In the competitive world of indie pop, Ajay Mathur doesn’t have an easy road ahead of him in trying to put his name on the map, but this isn’t to say that his new single “Don’t Want the Phone to Ring” doesn’t put forth quite the sterling effort. Mathur introduces himself to us in “Don’t Want the Phone to Ring” via a decadently-arranged, groove-centric pop song that wants to rock as hard as a classic soft pop tune but frequently clings to the angularities of a more alternative model, and his melodic moxie makes this song quite difficult to put down once it’s been picked up for the first time.
Mathur is crooning like his heart depends on it ahead of the halfway mark in the track, his voice seeming to channel much of the warmth towards the moment we see in the music video for this all-new single. He isn’t hiding his emotions in either his words or the tone in which he’s giving them up to us, and while you could make the case that he could have been more subtle in his verse – as to blend in with the minimalist pop types trending well in Canada – he’s digging his heels into excess and sounding all the more original for it.
The music video for “Don’t Want the Phone to Ring” is essentially an extension of the song’s emotional sentiments as imagined through literal imagery coupled with something intently surreal from the start. Though I don’t find it to be quite as grandiose as its source material is when heard by itself, the video is colorful when reconstructed through the eyes of its protagonist.
The desire to cut off from the world and just relax feels a little more accessible in this light, and because of Mathur’s approachable attitude, he makes the story here sound so intimate in spots that the happy-go-lucky beat becomes almost ironically infectious.
There’s a genuine balance between the melodic elements and the hard-hitting percussive part in “Don’t Want the Phone to Ring” that had me going bonkers the first time I listened to this track, but when breaking it down again I think it’s probably the reason why the sweeping tone of the lyrics is so persistent right out of the gate. There’s juxtaposition here if you listen closely enough for it, but instead of contrasting a focal point (and a catalyst for his storytelling in general), I like that Mathur tucked it into the music as an added treasure for serious aficionados to uncover.
I see a lot of buzz coming in this artist’s direction if he stays on the path he’s taking at the moment, and if you don’t believe me, I think that the music video for “Don’t Want the Phone to Ring” is going to change your mind this June. Ajay Mathur is far from the only indie singer/songwriter that has my full attention right now, but for those who I had never come in contact with before the start of this sunny season, he’s one of the few that I would classify as a one in a million-type talent well worth a second listen.
Chadwick Easton