Snow Makes Things Perfect was a lovely EP that introduced us to the world of Pakistani musician Asfandyar Khan. His ambient, post-rock-inflected sound has been honed for his sweet follow-up, The North Wind. Khan seems more confident this time around; the samples are gone, which helps listeners to concentrate directly on his guitar. The music gently whirls, yielding clear melodies rather than simple snowdrifts. In the post-rock world, these four tracks, which hover around the three-minute mark, might be used as interludes. Together, they come across as one track – a result, perhaps, of their compositional time proximity. The only downside to the EP is that it just ends; there’s no sense of completion, no cue that the set is drawing to a close. On the brighter side, this means that The North Wind is easy to put on repeat. (Richard Allen)
a closer listen 