Wahdon

Recorded in Beirut and Athens, and produced by Fairuz's son Ziad Rahbani in 1979, this previously rare LP has been reissued on vinyl. It has two sides of around 15 minutes apiece, one in the classic Lebanese style and the other adopting a mild disco-funkballad approach, impregnated by Stateside influences. Rahbani is also the composer and arranger, creating a strong foundation from which his mother's voice vaults higher and higher.

The first side features oud, percussion, sprawling strings and a male-dominated vocal chorus. The second brings in a tougher bass drum kick, electric bass and a series of warbling synth solos, as if being given the CTI Records production treatment. Fairuz's voice wafts and flutters with gracefully static lines, adding decorative details in her phrasing. ‘Baatilak’ features flute and accordion, while the strings echo Fairuz herself. The following ‘Ana Indi Hanine’ perfectly demonstrates the superbly aligned elements of this LP. Without grasping the Arabic language, we can still drink in Fairuz's melancholy draft.

The second side's opener ‘Al Bosta’ delivers sizzling hi-hat and cocktail romance piano, with the vocal chorus flipping into female shape. Then, Fairuz is smoochily forlorn on the title cut (which translates as Alone), spreading charm through a retro gauze of cinematic drama.