Weekly Earworm -Week 9 (01/12/2019)
Namah: Thaikkudam bridge: Kanne: Kanne is in lines with the band's earlier Navarasam and the guitar riffs with the progressive rock arrangements is a spellbinding listen. Thaiikkudam bridge roped in Avial fame Anandraj Benjamin Paul to croon this energetic track along with Vipin lal. Inside my head in collaboration with the German drummer Marco Minnemann which released as a video two years ago is an immersive haunting listen from the band. The tune reaches a crescendo with the hard rock portions crooned brilliantly by Anish Krishnan. I'll be adding few more songs next week
Darbar (Tamil): Anirudh : Chumma Kizhi: If Marana mass is an extension to Raman Aandalum Ravanan Aandalum, then Chumma Kizhi turns out to be an inspiration from Ennoda Raasi Nalla Raasi. But the song didn't work despite SPB's singing and the percussion-heavy track turns out to be an average track and Vivek's lyrics doesn't help either.
Kalidas (Tamil): Vishal Chandrasekhar: Mazhai: Vishal Chandrasekhar experiments in Kalidas with an interesting mix of Classical and Jazz tracks. The pick of the album is definitely Sudha Raghunathan's brilliant Mazhai and Thamarai's lyrics add beauty to the semi-classical tune especially with the lines 'Muruvalgal Tharaamaal Muthamida Vaaramal yengavaithu Ponadhu enna'. Sharanya Gopinath aces the jazzy exhilarating Meraki Nenjam effectually.
Bhagyanagara Veedullo Gammathu (Telugu): Saketh Komanduri: Vethiki: Vethiki Vethiki's rhythm and the mood has an uncanny similarity to the Ilayaraja's Ekkada Ekkada from Ladies Tailor. Though the tune is lovely one, Sri Harsha Emani's lyrics irks a lot.
Amrutharamam (Telugu): NS Prasu: Tholakari Chinukula: NS Prasu's relatively unknown album Amrutharamam shaping out to be an engaging album from the composer. After Chinmayi's Naalo Neevey last week, Tholakari Chinukula crooned by Aditi Bhavaraju also turns out to be a pleasant melody backed by neat arrangements.
Dhanusu Rasi Neyargale (Tamil): Ghibran: Yaaru Mela: Ghibran is in fine form in the celebratory song Yaaru Mela. Sowmiya Mahadevan is fabulous with her rendition and the Charanam tune makes one to easily fall in love with the song while Karky's casual banter lyrics blend well with the carefree tone of the song.
Adithya Varma (Tamil); Radhan: Nenjukulle: Adithya Varma team releases the final song of the soundtrack Nenjukulae and this one too is a reused track from the original album. The soulful track with the vocals of Swetha Mohan alone work magically as in the original and, unfortunately, Radhan's stupendous album didn't gain much traction in Tamil.
Weekly Earworms - Week 8 (24/11/2019)
Dhanusu Raasi Neyargalae (Tamil): Ghibran: Murada Murada: Murada Murada is Ghibran following Harris Jayaraj way with respect to the tune as well as arrangements. He ropes in Bombay Jayashree and it accentuates the Harris Jayaraj feel further. Viveka's lyrics are strictly generic, however, the lead singer makes it work with her magical voice.
Mamangam (Malayalam): M Jayachandran: Lullaby: The another Bombay Jayashree song of this week is composed by Jayachandran for Mamangam. The tune has nothing special to offer but Bombay Jayashree owns the song. The tune reminds me of another Lullaby song crooned by the same singer for Imman's Thavazhndidum Thangapoove from Veera Sivaji.
Oh My Kadavule (Tamil): Leon James: Haiyo Haiyo: Apart from the Ko Sesha's tedious lyrics invoking Jilebi and other assorted stuff, the track is a fun listen for the large part mainly because of Leon James's carefree tune which one can easily associate with the composer.
Irandam Ulaga Porin Kadaisi Gundu (Tamil): Tenma : Neduvazhi: Neduvazhi pathos tune is tailor-made for Yuvan but Tenam ropes in Vignesh Ishwar to croon the pathos where Uma Devi's lyrics indicates the mind of the son who missed his father.
Vaanam Kottatum (Tamil): Sid Sriram: Easy come Easy go: Sid Sriram does it better in the second track for Vaanam Kottatum. This track also treads along the familiar territory for the singer and the non- structural tune works to its favour. Sid Sriram's is magnificent in the 'Kattipottu Vaika Yaarumilla phrase' and the title hook is an undeniably catchy one from the composer.
Puzhikkadan (Malayalam): Ranjith Meleppat: Nakshatram: Though Nakshatram didn't match the album's first single Ponveyilin, the exuberant track is a listenable follow up from Ranjith Meleppat. The song features the deft usage of Berny PJ's mandolin while KS Harishankar easily sails off the relatable tune.
Psycho (Tamil): Ilayaraja: Unna Nenachu: Ilayaraja hits it right out of the park in the first single for Mysskin's Psycho. Sid Sriram sticks to the Raja's composition and the track is largely different from the tracks sung by the singer for the other composers. Raja kept the arrangements minimal with lovely play between guitar and keys. The charanam is a stunner and the second interlude proves that Raja continues to churn out brilliant emotional pieces with violins.
Ahimsa (English/Tamil): U2-AR Rahman: U2 collaborated with Rahman for the Ahimsa track after their last released single Songs of Experience in 2017. Ahimsa is the anthemic Pop song and Bono owns the song with his rendition while Rahman kicks spectacularly with the title hook. Khatija Rahman croons the two verses of Tirukkural on Non-violence.
Parari (Telugu): Mahith Narayan: Siggu Siggu: Though the other songs in the soundtrack can be totally skipped, Mahith scores in the lovely semi-classical Siggu Siggu. The track easily reminds me of the Krishna Vamsi's Chandamama soundtrack. Sunitha and Yazin Nizar are splendid with their rendition.
Pick of the week: Unna Nenachu, Easy come Easy go
Weekly Earworms - Week 7 (09/11/2019)
Musically not a great week, but Suresh Bobili's Mouna Hridaya Ragame stands out.
Oh my Kadavule (Tamil): Leon James: Friendship Anthem: Friendship anthem ticks off every element of Leon James soundtrack, easily accessible tune with the breezy guitar-laden background taken care by Keba Jeremiah. Leon James ropes in Anirudh Ravichander and he aces the tune with ease despite Ko Sesha's pedestrian lyrics.
Thipparaa Meesam (Telugu): Suresh Bobili: Mouna Hridaya Ragame: Mouna Hridaya Ragame is an enticing composition which borders on the classical, as well as Ranjani's vocals, gives a folk touch to the composition. Suresh Bobili does extremely well in terms of arrangements especially Arun Chiluvuri's live guitar stands out. Suresh Bobili easily delivers in another melody track Radha Ramanam also where the dubstep background blends well with the Sandaliya's violin solos.
Dabangg 3 (Hindi): Sajid Wajid: Naina Lade: Sajid -Wajid tries to recreate the magic of the Tere Mast Mast Do nain with Javed Ali behind the mic and the composer duo easily manages to impress again. Thanks to the simple gorgeous melody and the arresting vocals by Javed Ali.
Dhanusu Raasi Neyargale (Tamil): Ghibran: I want a girl: The EDM track with the synth sounds starts well but the lyrics in the second half sounds to be force-fitted to the tune and the track fizzles out too early. Anirudh sails off through the tune with his colloquial rendition but the track lacks the nuances of Ghibran's composition.
Pick of the week: Mouna Hridaya Ragame
Weekly Earworms - Week 6 (03/11/2019):
Musically lacklustre week. Thanks to M Jayachandran for the splendid Mukkuthi song.
Drive (Hindi): Tanishq Bagchi: Makhna: Tanishq Bagchi conceives an addictive Makhna where Asees Kaur's singing is the song's highlight while the composer brilliantly tweaked the Mast Kalandar vibe for the Pallavi portions. Main choda Aayi Ghar Baart Mera hook is insanely groovy one from the composer which makes this song easy earworm.
Ujda Chaman (Hindi): Gourov-Roshin: Chand Nikla: Chand Nikla is undeniably rides on the well established Punjabi dance track but Divya Kumar's vocals make the difference. The composer Duo kept the arrangements minimal and ensured that the track is adequately engaging until it lasts. The remaining tracks from the album are total meh.
Raahu (Telugu): Praveen Lakkaraju: Emo Emo: Sid Sriram continues to rule the Telugu music scene and Praveen Lakkaraju's composition for Emo Emo also works comfortably especially with the violin solos in the arrangements stand out. Sid Sriram takes care of the tune with his likeable rendition.
Mamangam (Malayalam): M Jayachandran: Mukkuthi: M Jayachadran is another composer similar to Bijibal who has the knack to create old world charm in their music. Shreya Goshal's saccharine filled vocal is enough for the listeners to fall in love with this beautiful song.
Pick of the week: Mukkuthi
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.
Weekly Earworms - Week 5 (12/10/2019)
Musically dull week with few Kannada songs standout.
Market Raja MBBS (Tamil): Simon K King: Kanne Karuvizhiye: Nowadays Chitra is relegated to mostly melancholy otherwise for the songs with high emotional values. Kanne Karuvizhiye is a song of this genre but Chitra owns the tune with her magnificent rendition while Simon K King kept the arrangements serene with huge support from Vishnu Vijay's woodwinds.
Ellidde Illi Tanaka (Kannada): Arjun Janya: Ellidde illi Tanaka: The title song from the Arjun Janya is definitely hummable with the classical bits thrown in generously along with the Tabla base while Sonu Nigam aces the rendition as usual.
Lungi (Kannada): Prasad K Shetty: Nagabeda Ande Naanu, Jothegitte Hejje: Nagabeda works effortlessly with the pleasant backdrop while Armaan Malik and Shweta Mohan's enjoyable rendition makes this one a delightful listen. Jothegitte Hejje's dreary soundscape definitely takes one back to Govind Vasantha's 96. Narayana Sharma's pensive rendition complements the tone of the song.
Made in China (Hindi): Sachin Jigar: Naari Naari: After the remake of Gujarathi song Odhani, Sachin Jigar remix the popular Arabic song Naari Naari. The title hook is undeniably catchy one and Vishal Dadlani easily owns the song. The catchiness factor in the song is intact with the remix also.
Houseful 4 (Hindi): Sohail Sen: Shaitaan Ka Saala: Bollywood's craziness with the remix continues and this time the remix of Tony Montana's Bala. The hook is definitely an appealing one but once couldn't tolerate the music video with an awkward choreography.
Pick of the Week: Ellidde Illi Tanaka, Nagabeda Ande Naanu.
Meeku Maathrame Cheptha (Telugu): Sivakumar: Abadham: The vibe of the track is definitely Vivek Sagar's territory which treads between wacky and hypnotic zone. Chandana Raju's retro vocal blends well with the jazzy synth-soaked arrangements by the composer.
Malli Malli Chusa (Telugu): Shravan Bharadwaj: Chinuke: Chinuke is easily the best accompaniment to the composer's brilliant Malli Raava album. The breezy melody is adorned with the splendid flute solos throughout the track and Sai Charan ably delivers the tune.
Manoharam (Malayalam): Sanjeev T: Akale: After Kinavo, Sanjeev T conjures an expansive arrangement for the track Akale which starts with the melancholy before turning into a grungy soft rock track. Sid Sriram ably pulls off the tune and he is splendid when the tune reaches a crescendo towards the end.
Kaanadante Maayavadanu (Kannada): Gummineni Vijay:Yeshtu Chanda Ivalu: Singer turned composer Gummineni Vijay churns out an easily accessible semi-classical track which works effortlessly and much credits go to Santosh Venky's singing ably supported by Apoorva Sridhar. The track reminds the listeners of the recent smashing hit Inkem Inkem Kaavale especially Pallavi.
Mundina Nildana (Kannada): Vasuki Vaibhav: Innunu Bekagide: Mundina Nildana's soundtrack shaping up beautifully with the Manase Maaya from Masala Coffee band last week while Vasuki Vaibhav delivers another beauty in Innunu Bekagide. The gentle Tabla base by Gurumurthy Vaidhya adorns the beautiful tune which is sung by the composer himself.
Hi Hello Kadhal (Malayalam Short film): Vishnu Shyam: Vellai Poove: The Malayalam musical short film features a Tamil song composed by Vishnu Shyam and the melody is easily sing along one. Balram Iyer and Sruthy Sasidharan croon the song. The song effectively builds up the likable factor of the short film.
Ranganayaki Vol1 (Kannada): Manikanth Kadri: Krishna Nee Begane: The flimsy adaptation of the popular Yaman Kalyani based Vyasathirtha's Krishna Nee Begane by Manikanth Kadri is adequately enjoyable for the divine beauty of the tune itself. Manikanth adorns the tun with the Ganapathi's Mridangam and Tabla which serves as the wonderful base over which the song is structured.
Asuran (Tamil): GV Prakash Kumar: Blood Bath: The track is expectedly grungy and haunting with the roaring vocals of Arunraja Kamaraj. The tone of the track is set by prelude's thunderous sound and the Arunraja's lyrics about the revenge are also quite effective especially the tune gives the adrenaline rush with the Vaa Vaa hook.
Pick of the week: Innunu Bekagide, Vellai Poove, Akale
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): Namma Veettu Pillai
Music Composer: Imman
Imman continues his hackneyed punchy rhythm to the dead beat in Yenga Annan however the classical inclinations in the interludes by Karthik Iyer's solo violin is an interesting deflection from the Imman's predictable rhythms and tune. Nakash Aziz and the exuberant Sunidhi Chauhan makes this one an enjoyable listen despite the cliched lyrics from Vignesh Shivan. Imman easily scores the winner right from the prelude in Mailaanji where Imman's usual Shreya Goshal easily aces the rendition as always and joined by another brilliant singer Pradeep Kumar. The arrangements are consistently engaging especially Prakash Sontakke's slide guitar while the punctuating Charanam is an effortless winner from the composer.
Unkoodave Porakkanum is pretty much ordinary nothing extraordinary to boast, however, the neat arrangements and Sid Sriram singing make this one an enjoyable listen till it lasts. The folk touches in the male version is pulled out and Nathan's woodwinds play a major role. Shashaa Tirupati's rendition makes the female version much more enjoyable compared to the male version. The tune's beauty is more apparent with the soothing flute portions. Jigiri Dosthu has an exciting prelude in Imman's repertoire played for more than one minute, the percussions played with dramatic pauses followed by the retro jazz, Thanks to Maxwell's Trumpet. The tune evokes the memories of Petta's Aaha Kalyanam especially the retro fast-paced tune structure and the brass band to prod the proceedings of the song. Puduvaisithan Jayamoorthy and Anthakudi Ilayaraja scores with the effortless rendition. Gaanda Kanazhagi is the weakest song even though the hype surrounding the Sivakarthikeyan's lyrics and Anirudh's singing. The tune hardly evokes any interest and the lyrics are also pedestrian one. Manonmani's Sarangi being the only solace in an otherwise laborious listen. Namma Veettu Pillai theme mainly follows the Jigi Dosth's soundscape crooned by Arun Raja Kamaraj, Though nothing extraordinary to offer, the theme is adequate which fills in every commercial requirement. Sruthi Balamurali ends the soundtrack with the violin version of Unkoodave Porakkanum and the soulful violin blends well with the emotional undertone in the song.
Verdict: Namma Veettu Pillai is Imman's better-packaged album in recent times and the tunes are consistently enjoyable despite strictly revolving around known Imman's templates.
My Rating: 7.5/10
Pick of the Album: Mailaanji, Unkoodave Porakkanum (Female version), Jigiri Dosthu
P.S The edited version of the review is published in Moviecrow.
P.S You can listen to the album in Youtube.
Music Review (Telugu): Rakshasudu
Music Composer: Ghibran
Chini Chini equivalent of Kadhal Kadal dhaana from the Tamil is a lovely laid back melody where Sid Sriram does wonders with the rendition. Ghibran continues his exquisite layering especially loved the subdued Subramanyam's veenai in the background. The tune turns more beautiful around the Naa Gundello phrase. Naa Chinni Thalli carries the gloomy tone and Kaala Bhairava's earnest rendition complements well with the Ghibran's arrangements. Cheekatlo kamme is an interesting hip hop mix where the tune flows with different paces mixed together with the rap makes this one an engaging listen and Ghibran mixes the lovely haunting sounds in the background amidst the techno affair. Ghibran wonderfully tweaked the Tamil version's Maayangal Naanada in Kalalo Merupu and the Telugu version carries more punch and swag while Tamil version is kind of laid back with the retro-pop feel.
Verdict: It's delightful that Ghibran chooses to create original tunes for the remake and the composer continues to deliver with aplomb consistency. But loved the Tamil version more especially because of lovely Piriyame Piriyame.
My Rating: 7.5/10
Pick of the Album: Chinni Chinni, Cheekatlo Kamme.
P.S You can listen to the songs in Youtube
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 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 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
