After the hustle and bustle of the work week, many can't wait to leave the nine-to-five up on the shelf and go enjoy themselves once the weekend hits. That may involve getting your groove on on the nearest dance floor, or, if you're lucky, it may involve getting your groove on in a more private location, if you know what I mean. For those latter occasions, Ahmed Sirour comes to the rescue with his newest project, The After 2am Sessions LP. Picking up where The After 2am Sessions EP left off, The After 2am Sessions LP completes the story that the previous collection began.
With six new songs in the mix, including a vocal re-edit of "Love One Another" featuring Bounce-Worthy vocalist Cleveland Jones to close the album, LP is a continuation of the romantic, erotic and spiritual themes found on EP. He gave listeners a taste of the romantic/erotic with the scorcher "FORePLAYING," and the remainder of the album is just as aurally exquisite as the first single.
"The Hidden Places" is a mid-tempo track that could easily play host to the right vocals, but in its instrumental form it still hits all the right grooves. It segues flawlessly into "Groove Nocturnal," which builds the perfect bridge between soulful "The Hidden Places" and the sultry "FORePLAYING."
Sirour tugs at the heartstrings with the inclusion of an acoustic version of the song "I Believe in You and Me," originally recorded by the Four Tops and famously redone by Whitney Houston for The Preacher's Wife soundtrack. Ahmed pays a fitting tribute to the beloved singer in the best way he knows how.
The After 2am Sessions LP is smoothed out, but dare not call it smooth jazz. Ahmed Sirour manages to keep his sound current without falling prey to corny trends. As he continues to experiment, LP is a wonderful addition to Sirour's growing and diverse body of work.
Ahmed Sirour The After 2am Sessions LP [Bandcamp]
