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): 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

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.

Music Review (Tamil): Adithya Varma

Music Review (Tamil): Adithya Varma
Music Composer: Radhan

Adithya Varma is a remake of the Telugu blockbuster Arjun Reddy with Vikram's son Dhruv in the lead and directed by Gireesaaya. Radha who helmed the original, scores music for the film. One wishes that Radhan could have gone for the Original track but given the chartbuster album for the original, makers decided to retain almost all the songs from the Telugu album.

Telusina Na Nuvvey comes as Edharkadi in Tamil version and the hard rock song composed by Radhan is definitely an earworm one. The punchy hook of the song, En swasam Neeye gives such an adrenaline rush which gels with the protagonist character and surprisingly Dhruv Vikram pulls off the track with his vocals. Dhooram is the breezy song of the soundtrack with the whispery vocals, however, Telugu version by Nikhita Gandhi fares better than the Dhvani Bhanushali's shaky vocals in Tamil. The tune remains to be an easily accessible one and the guitar laden background makes this track an extremely enjoyable one.

Yaarumilla starts off brilliantly with the mandolin phrase and Sid Sriram aces the tune with his classical improvisations. Though it takes time to strike out the thoughts of phenomenal singing by Revanth in Telugu, Sid Sriram makes an impact with his earnest rendition. Composer employed Sarangi brilliantly in the second interlude to set the tone of the song. The soundtrack's best song is definitely Amudhangalaal and the brilliant classical fusion song where the dubstep sounds are adorned with the classical instant addictive tune. Though Thamarai's lyrics don't match with the expectations, Radhan makes up for it with his gorgeous tune where the track reaches a crescendo with the bursting veena solo intermittently.

Kanaa is another gorgeously sung track by Krithika Nelson and the waltzy backdrop is a gobsmackingly delightful one to listen. The classical sargams are undeniably the highlight of the track and the composer is in spectacular form with respect to the arrangements where Radhan throws in beautiful slide guitar and accordion solos amidst the brilliant Krithika Nelson's vocals. Idhu Enna Maayamo is a slightly tweaked version of Emitemito and this one also follows the soft rock genre dominated by Guitar and live drums in the background. Sivakarthikeyan ably pulls off with the decent lyrics while Ranjith Govind gives a different tone when compared with the Telugu version especially because of the singer's improvisations. The only original song of the movie Yen Ennai is trademark Sid Sriram's bluesy base track and the tune gets much better in the Charanam portions. The arrangements are dominated by the guitars and the composer employed the rousing title hook effectually and also look out for the nicely done kazoo's bits in the interludes.

Verdict: Radhan reused the songs from the Telugu, but that doesn't take away the effectiveness of the soundtrack. The exquisite tunes and the inventiveness of the soundtrack make this one an enjoyable album in Tamil also. 

My Rating: 8/10

Pick of the Album: Amudhangalaal, Kanaa, Edharkadi

P.S The edited version of the review is available here.

Music Review (Tamil/Telugu): Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy

Music Review (Tamil/Telugu): Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy
Music Composer: Amit Trivedi

Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy is one of the highly anticipated movies of the year with the brilliant line of actors Chiranjeevi, Amitabh Bachan, Vijay Sethupathi, Sudeep, Nayantara and Tamanaah. Amit Trivedi marks his south Indian debut with this soundtrack and the composer undeniably leaves his stamp in the tracks but with the mixed bag of tunes.

Paaraai Narasimha Nee Paaraai/ Jaago Narasimha Jaagore starts off beautifully with the serene prelude with the mellow Vishnu Vijay's flute paves way for the thunderous chorus sections. Though the tune is strictly perfunctory and dominated by percussion, Amit Trivedi packaged with the gorgeous Dilshad Khan's Sarangi and Seenu's strokes. Shankar Mahadevan, Haricharan and Anurag Kulkarni easily ace the rendition of Karky/ Srivennela Seetharama Sastry's glorifying lyrics about Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy. Angam Unnidam/ Andam Ankitam: The tune fits well with the Anantha Sriram's lyrics than Karky's, however, the tune falters after an initial high. Nevertheless, Shashaa Tripati shines with her hypnotic rendition and ably supported by Vijay Prakash. Once again Amit Trivedi easily scores with the arrangements and this track is adorned by Kishore's Sitar and Punya Srinivas's veena especially look out for the melange of sounds amidst the jathis by Shashaa.

O..Syeraa: As expected the title song has a pompous orchestration but comes off as generic one except for the Seenu's contribution from the Saz/sarod in the interludes. The composer brings together Sunidhi Chauhan and Shreya Ghoshal despite the latter appears only for the 40 seconds towards the end. Amit Trivedi ends the soundtrack with the anthemic Swaasalona Desame/Suvasamaagum Desame and though the track sounds too modern for the period of the movie, the composer did a wonderful job with respect to the arrangements especially the splendid first interlude with the thrumming percussion segues beautifully with the Naveen Kumar's stunning flute solo. Haricharan aces the rendition as usual

Verdict: Amit Trivedi matches the grandeur of the movie and the tracks are packaged well with the arrangements nevertheless one wishes that tunes could have been much better.

My Rating: 7.5/10

Pick of the Album: Andam Ankitam, Swaasalona Desame

Music Review (Tamil): Kennedy Club

Music Review (Tamil): Kennedy Club
Music Composer: Imman

Though Kabbadi Kabbadi screams on the face that Imman is behind the score, the track works largely thanks to Resmi Sateesh who sang the powerful song in the Malayalam film Urumi earlier. Suriya Badrinath and Srinidhi ably support her. The arrangements are typical Imman forte where the punching rhythm which reminds of the composer's earlier songs. The male version of the song is largely the same except for the Deepak's vocal and Viveka's lyrics. Comparatively, the female version works much better because of the superlative singing. Unnaale Unnaaley Mudiyadhendral's is significantly different from the usual tone one can hear for the motivational track if one goes by the lyrics of Viveka. Vijay Yesudas's earnest singing and the splendid usage of Seenu's stringed instruments in the second interlude are the highlights in an otherwise prosaic tune churned out by Imman.

Imman brings in another North Indian singer Keerthi Sagathia to Kollywood for Mattakku Mattakku and he manages to deliver the tune with the occasional slip up in the diction. The tune is largely pedestrian one rides mainly on the vigorous fast rhythm. The arrangements are overdone which comes across as the loud song and the title hook is so Hindi'ish for the Tamil song. Vaaraan  unna Vachiseyya Poraan is another garish track with the band of singers Santosh Hariharan, Shenbagaraj, Vignesh Narayanan and Deepak. Manoj's solo violin bits got wasted amidst the cacophonous soundscape and Viveka's equally threatening lyrics especially Mavane Mavane part. Imman ends the soundtrack with another motivational track Vali Thaangidum Vaazhkai crooned by Keerthi Sagathia. The short duration of the track and the pretty much functional arrangements doesn't work to its favour.

Verdict: Imman's latest soundtrack is unwarrantedly loud and filled with largely flashy motivational tracks without any finesse in the tunes.

My Rating: 6.5/10

Pick of the Album: Kabaddi Kabaddi (Female version)

P.S The edited version of the review is published in Moviecrow.

Music Review (Tamil/Telugu): Dear Comrade

Music Review (Tamil/Telugu): Dear Comrade
Music Composer: Justin Prabhakaran

Comrade Anthem rides mainly on the effective chorus and the rap portions but the soundscape treads the familiar territory. Vijay Sethupathi aces the rendition while In Telugu Vijay Devarakonda himself renders the portion which works much better. Azhaipaaya written and sung by the composer itself sounds more like Justin streamlines his inner Rahman in his vocals. The off-colour singing in the high pitch portions is made up by the effective thematic soundscape adorned with the hypnotic rhythms and wonderful Esraj solos by Seenu.  In Telugu, Kaala Bairava does wonders with his brilliant rendition.

The song of the soundtrack and undeniably one of the best song of the year is Pularaadha and the magical lyrics of tender love is conveyed brilliantly by Karthick Netha especially the lyrics goes as Nanaiyaadha Nizhalai Pole Yengum Kaadhale. Sid Sriram complements the lyrics with his spellbinding rendition and the improvisations by the singer in the Charanam portions are a delight to listen. The atmospheric sounds linger even after the song ends especially the Pularaadha hook and Aishwarya Ravichandran shines in the second half. Justin extends the mood of the Pularaadha to Aagaasa Veedu kattum with once again backed by Karthick Netha's poetic lyrics. Justin's minimal arrangements dominated by guitar strums and the lovely jathi undertones. Overall the arrangements are remarkable especially when it enhances the beauty of the lyrics multi-fold.

Naan Varuven's gloomy backdrop is heralded by the wonderfully done Sebastian's keys in the prelude and the rest is taken care by Sathya Prakash. Despite the cheerless start, the tune beautifully turns around in the first interlude with the wonderful usage of ukulele and Pipa. Aishwarya Ravichandran delivers the catchy Va Vaa hook in Tamil whereas Chinmayi aces in all the other languages. Justin blends the charming Malayalam verses in the second interlude. Naresh Iyer croons the celebratory Dosthe Takkaru it's a delight to listen to his vocals after a long time. Viveka throws in few nostalgic funny lyrics in this pleasing track. Justin conceives much interesting marriage song Gira Gira and the track benefits largely from the Mohana Bhogaraju/Yamini Ghantasala's unique vocals. Once again Karthik Netha surprises the listeners with his lyrics especially the lines Thorattiya Pottu Nelava Pudikka Paakura while Justin owns the track with the melange of sounds layered in the background from Seenu's mandolin to Balu's Tavil.  Justin ends the soundtrack with the canteen song which starts more like Tasakku Tasakku from Vikram Vedha. Nivas K Prasanna croons the fun song and Justin lyrics effectively captures the scenes in the college canteen.

Verdict: Dear Comrade is unarguably the best of Justin Prabhakaran and the composer impresses largely with the range of songs in the soundtrack. The lyrics and tune gel beautifully throughout the soundtrack and Karthik Netha's work deserves special mention.

My Rating: 9/10

Pick of the Album: Complete album. Start with Pularaadha and Gira Gira, you won't be disappointed.

Music Review (Tamil): Kaappaan

Music Review (Tamil): Kaappaan
Music Composer: Harris Jayaraj

Sirikki is a faux folk Harris Jayaraj kuthu song which touches upon the composer's earlier kuthu songs from Venaam Machan to Anjala. Despite the hackneyed tune, Senthil Ganesh's vocals backed up by Ramani Ammal works to its favour and the hummable tune makes this one listenable till it lasts. On the arrangements front, Devi's veenai solos stand out.Harris Jayaraj reserved his best to his daughter Nikitha Harris who is making playback debut with the Vinnil Vinmeen. Vairamuthu's lyrics which speaks about the unity in diversity is complemented by the classically inclined serene arrangements topped up by Seenu's stringed instruments and manonmani's magnificent Sarangi solos. Composer employed the kid's choir effectively amidst the effective Nikitha's vocals.

Hey Amigo sounds more like the composer's take on Luis Fonsi's despacito and the feel is further accentuated by Joseph Vijay's acoustic guitar solos accompanied by Hey Amigo title hook. However, the track is catchy stuff from the composer despite the borrowed template. The song turns interesting especially with the entry of Jonita Gandhi and she aces the tune which goes as 'vetti pechi pesi penmai nirayaadhu'.Machan Inga Vandhira's overloaded synth and techno sounds throw off the listeners enthusiasm after an interesting title hook. The processed vocals of Kharesma Ravichandran, Nikhita Gandhi and Shabnam doesn't help either and they too sound off colour in some places. Harris Jayaraj ends the soundtrack with the mediocre Kurilae Kurilae and it sounds like Anegan's Roja Kadalae with the debatable choice of singers. The heavily processed vocals of Darshana takes some time to seep in while Javed Ali's questionable diction irks off at some places. Harris throws generously his usual gibberish sounds and the tune barely manages to impress.

Verdict: Harris Jayaraj manages to score easily in a couple of tracks for KV Anand despite the usual grouse of reuse/inspiration factor which one can associate with the composer.

My Rating: 7/10

Pick of the Album: Vinnil Vinmeen, Hey AMigo, Sirikki

Music Review (Tamil): Pon Manickavel

Music Review (Tamil): Pon Manickavel
Music Composer: Imman

Imman gives a wonderful start to the album with the unusual tune for Uthira Uthira with the shades of Ding Dong Kovil mani. Shreya Goshal and Imman combination hardly goes wrong and Uthira Uthira is no exception. The sensual rendition by Shreya and Imman's tune makes this one an enjoyable listen while Karky impresses with the unique lyrics. Sreekanth Hariharan and Maria Roe Vincent ably support while Prakash Hariharan's mandolin in the interludes deserves special mention. Jittaan Jittaan Jinukku is the dance number while the tune is typical Imman number which rides mainly on the thumping rhythm structure. Shika Prabhakaran's exceptional singing helps the hackneyed tune while GKB's off-putting lyrics are the sore point in an otherwise listenable tune.

Bongu Bongu also rides on the Imman's stock tune and structure dominated by the folk sounds with ample support from Kaviraj's percussion. However, the tune falters despite the gripping lyrics from Kabilan while Thiagaraja Subramaniam's rendition stays true to the spirit of the song as well as lyrics. Magaraasaney tune comes in two versions with slight modifications in Viveka's lyrics about father-daughter bond rendered by Srinivas after a long time for the male version and by Varsha Renjith for the female version. The affecting tune is backed by serene orchestration and Imman employed Devi's veena effectively. Both Srinivas and Varsha aces the calming tune effectually despite the tune doesn't match up to the composer's earlier hit Kannana Kanney.Imman ends the vocal tracks of the album with the motivational number Vizhuvathum Ezhuvathum. Though the tune has nothing remarkable to offer, Ashwin Sharma's rendition and Imman's pleasant arrangements make this one an enjoyable listen till it ends. Pon Manickavel's theme sounds fit to the genre of cop thriller with intrigue and mystery. The track features splendid work on the Electric guitar riffs from Keba Jeremiah and Manoj Kumar's violin despite the voiceovers lacks the punch required for the theme track.

Verdict: Imman strictly adheres to his loyal soundscape with a couple of tracks and superior vocals salvage the album.

My Rating: 7/10

Pick of the album: Uthira Uthira, Magaraasaney

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

Music Review (Tamil): Sivappu Manjal Patchai

Music Review (Tamil): Sivappu Manjal Patchai
Music Composer: Siddhu Kumar

Mayilaanjiye features the wonderful arrangements which are surreal especially Balaji's violin and Shubani's string section. Siddhu's tune works magically especially the Pallavi and the title hook but fizzles out in the charanam portions. Anand Aravindakshan and Shashaa Tirupathi are in fine form with respect to the vocals. Siddhu shines once again with respect to the arrangements in Raakachi Rangamma and undoubtedly Anitha Karthikeyan's quirky vocals work to the song's favour but tune suffers and lacks the punch. Mohan Rajan delivers the bull eye with his amusing lyrics especially when the lines go as Ranveer'um Ranbir'um mix aaki kekkuraan ivanoda Akka enna Deepika Padukona. 

Siddhu fares well both with respect to tune as well as arrangements in the melancholy Usure where the composer employed Jothi Pushpa's vocals and Bhavani's Veena for the classical-tinged interlude. Sudharshan Ashok easily sails through the enchanting tune in the verses of Mohan Rajan.The debutant Siddhu composer delivers another smashing melody Idhudhaana and the lilting tune is elevated by Naresh Iyer and Shashaa Tirupati. Siddhu arrangements also feature a brilliant amalgamation of soulful violin solo by Balaji in the prelude and Nakul Abhyankar's kazoo along with Vishnu's flute in the interludes makes this one a beautiful listen. Siddhu ends the soundtrack with another melody Aazhi Soozhnda where Manoj's enchanting violin and Mohan Rajan's lyrics on brother-Sister relationship stands out. Srikanth Hariharan's earnest singing prods the average tune and makes this one a passable fare from the composer.

Verdict: Debutant composer Siddhu fares well with respect to the arrangements but the tunes of Sivappu Manjal Pachai turn out to be a dealbreaker.

My Rating:7/10

Pick of the Album:  Idhu dhaana, Usure

P.S You can listen to the songs in JioSaavn

The edited version of the review is published in Moviecrow.

Music Review (Tamil): Sindhubaadh

Music Review (Tamil): Sindhubaadh
Music Composer: Yuvan Shankar Raja

The prelude and Pallavi of Nenja Unakaga sound more like Santosh Narayanan's composition than Yuvan Shankar Raja. The tune takes time to get through the listener but Haricharan's vocals and the lovely arrangements especially Balesh's Shehnai towards the end make this one an interesting listen. Another beautiful thing is the Charanam where Yuvan's minimal arrangements with keys to support while Haricharan leads the show to pave way for the effective Othanela Kenikulla title hook.Rockstar Robber's prelude reminds of the Yatchan's KaakaPonnu and the techno club mix by Yuvan works largely because of the enjoyable Rap portions by ADK. However, the tune fails to stick despite enjoyable arrangements and Pav Bundy's adequate vocals who collaborated with Yuvan earlier for Goa

Unnaalathan is a typical Yuvan styled song and it's a perfect throwback to numerous Yuvan's melodies. Yuvan delegate the vocals to similar sounding Al Rufian instead of his own despite the tune easily falls into his territory.  The winner is undeniably Priya Maali's singing who leads the show easily in Charanam.Yuvan churns out another winner in the melancholy Neeyum Naanum where Santosh's singing elevates the song effectively. Yuvan kept the arrangements simple filled with thrumming techno rhythms and paves way for the singer to deliver the gorgeous melody. Also, deserving credit is beautifully written words by Karthik Netha.

Verdict: A melody heavy soundtrack where Yuvan is in fine form and Arun Kumar continues to extract enjoyable music from all the composers (Nivas K Prasanna for Sethupathi and Justin Prabhakaran for Pannaiyarum Padminiyum) he has worked with.

My Rating: 7.5/10

Pick of the Album: Nenja Unakaga, Neeyum Naanum 

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






 

Music Review (Tamil): House Owner

Music Review (Tamil): House Owner
Music Composer: Ghibran

Nayaname Nayaname is the beautifully layered melody replete with Nadhaswaram and Thavil and the arrangements have the retro swing to it especially in the interludes. Santhaprakash aces the vocals crooning the Madhan Karky's charming lyrics which goes like 'Undhan Aganda Aganda vizhi, yendhan irunda ulagin oLi'. Saayamal Saigindra arrangements also have the retro flavour with the dominant jazzy laid back tune which Benny Dayal croons to perfection. Though the tune takes its own time to get its groove, the background is a delight to listen with the gentle percussion adorned by snappy brass sections which shows up intermittently along with the keys. Ghibran ends the short soundtrack with the irresistible Neeyagave delivered stupendously by Sathyaprakash and Chinmayi. Ghibran adorns the song with the soothing arrangements backed by Tabla rhythm and wonderful flute solos while Chinamyi's splendid rendition makes this one best of the lot.

Verdict: Ghibran continues to churn out the lovely tracks with alarming consistency from his debut album and House owner is not an exception, short and sweet soundtrack from the talented composer.

My Rating: 8/10

Pick of the Album: Neeyagave, Nayaname Nayaname

P.S You can listen to the soundtrack in Youtube.

Music Review (Tamil): Kanchana 3

Music Review (Tamil): Kanchana 3
Music Composer: Assorted Composers

Nanbanukku Koila Kattu stays true to the Saravedi Saran's forte but the lyrics sound forcefully fitted to the play along tune and the background ticks off everything one can expect from the Chennai gaana song but surprisingly sounds less garish and entertaining till it lasts if one can turn back on the lyrics part. Srilanka based composer Raj Thillaiyampalam makes his Kollywood debut with Kadhal Oru Vizhiyil and Neha Venugopal effortlessly renders the pleasant melody which is likeable till it lasts. The breezy melody is backed by Saroja's Dilruba and Madhan Karky's verses. Though the tune sounds familiar, the singing and the hummable melody makes it listenable.

Kaali Kaali is straight out of Imman's familiar template and one wishes that composer Sai Bharath could have attempted for Imman's melody rather than his usual loud percussion laden punchy soundtrack. Apart from Dhivagar Santosh's energetic rendition, the track has very little to offer. Saravedi Saran comes up with another gaana track Oru Sattai Oru Balpam, filled with off-putting lyrics by the composer himself and nevertheless, the tune sufficiently serves the purpose. Srinidhi's vocals fit the bill perfectly but one truly wishes for the better lyrics. In Shake Yo body, composed by Jesse Samuel and sung by himself starts off interestingly with the casual Goan percussion but soon spirals down into techno song which fails to hit the right note. The arrangements are patchy especially with respect to the interludes and rhythm. The tune also meanders randomly, especially in the charanam portions.The multi-composer soundtrack ends with the mandatory high octane song of Muni/Kanchana series and Rudra Kaali is no different with the loud templatized track where Renjith Unni, Pavan and Velu tries hard to engage with their sprightly rendition.

Verdict: Raghava Lawrence's Multi-composer attempt for Kanchana 3 backfires compared to Kanchana2 where Leon James and Thaman delivered exceptional tracks for this genre. This one lacks even a single memorable song from the set of six composers.

My Rating: 5/10

Pick of the Album: Kaadhal Oru Vizhiyil

Music Review (Tamil): LKG

Music Review (Tamil): LKG
Music Composer: Leon James

Thimiru Kaataadhadi is the quintessential Leon James song where the composer's frivolous tune gels well with the Vignesh Shivan's colloquial lyrics. Sathyaprakash sails through the tune effortlessly while composer backs up the tune with the neat simple arrangements. Dappaava Kizhichaan has intriguing arrangements where Thirumoorthy's Nadhaswaram and brilliant guitar work in the interludes, but Shruthi Hassan's vocals and especially Pa Vijay's lyrics are a big let down. Tamizh Anthem is an easy winner in the soundtrack where the major tune is crooned stupendously by Sid Sriram and Chinmayi while the composer adorns the tune with the terrific backdrop of Krishna Kishor's percussions and Keba's guitar work. The musical stalwarts P Susheela, Vani Jayaram and LR Eswari aces the Tamixh Thai Vaazhthu followed by Chinmayi's dazzling second charanam rendition. Incidentally, P Susheela and Chinmayi was also part of Rahman's Senthamizhaam Tamizh Mozhi also. Ini Oru Vidhi Seivom is the generic song which is strictly listenable along with visuals.

Verdict: Leon James continues to churn out minimum guarantee music and the songs are consistently enjoyable within his soundscape.

My Rating: 7.5/10

Pick of the Album: Tamizh Anthem, Thimiru Kaataadhadi 

P.S You can listen to the album in JioSaavn.

Music Review (Tamil): Mehandi Circus

Music Review (Tamil): Mehandi Circus
Music Composer: Sean Roldan

Mehandi Circus starts with a blast using Layath Siddique's Balkan violin in Avoji but turns out soon into Amit Trivedi flavoured Punjabi track especially the rhythms and Santhosh Narayanan's singing.  Sean Roldan employed the Sargam choir's kid chorus sections effectively and amps up the buoyant factor of the circus show song.Sean Roldan marks his idiosyncratic music both in terms of tune as well as vocals in Vellattu Kannazhagi. Yugabharathi's relatable as well as colloquial lyrics easily strike the chord with the listeners while Sean Roldan does his magic with the manonmani's Sarangi and wonderful bass line in the charanam. The simple tune associated with the hummable lyrics which is easy on ears makes this one winner.

The best thing happened in Veyil Mazhaye is undeniably Vignesh Ishwar's playback debut and the singer's earnest singing makes this charming melody easily works. Subhiksha Rangarajan, not sure if it is a movie debut, but easily churns out the winner with the other language folk verses in the interludes and towards the end. Sean Roldan beautifully blends both the portions backed by ghatams and guitar played by the composer himself.Kodi Aruvi comes up with another rooted melody supported amply by Yugabharathi's lyrics especially the gorgeous anupallavi kicked in by Nithyashree. The Macedonian Symphonic Orchestra in the interludes evokes Ilayaraja's memories and Pradeep Kumar sounds different compared to his other songs though in a good way which fits the folk nature of the tune.Siragi Un Sirippala's rhythm evokes memories of Ratchagan's Chandirani Thottadhu yaar especially oho bit in the prelude. The melody works impeccably and aided by Sathyaprakash's superlative singing while Lalitha Sudha ably supports him with the charming interlude sargams. The atmospheric sounds mixed with Yugabharathi's simple lyrics make this one a great listen.The guitar-laden melancholy Love Polladhadhu is the weakest link in the album strictly in comparison to other tracks in the album. The tune doesn't work well despite Vijay Yesudas's splendid rendition and the tune sounds sketchy and ends in an abrupt note.

Verdict: Sean Roldan after a muted 2018 comes back with another sure shot winner in Mehandi Circus and the album brims with lovable melodies which lingers in listeners mind after it ends.

My Rating: 8.5/10

Pick of the Album: Kodi Aruvi, Veyil Mazhaiye, Siragi Un Sirippala 

P.S You can listen to the album in Jio Saavn

Music Review (Tamil): Vandhaa Rajavathan Varuven

Music Review (Tamil): Vantha Rajavathan Varuven
Music Composer: HipHop Tamizha

Hip Hop Tamizha ropes in Kannada hit singer Sanjith Hegde once again after Imaikka Nodigal for Paravaigal and the singer aces his portions quite effectively. But the track turns into a mishap once Hip Hop Tamizha familiar template kicks in and the composer tries to mishmash a lot of musical cues especially in the interludes but the overall tune sounds to be a patchy track from the composer. In Pattamarangal, HipHop Tamizha concocts an interesting song based on Kaatrinile Varum Geetham borrowing the lyrics from the evergreen song for the prelude. Sanjith Hegde kicks in with the mod rhythms to back him and the singer delivers effortlessly while Manonmani's Sarangi is an engaging addition to the track.

Red Cardu is another mediocre dance track which has Hip Hop Tamizha's stamp all over it. The garish arrangements and Hiphop Tamizha rides mainly on the colloquial lyrics. The singing as well as background fails to impress the listeners. HipHop Tamizha reuses his last year Telugu hit song Dhaari Choodu for Modern Muniyamma but the essence and beauty of the Telugu original are completely lost in Arivu's superficial lyrics and Srinisha Jayaseelan's vocal turns out to be a misfit. The foot-tapping tune is the only winner and at any time one can go back to much better Telugu version. Onnuku Renda is another random track from Hip Hop Tamizha which also suffers from the pedestrian lyrics. Senthil Ganesh and Sathya Narayanan prod the song with the effective rendition while Poova Pushpama hook by VM Mahalingam borders on the annoying zone. Arshad Khan's esraj being the only solace in an otherwise laborious track.Hip Hop Tamizha rehashed Madurai Veeran's famous Vaanga Machan Vaanga and the track is listenable because of a nostalgic factor associated with the song bits. Though hip Hop Tamizha's lyrics are too self-indulgent, the track is better compared to other songs in the album.

Verdict: HipHop Tamizha's rehashed tracks work relatively better than the original tracks for this Atharintiki Daredhi remake and the composer continues to stick within his confined soundscape. 

My Rating: 6.5/10

Pick of the Album: Pattamarangal, Vaanga Machan Vaanga

P.S You can listen to the songs in Jio Saavn.

Music Review (Tamil): Kanne Kalaimaane

Music Review (Tamil): Kanne Kalaimaane
Music Composer: Yuvan Shankar Raja

Azhaikattuma doesn't match the singer's previous hit number Makka Kalanguthappa from Dharmadhurai and the whimsical lyrics being the only curious thing from this casual gossipy track. Neendamalare has the gorgeous anupallavi crooned deftly by Yazin Nizar and Shwetha Pandit while Yuvan Shankar Raja adorns with the neat orchestration especially the flute solos in the interludes. Endhan Kangalai's  lounge'ish mod soundscape mixed with Yuvan's trademark tune which takes me back to Paiyya. However, the tune doesn't work for me thoughSooraj Santosh ably delivers while Yuvan spruces up the interludes with Sitar solos. Sevvandhi Poove is another average song from the composer where the tune has shades of Seenu Ramasamy's earlier collaborations with the composer. Vaa Vellai Rasathi is the best of the lot and I wish Yuvan opted for some other singer rather than himself. The brooding undercurrent tone especially the rhythm structure and the apt arrangements make this one an engaging listen in the album.


Verdict: Yuvan Shankar Raja starts his 2019 with the lacklustre soundtrack which doesn't match the composer's magical run last year.

My Rating: 6.5/10

Pick of the Album: Vaa Vellai Rasathi, Neendamalare 

P.S You can listen to the album in Jio Saavn

Music Review (Tamil): Dev

Music Review (Tamil): Dev
Music Composer: Harris Jayaraj

 Dei Machan Dev is traditional Harris stuff where the pleasant melody drives the track while the background screams Harris stuff all over and the Vivek's odd fitted lyrics where Dev is made rhythmic with brave and other random lyrics which is a minor turn off in an otherwise listenable track from Harris and the composer ensures that all his elements like gibberish rap, signature guitar riffs are prevalent throughout the track. The track is prodded by a bunch of singers led by Naresh Iyer. She is my girl has the beats of Michael Jackson which Harris moulded into perfection in his past albums and this track is not a different one. Haricharan's processed vocals amidst the outburst by Christoper Stanley works easily while Mahathi steals the show with her impeccable humming and it's quite a delight that she returned back to Harris track. Harris delivered his best in the album in Oru Nooru Murai, breezy guitar laden track where Shakthishree's rendition is a showstopper and the improvisations in charanam make one to easily fall in love with the song. Thamarai once again shines with her amazing lyrics while Harris adorned the track with lilting mandolin strains and flute with classical touches. Anangae Sinungalama is another typical Harris Jayaraj track which is at best passable listen and has heavy Deja Vu flavour reminding me Ayan and all random Harris Jayaraj songs. Harris Jayaraj ends the soundtrack with mandatory melancholy Engade Nee Ponae which rides mainly on the SPB's splendid rendition while Harris kept the arrangements simple dominated by acoustic guitar.

Verdict: Dev has Harris Jayaraj stamp all over it and Harris fans will love his melodies while even Harris Jayaraj quoted in an interview "If you instantly recognise a Harris song, that is my success". But I choose to disagree as a listener because I always feel, I'll better listen to his good old songs in the 2000s rather than the rehashed versions churned out by the composer in recent years and also young composers brings in a lot of variety and flavour to the film songs these days.

My Rating: 7.5/10

Pick of the album: Oru Nooru Murai, Dei Machan Dev.

P.S You can listen to the songs in Youtube.

Music Review (Tamil): Seethakaathi

Music Review (Tamil): Seethakaathi
Music Composer: Govind Vasantha

Govind Vasantha gave the soundtrack's best song and also stunning opener of the album with Avan. The roaring semi-classical melody is an affecting piece especially with the chant like chorus throughout the background. Harish Sivaramakrishnan of Agam fame does an exceptional job behind the mic while composer brilliantly employed Bavani Prasad's Veena. Govind enters into hard rock genre for Ayya song crooned by Vijay Prakash and Thiyagaraja Kumararaja deserves special mention in writing the lyrics in pure Tamil. Bala's Nadaswaram in the interlude is the towering highlight of the track with respect to arrangements. Govind Vasantha harks back to 96 mode with Uyir crooned by the composer himself and the moving tune gets life with Karthik Netha's lyrics and Bavani Prasad's exquisite mohana Veena in the interludes. Karthik Netha's lyrics 'Kaanale Meyyagi Pazhagivittaal EEeramai thodum Nadhigal Silirpadhundo Ulle' is the best and most affecting line in the track. Kozhi Onnu is a perfect stage play song backed by Vikram's Kanjira while Pushpavanam Kuppusamy easily scores crooning Yugabharathi's wonderful amusing lyrics. The remaining three songs are instrumentals where Govind Vasantha created an impressive poignant work. The best of the lot is undeniably Journey of Ayya where Govind's violin and flute conveys the emotions beautifully. Theme of Seethakathi is a spin-off from the journey of Ayya while Vishnu Vijay shines in another moving instrumental Isai. 

Verdict: Govind Vasantha delivers a stunning follow up to this year's best 96 and the melodies shines with ample support from the lyricist. It's heartwarming to see both in 96 and Seethakaathi, lyrics and tune blends beautifully and complements each other.

My Rating: 8.5/10

Pick of the Album: Avan, Journey Of Ayya, Uyir, Ayya 

P.S You can listen to the songs in JioSaavn.