Not unlike Marjane Satrapi from the graphic novel and film Persepolis, Iranian guitarist Pouya Mahmoodi was a child when the Shah was overthrown. He grew up in a house filled with Western rock, but in Parisian exile became homesick for the sound of his lost homeland. Along the way he acquired an interest in fusion jazz. All of this can be heard on Mehr, a moody and melodic collection of songs that brush against the mellow edge of prog rock.
Singing in Farsi, Mahmoodi also draws from the intricate filigree meters of Persian classical music.
