“It’s pretty underground, you wouldn’t know what that, uh, what that is,” jests “Parting Words”, the wry closing track of Aizat Haris’s new album, The World Keeps on Spinning. The Bruneian artist has indeed remained a best-kept secret of bedroom pop devotees (like us here at Start-Track) since his 2021 EP Happy Life, but this release threatens to end that obscurity. Featuring heavy-hitting assists from pop titans Gabby’s World and Clippy, The World Keeps on Spinning is a confident and introspective indie pop album that escapes the gravity of Haris’s previous work while living up to its promise.
With singles stretching back to the spring of 2024, Haris’s sophomore album has been in development for a while now. That patience pays off in the form of a cohesive, capital-R Record, instead of a mere collection of tracks. The World Keeps on Spinning is marvelously textural, using guitar tracking to create warm, dreamy beds on top of which the lyrics float with a deftly controlled momentum that varies from a sprint to a stroll, but never stagnates. Each song takes up space without hanging around for long, heightening the effect of a single, breathing compositional work from start to finish.
The album opens with “Find Another Day”, a mellow introduction (featuring Gabby’s World) with the restrained, jazzy aesthetic of an early Gregory Alan Isakov tune. Next is “Keep On”, at once haunting and pleasurable in its use of subtle, warbly detune as a tension-building effect. The phrase “Everything’s been said, so keep on” lingers like summer’s warmth on the pavement after dark, both reassuring and terminal.
“Changes” cranks up the energy with classic upbeat beach pop, then “So Fake” injects an element of post-punk tension into that energy, a one-two punch that raises goosebumps like a cool breeze on sun-drenched skin. “Part of Growing Up” is a standout track. The duet of Haris and Gabby creates a captivating lyrical interplay reminiscent of Jenny Lewis’s work in The Postal Service.
“Madeline” slows things down again, giving the listener a chance to recharge before the album’s climax. The phrase “I know” spirals from a simple acknowledgment into a manic, intimate lament over crumpled chords. “No Hope to Save” is destined to be a fan-favorite. This catchy track showcases Haris’s penchant for expressing low moods using upbeat musicality and introspective beauty. “Wowza”, the last song on the album, is unbridled psych-pop fun. Haris shows off with a searing guitar solo that serves as a release valve for the entire journey. Haris’s return is consistently good, frequently great, and eminently catchy. Listen to The World Keeps on Spinning below and be ready to replay it as soon as it’s finished.
Written by John Bagatta
