version hundreds of times and this new version is like meeting an old friend who has grown in complexity and intricacy. When comparing the old version of this track with the new, you can see the new version is light-years ahead in terms of production, composition and melody. Check it out for yourself and let us know what you think.
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