Weekly Earworm (25/12/2020)

Carvaan Lounge: Dharan Kumar: Paadadha Paattellam: Dharan Kumar recreated the MSV's iconic Paadadha Paattellam wonderfully. In the original Janaki's vocals are restricted to humming whereas here the lyrics are slightly tweaked and Nithyashree is given equal verses. Dharan effectually used the chorus and the main highlight is the way Mandolin is employed. Sathya Prakash and Nithyashree ended the song with enjoyable sargams. 

Coke Studio 2020: Sanam Marvi: Anbhol: The serene Yaman never fails and Rohail Hyatt embellishes the soulful tune with the serene arrangements flavored with the rhythmic drums and wonderful guitar solos by Nenad Gajin. Sanam Marvi's vocals are definitely the pièce de résistance of the soundtrack.

Black Coffee (Malayalam): Bijibal: Poi Maranja: The tacky VFX work aside in Poi Maranja's video, Bijibal concocts sweet jazzy track on the delicious varieties of food. Jassie gift ably delivers the rendition backed by a simple earthy tune by Bijibal.

Krack (Telugu): Thaman S: Korameesam Polisoda: Korameesam Polisoda is a refreshing composition from Thaman especially when the arrangements are dominated by string sections instead of punchy rhythms. Thaman continues to show promise with the tunes these days and loved the tinge of folk in the melody especially with Ramjogayya Sastry's lyrics. Ramya Behara's stupendous rendition works effortlessly.

Merise Merise (Telugu): Karthik Kodakandla: Kanulatho Rachinchu, Ninne Nenila: Though both the songs have nothing extraordinary to offer, the tracks are hugely listenable especially because of the lead singers Vijay Prakash-Chinmayi and Anurag Kulkarni-Lipsika respectively. The former track features lovely violin solos by Sandilya while later gains immensely from the fun tune.

P.S The songs are available as a playlist on youtube

Weekly Earworm (13/12/2020)

Banarasiya (Hindi/Indipop): Sooraj Santosh: Sooraj Santosh is brilliant in blending the Hindustani melody with the techno sound rhythm and Bhanavani Prasad's Mohana Veena gives the gloomy touch to the track. Insanoid's rap portions are the only sore point in this track but Sooraj's stupendous rendition makes this one worthy listen.

Durgamati (Hindi): Malini Awasthi, Naman Adhikari, Abhinav Sharma: Heer: The track benefits largely from Malini Awasthi's punch vocals and the concoction of sounds in the background topped by Zeeshan Abbas's Sarangi. Though the techno sounds dominate in some portions, the track is nicely done overall by the composers. The track ends with a pulsating Sitar solo by Naveen Mishra.

Ghibran Spiritual Series : Ghibran: Kancha Dalaayatakshi: Muthuswami Dikshithar's Kamala Manohari based Kancha Dalaayatakshi is an inherently beautiful tune and Spoorthi Rao excels in renditioning it impeccably with her punchy vocals. One wishes that Ghibran utilizes her vocals in any of his albums. Ghibran kept the arrangements simple dominated by percussion rhythms and string sections towards the end.

Kabadadaari (Tamil): Simon K King: Hayakki Baby: Kabadadaari's Kannada version is composed by Charan Raj and Hayakki baby should be equivalent of Jazzy Khaali Khaali Aniso. Simon King switched to Middle Eastern sound and the tracks work wonderfully especially with Sanah Moidutty's vocals despite the patchy rap portions by Krishan Maheson. Watch out for the pleasant oud solo by Xenai.

Coke Studio 2020: Yaqeen by Wajiha Naqvi: Yaqeen is a beautifully done meditative piece especially the taranas for the initial one minute. The lovely interplay between Wajiha and the chorus along with the rock rhythm comes together magically results in the addictive track from Coe studio.

Seethayana (Kannada): Padmanabh Bharadwaj: Sanje Gagana: Sanje Gagana works mainly because of the phenomenal singing by Swetha Mohan while Bharadwaj's semi-classical tune props up the song effectually. The tune turns much better with the tongue-twisting charanam portions and fabulous violin solos in the interludes.

Maara (Tamil): Ghibran: Oh Azhage: Ghibran's Maara sounds more like a composer returning to his form after a long slumber and the three tracks have a lilting feel with the soundscape. Oh Azhage with its punchy rhythm and the ambient sounds while Benny Dayal easily hits his high musical notes which works to the song's favor. Thamarai is in her stellar form throughout the soundtrack as usual.

Mudhal Nee Mudivum nee (Tamil): Darbuka Siva: Kaatrilae: Darbuka Siva released the second song from his directorial debut and as he mentioned in the composer note, the song sounds more like a 90's pop tribute and also evokes his latest composition Visiri especially the guitar riffs. The brass sounds are employed more beautifully especially when it is played along with the charanam. 

P.S You can listen to the song in Youtube

Music Review (Updated) - 2021

To make music reviews more noticeable and easy to navigate each review, thought will classify each review as follows based on the rating in my blog

BA - less than 7 (Below Average Album)

A - less than 8 (Average Album)

AA - less than 9 (Above Average Album)

E - 9 and above (Excellent Album)

• Maara (E), Eeswaran(BA)
  
  

Music Review (Tamil): Andhaghaaram

Music Review (Tamil): Andhaghaaram
Music Composer: Pradeep Kumar

Suzhalum Iravil is a quintessential Pradeep Kumar number with the sprawling soundscape propped up by haunting melody. The unconventional tune is backed up mainly by Pradeep's acoustic guitar but the effect it produces on the listener is unrivaled. The sparsely mixed Geoffrey Nielson's trombone and backing vocals add a dark tone to the song. In Izhupari Aattam, Pradeep Kumar extends Geoffrey Nielson's trombone solo from Suzhalum Iravil and concocts another sinister song. Sean Roldan's sonorous voice perfectly fits the bill while the screeching violin in the interlude works effectively. Yaar dhaan Kandaaro is perfect for hardcore rock fans especially with the grungy vocals of Sivam while Bharath Sankar of Aadai fame handles the drums quite effectually. Suzhalum Iravil comes in Orchestral version performed by Kalyani Nair and sung by Shakthishree Gopalan. Though the dark tone of the song comes off better in the original version, Shakthishree's vocal is enough to create the magic even though string sections overshadows the vocals in certain places.

Verdict: Pradeep Kumar delivers the morose haunting soundtrack for Andhaghaaram and perfectly in sync with the movie's tone. One wishes that Pradeep Kumar gets to compose more.

My Rating: 8/10

Pick of the Album: Suzhalum Iravil, Izhupari Aattam

P.S You can listen to the soundtrack here

Weekly Earworm (07/11/2020)

Mookuthi Amman (Tamil): Girishh Gopalakrishnan: Aadi Kuththu, Bhagavathi Baba, Paarthane, Saami Kulasami: After Marina, Girishh Gopalakrishnan's track record is middling and at best erratic. Mookuthi Amman is the major project and the composer gets a pretty solid soundtrack which easily surpasses the expectations. 

Aadi Kuththu rides mainly on LR Eshwari's singing which evocates nostalgic soundscape associated with Amman movies and Tamil industry kind of missing this genre for a long time. Composer stuns with Paarthene and title mentions specifically as Amman song. The lovely Carnatic compositions sound to be based on Purya Dhanasri is sung wonderfully by Jairam Balasubramanian and the rhythmic Kanjira base in the arrangements makes this one best song in the soundtrack. Saami Kulasami also features pretty enticing arrangements and the folk base in the arrangements is a laudable effort from the composer. The composer throws in brilliant plucked strings sounds and Kalyan's solo violin comes together wonderfully while the only grouse being Deva as a singer. Aruna Sairam is outstanding in the energetic dark retake on Aigiri Nandhini and the composer throws in some electronic techno sounds in the middle but the classical vocalist steals the show with her spectacular performance. Girishh ends the soundtrack with the enjoyable fun track Bhagavathi Baba which benefits immensely from Pa Vijay's comical lyrics and definitely Anthony Daasan's quirky singing.

A Cat's tale (Tamil): Vikram Raghavan: Vikram Raghavan'e classical take on the famous Vellai Nirathoru Poonai by Subramanya Bharathi and sets the tune with the Ragamalika is a pleasing experience especially the lovely video associated with the song.

Naa Haaduve Nimagagiye (Kannada): Giridhar Divan:  Naa Haaduve's simple charming melody works effortlessly especially with Anuradha Bhat's vocals. Giridhar Divan kept the arrangements serene with Josy Alappuzha's flute leading the show. The song evokes the memories of numerous Malayalam melodies.

Andhaghaaram: Pradeep Kumar: Suzhalum Iravil: Suzhalum Iravil is a quintessential Pradeep Kumar number with the sprawling soundscape propped up by haunting melody. The unconventional tune is backed up mainly by Pradeep's acoustic guitar but the effect it produces on the listener is unrivaled. 

Bheemasena Nalamaharaja: Charan Raj: Ninale, Adhara Udhara:  Charan Raj promising composer in Kannada is once again splendid with Ninale sung by Sarath Santosh and Srilakshmi Belmannu. The arrangements feature a lovely guitar base and the anupallavi where Srilakshmi enters with a beautifully tuned phrase Ondhadhe Naanagi props up the beauty of the song. Adhara Udhara's backdrop is equally enjoyable with a wide variety of sounds dominated by Nathan's Sax, Flute, and Vagu Mazan's string instruments. Karthik Saragur who writes this song also delivers the tune perfectly.

Ludo (Hindi): Pritam: Hardam Humdum: Hardam Humdum is a curious concoction and the techno laden mix features some beautiful sarod solos played by Roopak Naigaonkar. Arijit is splendid as always especially with the Pallavi tune is a stealer from Pritam and one wonders when Bollywood going to return back from mindless remixes especially when still there are many composers who produce wonderful music. Taish , Amit Trivedi's independent songs, and this one by Pritam proves once again that Bollywood can do better. 

SR Kalyanamandapam: Chaitan Bharadwaj: ChukkalaChunni: Chaitan Bharadwaj is one of the composer in Telugu who produces consistently good listenable soundtrack and Chukkala Chunni falls into that category. Though nothing extraordinary to offer, the track is immensely likable for its foot-tapping tune and Anurag Kulkarni's vocals.

You can listen to all the songs as a playlist on Youtube

Weekly Earworm (01/11/2020)

 

Meendum Pirandheno (Tamil Indipop): Sean Roldan: Sean Roldan's indie songs are dominated by techno sounds and the third composition mixes the Kalyani Raga based composition in the backdrop of electronic sounds. The track is backed up by Lalitha Sudha's earnest vocals and the singer aces the sargams deftly.

Maara (Tamil): Ghibran: Yaar Azhaippadhu: Ghibran hits the spot perfectly in Maara's first single remake of Charlie. Thamarai's profound lyrics about the carefree vagabond's life blend well with the tune and though Sid Sriram's diction irks in a lot of places, Ghibran's tune and the layered arrangements props up especially when the tune goes like 'Alaivaar Avarellam Tholaivaar' phrase.

Bheemasena NalaMaharaja (Kannada): Charan Raj: Kanna Muche: Kanna Muche sounds like a typical progressive rock song but Charan Raj throws in lovely surprises with the Balesh's Shehnai backed up by an underplayed bass line. The tune makes a lovely shift towards the end with the ball banana phrase and the composer's lovely classical tinge in the tune makes it more enticing.

Maane (Malayalam/Indipop): Gowry Lekshmi: Maane lyric video got released earlier in 2017 itself and the official video came this week. Gowry Lekshmi came up with the brilliant groovy Maane and the title hook in the singer's vocal is an absolutely captivating one. Gowry Lekshmi throws in pleasant surprises in the arrangements with stunning mandolin and nadhaswaram cues throughout the track.

P.S You can listen to the songs as a playlist on youtube

Weekly Earworm (24/10/2020)

Ghibran's spiritual series (Tamil): Ghibran: Saraswathi Dayai Nidhi: Ghibran's spiritual series moved away from heavily orchestration based arrangements and throws in lovely veenai solos by Haritha Raj in this composition. The innate beauty of the Saraswathi Raga based composition by Papanasam Shivan is complemented by serene arrangements and delightful singing by Pragathi Guruprasad.

Soorarai Pottru (Tamil): GV Prakash Kumar and Thaikkudam bridge: Aagasam: GV Prakash reused Thaikkudam bridge's composition Urumbu from Navarasam. The singer Christin Jose is retained while Govind Vasantha enters towards the end and finishes the punchy composition in crescendo. The motivational lyrics written by Arunraja Kamaraj blends well with the lively tone of the song.

Arijit Singh: Ore Nutan Juger Bhore: The serene composition by Rabindranath Tagore is propped up by stunning Sarod played by Soumik Dutta which complements more like another singer throughout the song and watch out for the lovely solo in the interlude. Arijit Singh aces the soulful rendition effectually and it's good to see Arijith's independent composition come up with the English subtitles for the lyrics. Wish others also follow suit.

Bhoomi (Tamil): Imman: Kadai Kannaaley: Imman strikes a chord once again with Shreya Goshal and Thanks to the beautiful tune and singers impeccable rendition. The melody turns more interesting in the charanam portions with the phrase 'vizhiyai imaiyai virithae unai'. Overall the vocals and Thamarai's alluring choice of words make this one an engaging listen.

Taish (Hindi): Govind Vasantha, Prashanth Pillai: Re Bawree, Roshni Si: Bejoy Nambiar's another multi composer soundtrack where Govind Vasantha easily scores the best with the effective Re Bawree. The song comes in two versions as a duet sung by the composer himself along with Prarthna Indrajith and another one with Sona Mohapatra in the lead vocals. The progressive rock and semi-classical tune blend well together and the duet version too works beautifully while the more serene Sona's version is propped up by the lead vocals. Prashant Pillai's hypnotic trance Roshni si with Josi Alapuzha and Sriram Sampath's intermittent flute solos is another enjoyable track in this multi composer album. Though Bejoy Nambiar's Taish is not as intriguing as the director's solo or David, these couple of tracks stand out.

Halal Love story (Malayalam): Bijibal: Muttath: Bijibal's Muttath, a simple heartwarming melody backed by Sandeep Mohan's guitar is soothing to listen in the vocals of Soumya Ramakrishnan. 

You can listen to the songs as a Youtube playlist

Weekly Earworm (09/10/2020)

 

Pratyasha (Malayalam): Idapally Ajith Kumar & Sreevalsan J Menon: Idapally Ajith Kumar concocts the gloomy classical tune backed by Sreevalsan J Menon's minimal serene arrangements for Pratyasha works marvelously. Looks like Idapally Ajith Kumar collaborates with Sreevalsan J Menon earlier in almost 7 albums and has to give it a listen. Bini Panicker aces the rendition with her punchy vocals.

Saajan Bakery Since 1962 (Malayalam): Prashant Pillai: Eeran Kannil: Prashant Pillai easily delivers in this lovely soundtrack filled with pleasant melodies. Eeran Kannil rides mainly on Harisankar's brilliant rendition while Prashant Pillai's unconventional tune which drifts unexpectedly but makes it a wonderful listen.

Dhruva Natchathiram (Tamil): Harris Jayaraj: Oru Manam: It's a Harris Jayaraj song, so apart from the usual complaints aside, the tune is immensely enjoyable and it turns much better with Shashaa Tirupati's vocals. Harris's guitar-laden arrangements are his usual signature style but propped up by Kishore's Sitar and  Kamalakhar's flute sections. 

Doodi (Tamil): KC Balasarangan: Ragasiya Kaadhalane: Though the meaning for the movie title is not clear, Balasarangan delivers enjoyable melody and all thanks to Ashita Ajit's vocals. The composer kept the arrangements minimal riding mainly on the lovely tune and the singer which works effortlessly.

Nishabdham (Telugu): Gopi Sundar: Madhuramithe: Gopi Sundar's Nishabdham soundtrack is largely underwhelming similar to the movie, but the composer scores exceptionally in this stunning melody with Harini backing him with her effortless rendition. The violin solos in the arrangements are commendable and it's a delight to listen to Harini vocals as always.

Putham Pudhu Kaalai (Tamil): GV Prakash Kumar and Govind Vasantha: Kanna Thoodhu Po da, Oho Endhan Baby: The soundtrack highlight is definitely Govind Vasantha's classical song Kanna Thoodhu Poda and one wishes that Gautham Menon works for his next feature film with Govind Vasantha. Bombay Jayashree's splendid vocals and Karky's line make this tune much better. Among the other fun tracks composed by GV Prakash, Oho Endhan Baby easily scores over others for the funky tone and Bhavani Sri's vocals along with SPB Charan.

The songs are available as a playlist in Youtube.

Weekly Earworm (12/09/2020)

Venmaniye Venmaniye (Tamil): 4 Musics: 4 Musics, Malayalam group of 4 composers who composed few Malayalam albums, come up with the lovely semi-classical single Venmaniye sung stupendously by Aadil Anzar. The beautiful tune in the young singer's voice aside, the serene gentle arrangements makes it a soothing listen.

Saajan Bakery Since 1962 (Malayalam): Prashanth Pillai: Thora Mazhayilum: Prashanth Pillai wins over with the simple warming melody Thora Mazhayilum and the lovely Sax by Josy serves as a beautiful companion to Vineeth Srinivsan's vocals. Preethi Pillai comes for a brief time and mostly overlayed vocals while one wishes that her portions could have been more, nevertheless lovely listen from Prashanth Pillai.

Aananda Sagaram (Malayalam): Ranjith Meleppatt: Ranjith Meleppatt favorite album is definitely his Tamil debut Thirundhuda Kadhal Thiruda (My Review) which featured the brilliant Salaigal and Ranjith pulls off an equally enjoyable semi-classical song in Aananda Sagaram. Harisankar behind the mic, the rendition hardly can go wrong and the singer aces this one effortlessly.

Mayuram (Malayalam): Ajith Nair:  KS Harisankar featured in another semi-classical single composed by Ajith Nair. The track is an excellent listen and the lovely sargams by the singer make this one enchanting listen more than its melody.

Vaazhl (Tamil): Pradeep Kumar: Aaha:  Aaha is a quintessential Pradeep Kumar song with the lingering strings and the calming atmospheric soundscape makes it for a compelling listen in lines of Agam Thaanai. Pradeep Kumar utilizes Thereminist Carolina Eyck (TIL Theremin- an instrument played without any physical contact) and supported by lovely orchestration especially scattered oboe cues are lovely to listen.

Kaasuran (Tamil): Pranav Giridharan : Ennodu Kadhal: Another scintillating semi-classical melody based on Dharmavati raga, Ennodu Kadhal/Jotheyalli (Kannada version) sung by Shibi Srinivasan and Maneswini. The beautiful tune easily accentuates the song backed by thumping rhythm and string sections.

Ka Pae Ranasingam (Tamil); Ghibran: Alagiya Sirukki: Ghibran strips away his nuanced layered music away in recent times and started churning out simple more easily accessible melodies. Here in Alagiya Sirukki sounds more like Imman's composition with the thumping percussions, however Balaji's violin solos stand out, and definitely tune is likable stuff as always from Ghibran. 

Pick of the week: Aananda Sagaram, Venmaniye Venmaniye Thora Mazhayilum

P.S You can listen to the songs as a playlist in Youtube

Weekly Earworm (06/09/2020)

Dil Bechera (Hindi): AR Rahman: Never Say Goodbye: The guitar-laden track and the final single release of the wonderful album reaches a crescendo when Rahman brilliantly brings Taare Ginn to this sweeping song sung by AR Ameen. Though the track has nothing extraordinary to offer, the track is an engaging listen from the composer.

Amazon Prime Music Hyderabad Gig (Telugu): Vivek Sagar: Sanchari: Amazon Prime music Hyderabad Gig's sounds mostly align with the respective composer's film sounds starting from Gopi Sundar to Ghibran. Vivek Sagar brings out his signature kickass bluegrassy sound to this indie future also. The result is an absolutely enjoyable one an easily best of the lot from this lineup. The mandolin and banjo's gleeful soundscape and Thanathitha loop sound more like a Malayalam song.

Mudhal Nee Mudivum Nee (Tamil): Darbuka Siva: Mudhal Nee Mudivum Nee: Darbuka Siva - Sid Sriram - Thamarai combo comes together once again and the result is another stunner which sounds like an extension of Maruvarthai and Hey Nijame. It's a pleasure to see that Composer's note has been added to the song's description and definitely Debasmita Bhattacharya's sarod gives a beautiful classical texture to the song. Thamarai's poetic lyrics are icing on the cake and one wishes that she gets to write more.

Paris Paris: Amit Trivedi: Inda Somabanam, Enge En Santhosham, Padaigal Illai Endru: Inda Somabanam sounds like an equivalent of Hungama Ho gaya from the Original. The song is an intoxicating fun song with the crazy mix while Vijay Prakash and Vidya Vox sound to be having fun with the singing. Surprisingly Telugu jukebox doesn't have this song. Padaigal Illai Endru equivalent of Kinare and Enge En Santhosam rides mainly on the Superlative vocals by Shashaa Tripathi and Haricharan respectively. Especially Enge En Santhosham's pulsating pop makes it work.

Indumathi (Malayalam): Gopi Sundar: Gopi Sundar brilliantly conceives the semi-classical tune with the synth backdrop and Sithara Krishnakumar's vocal is simply outstanding. Though the rap sounds to be discordant with the overall tone of the song, the tune, and the vocals make this one a compelling Onam song.

Pick of the album: Mudhal Nee Mudivum Nee, Sanchari, Inda Somabanam

Weekly Earworm - Week 14 (26/07/2020)

French Biryani (Kannada): Vasuki Vaibhav: Bengaluru Song: Vasuki Vaibhav who surprises now and then comes up with the rap song dedicating to Bengaluru. The lyrics by the composer himself along with Avinash Balekkala are definitely top-notch which brings in Bengaluru's unique Silkboard traffic, EMI babbles, and much more. Kavaludari fame Aditi Sagar aces the vocal portions. The only grouse is the relatively less catchy tune.

Doctor (Tamil): Anirudh: Chellamma: Anirudh ensures that the song makes enough attention by dropping in the Tiktok ban and Sivakarthikeyan's colloquial lyrics make it loop worthy despite the hackneyed tune from the composer. The only solace is Jonita Gandhi's refreshing rendition and definitely, Anirudh should utilize other male singers.

Ghibran Spiritual Series: Ghibran: Tandanana Ahi: The bowli Raga based Annamaacharya's son innate beauty gets amplified with Ghibran's stupendous arrangements.  This raga is mainly associated with the calm and pious quality but Ghibran gave the dark orchestric sounds in the background with the brilliant violin solos and lush strings. Sowmya Mahadevan is top-notch with her rendition. Till now this is the best one from this series.

Amazon Prime music Hyderabad gig (Telugu): Gopi Sundar: Chilippi Choopu: Chilippi Choopu is a trademark Gopi Sundar track and neat arrangements from the composer remind us of the composer's numerous songs. Though the track is not great, the tune gets relatively better with the Charanam portions and one wishes that someone else could have sung this song.

Uma Mageshwara Ugra Roopasya (Telugu): Bijibal: Aanaandam, Repavalu: Bijibal wonderfully adapted composer's own Mounanagal but churned out totally delectable different song which fits beautifully in Telugu movie with Rehman's lyrics. Gowtham Bharadwaj and especially Soumya Ramakrishnan's classical tinged singing elevates the song further. Bijibal adorns the tune with the lovely assortment of instruments lead by Rajesh Cherthala's flute and Shruthiraj's percussions. Theliveyil comes as Repavalu with slight tweaks in tune as well as arrangements but the sweetness of the tune lingers after the song ends also.

Shakuntala Devi (Hindi): Sachin-Jigar: Pass Nahi Toh Fail Nahi, Rani Hindustani, Jhilmil Piya, Paheli: Sachin-Jigar creates the wonderful short album for Shakuntala Devi and that too with all-female singers which is rare in Bollywood these days. Sunidhi Chauhan easily wins the soundtrack with the retro Rani Hindustani and punchy Pass Nahi Toh Fail Nahi while Monali Thakur sizzles in the jazzy Jhilmil Piya. Paheli is comparatively simple and restrained, however, Shreya aces the song with her saccharine coated voice.

Soorarai Pottru (Tamil): GV Prakash Kumar: Kaattu Payale: Kaattu Payale is an interesting as well as kind of odd tune but it sounds much better with Dhee's rustic vocals as well as Snehan's intriguing choice of words. The lovely tune in En Mundhiyila sorugi Vacha makes listeners to loop this song further.

Yaara (Hindi): Ankit Tiwari: Bhedi: The dark and mystical flow of the tune possibly Revathi Raga definitely gels well with the Rock core base conceived by Ankit Tiwari. Ankit Tiwari and Aishwarya Majmudar singing definitely help the song. Apart from the screeching guitars, the lovely classical twist in the arrangements is a delight.

Pick of the Week: Kaattu Payale, Shakuntala Devi Full Album, Bhedi

 

Music Review (Hindi): Dil Bechara

Music Review (Hindi): Dil Bechara

Music Composer: Rahman

In the title track, Rahman packs a wonderful carefree relaxed title song under three minutes backed by more informal guitar strums by Keba Jeremiah and Rahman infuses more liveliness to Amitabh Bhattacharya's colloquial lines while slight techno detour in the interlude sounds out of place. However, the tone of the track makes it for a lovely listen. Composer churns out more punchy Friendzone track out of Dil Bechara and it fails to impress except for the listenable variations in the interludes. The more awesomeness follows in Taare Gin starts with the whispery vocals of Shreya Goshal and along with Mohit Chauhan, Rahman takes the listeners to the musical high. The lush strings followed by the violin solos in the interlude give the song dreamy tone. Rahman throws in lovely piano cues in the Antara and the thoroughly endearing second half where Shreya Goshal follows the string sections while Mohit Chauhan effortlessly reaches the pitch.

Rahman once again flourishes with the assortment of sounds for Khulke Jeene Ka and the glossy tune comes as a lovely listen. Composer wonderfully overlayed Shashaa Tripati and Arijit Singh vocals almost throughout the track and it gets better especially with the title hook. The sweeping lush arrangements with the steady conga rhythm and the occasional peekaboo by flutes make it another winning track in the album. In Main Tumhara, Rahman builds up the track beautifully with the calm hymnal tone backed by Hriday Gittani who returns to Hindi song in Rahman's album after the stunning debut with the composer in Lekar Hum Deewana Dil. The atmospheric track mainly relies on the lead singer's effectual vocals and Rahman accentuates their voices with the lovely piano keys in the background.

In Maskhari, Hriday Gittani is joined by the stupendous Sunidhi Chauhan after Tu Kuja in Highway. The boisterous song once again features the myriad lovely plucked instruments and composer throws in a surprise with the delightful mix of Kanjira. The folk melody gets a lovely twist, especially when both the lead singers join to sing the title hook. Rahman brings in his exotic world music in Alfreeda where he ropes in Palestinian Singer Sana Moussa who collaborated with the composer for Muhammed Messenger of God. Raja Kumari ably supports Sana with her rap portions while the composer does his magic in the arrangements to conjure the sensational Middle Eastern rhythms.

Rahman turns into retro Jazz mood for Mera Naam Kizie and with the ample oboe cues thrown throughout the track, it will hardly fail. Poorvi Koutish who featured in Rahman's 99 easily scores with her feeble vocals and aces when the verse goes as Kizie. Rahman weaves his magic with the musical nuggets in the interlude and ends the track in a stunning manner with the one-minute long oboe/clarinet solo. Rahman ends the soundtrack fittingly with the instrumental track Horizon of Saudade brimming with melancholy musical cues akin to the title and the magical violin ends the lovely album.

Verdict: After 99, Rahman produces another cracker of an album in Hindi. The diverse soundtrack has joyful easily listenable melodies and the musical surprises peppered throughout the soundtrack. The decisive lightness in the tone of the soundtrack aside, Rahman's brilliance is in full display with respect to the arrangements.

My rating: 9/10

Pick of the Album: Taare Gin, Khulke Jeena Ka, Maskhari, Mera Naam Kizie

Weekly Earworm - Week 13 (06/07/2020)

After a long time continuing the music column in the blog. I couldn't post it because got stuck in the village area with very less network connectivity and also very fewer music releases nowadays. But since the independent music by many composers and movies getting released directly in OTT results in the new music frequently. It's definitely good news albeit with fewer disappointments because Ghibran and Amit Trivedi's recent independent singles fare tad lower than their prolific movie scores/albums.

AR Rahman's Thumbi Thullal and M Jayachandran's beautiful poetic melodies for Sufiyum Sujatayum soar high this week along with Arivu's effective Hashtag Justice.

Cobra (Tamil): A R Rahman: Thumbi Thullalo: The celebratory wedding song starts with the myriad classical sounds with Asad Khan's Sitar paves way for the percussion sounds. The complex tune easily trumps the arrangements and Shreya Goshal aces the tune effortlessly and her vocals added more beauty to the tune with the improvisations when the lyrics flow as Thaniye or Thumbi Thullalo bit. Vivek's lyrics fall flat compared to the beautiful tune Rahman envisages while Nakul Abhyankar ably supports Shreya.

Sufiyum Sujatayum (Malayalam): M Jayachandran: Vathikkalu Vellaripravu: Jayachandran churn out a mind-bogglingly beautiful tune accompanied by a lovely assortment of exotic sounds. Nithya Mammen aces the tune and the second interlude played with Duduk is an absolute stunner. The Sufi tune undeniably adds another dimension to the overall soundscape. Sudeep Palanad composes Alhamdullilah and the lovely chant-like melody is peppered with once again middle Eastern arrangements which work to the song's favour.

Hashtag Justice (Tamil): Arivu: Arivu is one of the independent singers whose songs reflect the social injustice happening around us and questions them effectually with his lyrics. The mix of rap and hip-hop ensures that the song reverberates along with the youth listeners. Hashtag justice is also one of the song which talks about police brutality.

Ghibran Spiritual Series: Muthai Tharu, Om Namachivaya Om: Among the 4 singles released by Ghibran on the Spiritual series, Om Namachivaya Om and Muthai Tharu stand out. Ghibran is phenomenal with the Budapest Orchestra and though it can easily serve as a separate standalone track, punchy singing of the Muthai Tharu's tune by Ananthu make it a good listen. This track makes me revisit Pradeep Kumar's exemplary work in the Arunagiri Perumale album. In Om Namachivaya Om, the powerful tune rendered by Gold Devaraj and Ghibran is once again spot on with respect to the arrangements.

Bhanumathi and Ramakrishna (Telugu): Shravan Bharadwaj: Love-O Ishq-o Mix, Alavate Ledhemo: Shravan Bharadwaj is one of the few composers in Telugu who consistently delivers minimum guarantee soundtrack and this new OTT release also belongs to the same category. Though nothing extraordinary, cheerful vibe accompanied by lovely guitar solos in Love-O Ishq-O mix and hypnotic mix in Alavate Ledhemo works perfectly. Especially Hemachandra is splendid with respect to the vocals in the former song.

Chowki (Kannada): Shakeel Ahmed: Rangina Mane, Kavithe Kavithe:  Rangina Mane carries the brooding atmosphere throughout the track and the rock flavoured arrangement blends well with the dark theme of the song. Priya Yadav easily aces the tune while Kavithe Kavithe's retro-sounding tune benefits a lot from Rajesh Krishnan's pitch-perfect vocals.

Friendship (Tamil): DM Udhayakumar: Superstar Anthem: The debut song for DM Udhayakumar has everything in the list to garner enough attention. Superstar anthem, Harbhajan Singh debut, Simbu to croon the anthem and Gowtham R's lyrics which is a mishmash of Rajini's iconic dialogues and film persona. Despite the questionable tune, these factors warrant a complete listen and the rock base to clasp the listener till the end.

Music Review (Hindi): 99 Songs

Music Review (Hindi): 99 Songs
Music Composer: Rahman

99 Songs is an upcoming Hindi language musical romance film directed by Vishwesh Krishnamoorthy and Co-written and produced by Rahman. The soundtrack is composed by Rahman himself and it is one of the albums which was in the pipeline for many years. Rahman easily wins in the soundtrack with 14 tracks loaded with a rich variety of enjoyable tunes.

Shashwat Singh appears to be the lead singer of 99 songs featuring in 6 songs and Rahman gives him some of the best songs in the soundtrack. O Aashiqa and Sofia surely will feature in the top songs of the soundtrack. In O Aashiqa, Rahman has woven the melody beautifully using the key chanting phrase Oh Jiya Toh Oh Jiya. Shashwat Singh is in stellar form and the track reaches crescendo around 3 minutes mark with the chorus pitching in along with the lead singer's high pitched rendition. Rahman segues Sai Shirdi song in the middle of the song. Rahman uses the Sai Shirdi Sai song which he released for the new year last year and the serene tune is delivered exceptionally by Bela Shende. Though the tune is not effectual as a standalone, Rahman adorns the track with the effectual arrangements led by Sai Saravanam's Tabla and Kareem Kamalakkar's flute. Bela Shende outscores herself with the effective lullaby O Mera Chand and the tune though relatively treads along the familiar territory, the serene feel provided by the tune is a blissful one. Rahman blends Sai Sai chorus with this track also and the lovely flute in the arrangements will definitely calm the listener's mind.

Sofia is a lush melody which starts in a gentle manner backed by Keba Jeremiah's wonderful guitar strums. The gentle flute strains and the breezy melody paves way for the kick-ass vocal harmonies by Arjun Chandy towards the end giving the terrific finish to this beautiful song. Nayi Nayi is the fast-paced song in the album but the track is more generic pop song material single-handedly prodded by Shashwat singh. The arrangements are strictly confined to the hard rock genre with the brief lovely Tabla cameo in the middle of the track. Another fast-paced track is Veere Kadh de with the uncanny Maaro Maaro vibes with the percussions in the prelude. Though the rap by thoughtsfornow didn't work as expected, the track is an interesting attempt by the composer despite the multiple elements of the track didn't blend well as expected.

Shashaa Tirupati enters the show with the two tracks Humnawaa and Soja Soja. The former is the lovely melody and the terrific arrangements by Rahman outscore the main melody especially the lovely interplay between Shashaa Tirupati's humming and the piano. The track definitely warrants multiple listen especially for the brilliance displayed by Rahman with the background piano score. Armaan Malik delivers the melody part adequately well. Shashaa Tirupati's riotous singing in Soja Soja is definitely the highlight of this fun track and she sounds like Rekha Baradwaj especially with the phrase Raat Hogayi. Rahman once again wins over with the jazzy arrangements with the terrific mix of piano and the brass ensemble. Rahman peppered the song with the glass opening sounds and Shashaa Tirupati effectually shifts the tone between whispery vocals and thunderous blast aided by the wonderful brass sounds.

Contrary to popular opinion, Jwalamukhi is one of the weak songs of the album despite featuring Arijit Singh in the lead vocals, the tune is pretty much standard material with nothing excites much and Arijit's vocals falls flat. The track's female version crooned by Poorvi Koutish fares better especially because of the punchy rendition in contrast with Arijit's sombre rendition. Rahman props up the background too with the electronic synth soundscape. Teri Nazaar is the lovely throwback from Rahman's early days especially sounds more like Gowarikar's collaboration. Though the track has nothing extraordinary to offer, the tune is highly enjoyable for its nostalgic factor and Shashwat Singh's rendition. The album's other highlight is the delightful classical track Gori Godh Bari and without any doubt, the three leading singers Alka yagnik, Anuradha Sriram and Shweta Mohan behind the mic are the star of this lovely tune. Rahman adorns the tune with the rich classical sounds of Sarod, Sitar and Tabla. Going by the title Voice without words, one thought that may be instrumental but the whispery words of Poorva Koutish are packed with the hypnotic arrangements. But Rahman ends the whopping 14 song soundtrack with The Oracle which starts with the gentle piano keys before Kareem Kamalakkar's flute gives company to the lovely piano setup by the Rahman himself.

Verdict: 99 songs is Rahman's thoroughly immersive diverse soundtrack in Bollywood after a long time. The whopping 14 song soundtrack is a nostalgic blend of good old Rahman melodies as well as composer leaves his own touch backed by an exceptional set of singers.

My Rating: 9/10

Pick of the Album: Sofia, O Aashiqa, Gori Godh Bari, Soja Soja, Humnawa

Music Review (Tamil): Master

Music Review (Tamil): Master
Music Composer: Anirudh Ravichander

Anirudh extends his Marana Mass/Chumma Kizhi structured song and tries to milk its success with the gibberish lyrics threw in by Gana Balachander in Vaathi coming. The hook bit is definitely catchy and easy dance portion but overall it turns out to be a pedestrian listen mainly because of its overused tone especially in the past two albums of Anirudh. Andha Kanna Paathakka is in lines of Tharam Maara single in terms of tune but Anirudh did exceptional work with an intriguing synth sounds in the arrangements supported by Keba Jeremiah's guitar. Though Vignesh Shivn's lyrics pointed at heroine/ generally female gaze on the protagonist, Anirudh roped in Yuvan Shankar Raja and he delivers adequately. The tune is tailor-made for Anirudh's vocals going by the composer's earlier works.


Kutti story is easily best of the album with its colloquial lyrics by Arun Raja Kamaraj and Vijay delivering it big time with his casual tone which perfectly suits with the on-screen persona of Vijay. Anirudh kept the tune simple with the catchy rhythm beats and the Tanglish lyrics reminds us of the Anirudh's viral Kolaveri. Quit Pannuda is a refreshing composition from the composer. The song starts off with a trance-like sound indicating the intoxicated state and turns into a lovely sax solo before plunges into an energetic soft rock towards the second half. The minor quibble with respect to Anirudh vocals aside, the track is a winner definitely. Polakkattum Para Para starts with Vijay Sethupathi's dialogue and veers into the rustic folk song in the vocals of Santosh Narayanan and the singer easily sails off the tune with occasional thunderous laughs. Anirudh spruces up the arrangements with the consistent use of folk percussions and the tune may blend well with the visuals. Arivu and Anirudh are in stunning form with Vaathi Raid and the lyrics by Arivu is lit especially the timely usage of Vaathi 'Raid'. The astounding energy with which Arivu delivered deserves special mention and the track definitely matches the vibes Neruppu da created during its release. Arivu's rap forms the backbone of this heady and an exhilarating song. Master album features the two short tracks beat of Master and Pona Pogattum. Both the tracks are strictly situational while the former instrumental track dominated by percussions scores over the Vinith's emotional track Pona Pogattum.

Verdict: Anirudh easily delivered his best among his recent outings for the mass films with the vibrant soundtrack led by Vaathi Raid. Though the fact that predominant tracks in the album are sung by the composers itself and also no female singers is a bit of dampener, Anirudh ensures that the album is a joyous ride with the highly engaging set of tracks.

My Rating: 8/10

Pick of the Album: Vaathi Raid, Kutti Story, Quit Pannuda

P.S You can listen to the songs on Youtube

Weekly Earworm - Week 12

Weekly Earworm - Week 12 

Plan Panni Pannanum (Tamil): Yuvan Shankar Raja: Kanave Urave: The Deja Vu factor aside, Yuvan Shankar Raja's Kanave Urave rides on Shreya Goshal's vocals. Yuvan kept the arrangements neat and simple by giving Babu's strings dominant space and the gentle rhythm structure to complement Shreya's rendition.

Love Story (Telugu): Pawan Ch: Ay Pilla: Ay Pilla is a quintessential Sekhar Kammula song where the director brings out Mickey J Meyer's musical sensibilities throughout the song. Nevertheless, the tune by Pawan is lovely with lovely string arrangements in the background and Haricharan behind the mic pulls off the singing part impeccably.

Master (Tamil): Anirudh Ravichander: Vaathi Coming: Anirudh milking his Chuma Kizhi and Marana Mass structure for Vijay's Vaathi coming also with the gibberish lyrics. But despite the catchy bit, the song turns out to be tiresome listen and the visuals may work well with the song.

Uppena (Telugu): Devi Sri Prasad: Dhak Dhak Dhak: DeviSri Prasad digresses from his usual template sounds when Sukumar involves in the project and Dhak Dhak belongs to the category. Though the concept reminds us of the Prashant Pillai's wonderful Ayalathe in Angamaly diaries, DSP's Dhak Dhak has its own charm with the lovely violin solo towards the end.

VakeelSaab (Telugu): Thaman: Maguva Maguva: After Samajavaragamana, Thaman tries to repeat the success of the song with the similarly structured song and roping in Sid Sriram to sing. Though, the tune falls flat compares to Samajavaragamana, Thaman makes up for it with the lovely arrangements in the background.

V (Telugu): Amit Trivedi: Vasthunna Vachesthunna, Manasu Maree: Amit Trivedi's solo Telugu album after the multilingual Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy and going by the two songs released, Amit Trivedi did a spectacular job especially the lovely Vasthunna Vachesthunna. Though Amit Trivedi's singing is a minor grouse in both the songs, the tunes make up for it. Vasthunna Vachesthunna phrase is definitely explosive one and Shreya Goshal aces the rendition. Manasu Maree features the lovely Saxophone and the tune is quintessential Amit Trivedi's territory while Shashaa Tripati did a wonderful work with her rendition as always.

Pick of the Week: Vasthunna Vachesthunna, Ay Pilla, Manasu Maree

Weekly Earworm - Week 11 (29/02/2020)

Weekly Earworm - Week 11 (29/02/2020)

Kombu Vacha Singamda (Tamil): Dhibu Ninan Thomas: Pesadha Mozhiye: The lilting melody composed by Dhibu Ninan Thomas of Kanna fame is a lovely listen and not sure whether because of Harisankar's association, the track has the Malayalam vibes nevertheless lovely melody strengthened by Chinmayi and Harisankar's exceptional singing.

Pandrikku Nandri Solli (Tamil): Suren Vikhash: Panni Sela, Title Track: Indie composer debuts as a composer for the wacky album which screams the indie vibes throughout the album backed by hilarious lyrics especially Sofia Ashraf's rap portions. Pani Sela's bluegrassy arrangements in the backdrop of wonderful Diptanshu Roy's (who is also part of Suren Vikhas's band) Mandolin is an enjoyable listen while Benny Dayal delivers the song with his cool tone. Suren Vikhash turns into a jazzy mode for Kal Irundha and the lyrics by Arul Theeran are lit especially with the hilarious verses. Sophia Ashraf returns for another trippy song Sethanda Sekaru with the fabulous kid's chorus and Maarten Visser's solo saxophone bits in the interludes. The title track is another crazy mix and Bala Araan does his bit this time with the rollicking lyrics which goes as Nee varutha Meenu Thottuka beeru while the arrangements are in a parallel universe with the brilliant mix of Punya Srinivas's Veena which borders on the brooding tone totally in another extreme with the lyrics.

Hit (Telugu): Vivek Sagar: Ventaade Gaayam: Vivek Sagar continuous to churn out the edgy compositions and Ventaade Gaayam's jazzy sombre backdrop is elevated by Mohana Bhogaraju's evocative vocals.

Popcorn Monkey Tiger (Kannada): Charan Raj: Psychedelic Maaye, Maadeva: Charan Raj delivers the two vocal tracks for the slick movie Popcorn Monkey Tiger. The kaleidoscopic and trippy soundscape of both the track makes this one an enjoyable listen while Sanjith Hegde aces the vocals with his swag.

Kappela (Malayalam): Sushin Shyam: Kannil: Sushin Shyam comes back with another beautiful guitar-laden melody and the gentle acoustic guitar strums by Sandeep Mohan elevates the total mood of the song. Swetha Mohan is impressive as always with her rendition ably supported by another fine singer Sooraj Santosh. 

Pick of the Week: Kannil, Pandrikku Nandri Solli, Panni sela

Weekly Earworm - 09/02/2020

Weekly Earworm- Week 10 (09/02/2020)


Takkar (Tamil): Nivas K Prasanna: Maragatha Maalai: Nivas's tune takes some time to seep in but eventually turns out to be the beautiful song and credits go to the superlative rendition by Pradeep Kumar and Vijay Yesudas while Chinmayi steals the show with the dreamy vocals. Nivas kept the arrangements racy especially loved the flute bits by Navin Iyer.

World Famous Lover (Tamil/Telugu): Gopi Sundar: My Love: Though the trailer received mixed responses, the first single by Gopi Sundar takes back to the composer's Bangalore Days album. The track rides on the Sumesh Parameshvar's splendid guitar work throughout while Saindhavi/Ramya Behera aces it with their whispery rendition in the respective languages.

Titanic (Tamil): Nivas K Prasanna: Kaalamum Kettu Pochu, Sila Naal: Nivas K Prasanna delivers an enjoyable Carnatic Rock fusion based on Shanmukhapriya Raga possibly in Kaalamum Kettu Pochu while Mohan Rajan's amusing interesting lyrics make this one an enjoyable listen till it lasts. After Thegidi, Nivas K Prasanna collaborates with Abhay Jodhpurkar and the composer hands over the lovely semi-classical ballad which singer aces brilliantly. The serene arrangements with the mishmash of flute bits, soft rock drums and Abhay's sargams in the first interlude is a delightful touch form the composer.

Miss India (Telugu): Thaman S: Kotthaga Kotthaga: Thaman continues to revamp his musical style and largely deviated from his Percussion dominated music but still the autotuning of the composer's own vocals irks a lot. Shreya Goshal's breezy rendition and Kamalakar's flute solos compensate a lot for Thaman's processed vocals and the hummable tune makes this one works.

Gaandu Kannamma (Tamil): Vivek-Mervin: After Orasaadha, Vivek-Mervin returns with another single Gaandu Kannamma and as expected the tune is incredibly accessible one which is more than enough to stay on the charts for sure. Though Ku Karthik's lyrics took some time to seep in, it fits well with the overall relaxed mood of the tune.

Jaanu (Telugu): Govind Vasantha:

Govind Vasantha retains the original tunes for  Anantham (Anthaadhi), Komma Veedi (Iravingu Theevai), Classic show-stopper Oohale (Kaadhale Kaadhale) and the tunes are equally mesmerising in the Telugu also. Oohale's prelude starts with the Hindustani Piya Balmora and followed by the original stunner tune and the track still continues to be a stunner.

The Life of Ram is the only song in the soundtrack where Pradeep Kumar is involved whereas he sang almost all the songs in Tamil. Govind Vasantha brilliantly adapted the Life of Ram and Violin usage around the 2-minute mark deserves special mention which serves as the hook of the tune. The composer retains the Thaaney Thaaney hook which blends in well with the tune. Naa Kale Kalai, the equivalent of Yaen which speaks about the heartbreak and the vibe is lovely in Brinda's vocals. Inthena is another beautifully tweaked version of Vasantha Kaalangal which is the favourite from the Tamil soundtrack. Inthena also dominated by the guitar strums which tugs your heart and the melancholic mood along with the beautiful soundscape will make anyone fall in love with this composition. Pranam, the equivalent of Thabangale and the guitar strums by Keba Jeremiah lingers in the listener's mind after it ends also. Once again Chinmayi and Govind Vasantha are top-notch with their rendition.

Dharala Prabhu (Tamil): Oorka: Aaha Ooho: After Onnumilla from Aadai, Oorka composes another soft rock-based song on similar lines for Dharala Prabhu. The track starts in a punchy engaging manner but soon fizzles out towards the Charanam while Pradeep Kumar shines with his bass guitar and Bharath Shankar aces the rendition comfortably.

Choosi Choodagaane (Telugu): Gopi Sundar: Venakane Unna: Gopi Sundar cleverly tweaks his signature elements and conceived the gorgeous melody in Venakane Unna. Chinmayi's presence in the mic gives the familiar vibe especially with the hear before feel of the tune but the singer aces the rendition impeccably.

P.S: You can listen to the songs as a playlist in Youtube

Music Review (Tamil): Seeru

Music Review (Tamil): Seeru
Music Composer: Imman

Shivam Mahadevan debuts as a singer in Tamil with Vaa Vasuki and the vocals have undeniable traces of Shankar Mahadevan especially when he goes as Vaa Vasuki. Though the tune sounds commonplace, the track engages until it lasts mainly due to vocals despite autotuning at certain places. Kannaala Poduraaley has tiring lyrics from both Viveka and RJ Vijay tries hard to make the jokes amusing. However, Nakash Aziz easily sells this song with his sprightly rendition despite the tune and arrangements from Imman are strictly functional one dominated by Imman's signature racy percussions.

The soundtrack's undeniable highlight is Sevvanthiye and Imman does his best when he channels his Inner Ilayaraja and the composer brings back the memories of Aanandha Ragam from Panneer Pushpangal. The track begins with the lovely solo violin prelude by Karthik Iyer and Thirumoorthy aces the song with his pitch-perfect rendition. The female version's arrangements sound jarring especially with the incoherent mixing of Veena and jazzy soundscape intermittently. However, Vaikom Vijayalakshmi fits the bill perfectly and complements Male version impeccably. Among the two short tracks, Vasana Poochenda sounds better with all the composer elements intact along with the breezy rendition by Rajaganapathy while Ignite the fire theme sounds predictable and passes muster. One wishes that Imman could have turned Vasana Poochenda into the full-fledged track rather than under two-minute short song.

Verdict: Barring the single gem of the album in the form of Sevvanthiye, Imman's score for Seeru rides on the predictable set of tunes.

My Rating: 6.5/10

Pick of the Album: Sevvanthiye (male version), Vaa Vasuki

P.S You can listen to the songs in JioSaavn. The edited version of the review is published in Moviecrow.