In an age of dying rock music, Egypt's Aiik stands tall and proud, the Alexandrian native coming as a rare breed of musician in a country dominated by rap, mahraganat and house. With the coming of a new year, the singer-songwriter has released his second album, one that you might call a concept album.
True to its name, On the Roam arrives as a series of tracks, each one named with an individual city. The guitarist speaks of his wandering experiences, incorporating his personal affairs and life events within his lyrics, which sway between harsh and mellow, jovial and melancholic. Spanning across seven tracks, AIKK diversifies the music as well, going back and forth between a handful of rock subgenres, some sounding more thrashy while others are sounding more on the blues side, while some are simply acoustic.
A one man show, Aikk also composes and plays the guitar in all his tracks, finding a seamless balance for himself within his lyrics and musical direction.