Ajay Mathur - 9 to 3

Switzerland-based singer-songwriter Ajay Mathur has a rich range of influences under his belt. Having grown up in India, Mathur’s solo career saw him play some of New Delhi and Mumbai’s hottest clubs during the height of the ‘70s, while his rock group Mainstreet took him on sold out tours across Europe in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Now 2015 sees Mathur blending his many inspirations into an eclectic melting pot on latest record 9 To 3.  

Upbeat opening track ‘Sitting By Your Cradle’ readies you for a straight forward, no frills Americana record to follow - a sound that endures on ‘Walking on the Water’ and ‘Nothing Really Matters’ (although the latter introduces some light psychedelia to the mix). But it’s at track four, ‘Latin Lover’, that Mathur abandons this plain sailing sentiment and instead begins his voyage into far-flung genres. ‘Latin Lover’ is a mellowed-out bossa number treated with some spacious ‘80s keyboards and featuring an awe-inspiring jazz guitar solo. While the track achieves its intention of creating a suave, fusion-like atmosphere, Mathur’s thickly country-Americana voice is somewhat immiscible with the bossa style. ‘My World (SOS to The Universe)’ ushers in a children’s choir to take the track to larger-than-life heights, bolstered by an army of thumping bass and bellowing guitars, while the Motown vibe on ‘Sleepy Moments’ is indebted to the sugar-sweet female backing vocals. Mathur pulls out all the stops on the album’s final two tracks, ‘Surfing Girl’ and ‘I Mantra’, with the former trying on surf-rock for size, and the latter incorporating traditional Indian instrumentation, a modern Bollywood beat and the occasional verse of rapping.

9 To 3 is a brave record. Although the album lacks a sense of unity from track to track and Mathur’s attempts at particular genres do not always pay off, there’s something endearing about a record that tests an artists limits and 9 To 3 does exactly that.