D-Day Music Review

D-Day Music
Music Direction : Shanker-Ehsaan-Loy
Lyrics : Niranjan Iyengar

What I expected? : SEL-Nikhil Advani usually produces good melodies. Looking forward.

Duma Dum Mast Kalander is repeated the gazillionth time, this time through Mika's lead vocals. Nothing much impressive, though interesting choice of a singer for a song like this.
Alvida has an inherent Patiala House hangover, nevertheless simple yet super swayful composition with justified singing by Nikhil D’souza,Shruti Hassan, Sukhvinder Singh and Loy Mendonsa!
Murshid Khele Holi is Qawaali perfection(The Tabla and Harmonium throughout for instance, stands out) with a highly discernible sufi edge and singing by Munawar Masoom, Javed Ali, Shankar Mahadevan and the chorus gives perfect results! #Repeat
Ek Ghadi has Rekha Bharadwaj producing a real stunner in the form of a ghazal, wonderful classical based Hindustani composition, though its only a cake walk as far as Mrs. Bharadwaj is concerned. #Must hear
Dhuaan comes with that definite anthemic sound, the vocals works immensely(Rahul Ram, Siddharth Mahadevan, Alyssa Mendonsa and chorus) as well as the Violins, though track is strictly situational..

Verdict : What has an action thriller to do with good music, God only knows, but D-Day has definitely very good music. SEL shows their usual capabilities and D-Day turns out to be a pleasant experience. Recommended!

Must Hears! : Ek Ghadi, Murshid Khele Holi, Alvida

AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!.

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag Music Review

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag Music
Music Direction : Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Lyrics : Prasoon Joshi

What I Expected? : Expectations sky rocketed when I first heard Zinda. Expecting some very good stuff on its lines.

Gurbani gives a fantastic start, the very patriotic sounding verse is sung to indefinable highs by Daler Mehndi!
Zinda is total killer, the elevated rock arrangements along with Sidharth Mahadevan's exalted vocals create a true blue electric atmosphere! #MustHear #Repeat
Mera Yaar carries the sufi sound well, and who better than Javed Bashir to take it hands down?! Result? The vocals as well as arrangements sounds wonderful! #MustHear
Maston ka Jhund has Divya Kumar singing dance Punjabi in its purest, raw form! The orchestration plays well, but for most part its Divya Kumar's on-man-show!
Bhaag Milkha Bhaag works well as a title song, nothing like repeat quality in it, but the arete arrangements and Arif Lohar's  raw vocals help immensely. Situational, but serves the purpose. The rock version sung by Siddharth Mahadevan is better, due to the overall perkiness and faster tempo!
Slow Motion Angreza has childish, quirky but nuanced sounds, where Sukhwinder Sigh takes things in his hands and delivers expectedly. Loy and Shankar provide needed support in the chorus.

They say that the best is yet to come, and this time it strikes truth with the last song.
O Rangrez. I guess I need some extra sentences to describe this song. I say that this song is a classic. And why? Mostly because everything is bloody perfect in it. The mood is set right by the strings and Harmonium in the beginning before it dives into Javed Bashir's controlled vocals accompanied by Tabla and Sarangi! Now enter Shreya Ghoshal and everything is heaven! The song sways between the sweetness of a ghazal and sharp sound of a Qawaali. The super breezy tune is executed wonderfully by everything above, and every second of the 6:24 run time of the song is crafted elegantly! #Classic #MustHear

Verdict : Bhaag Milkha Bhaag doesn't disappoint. It doesn't score by leaps and bounds either. While it has its share of situational songs, namely Maston ka Jhund and the title song, having their own merits, it has couple of tracks which are largely appealing! O Rangrez is a sturdy gem, one of the best songs by SEL ever, I'd say and as far as Zinda is concerned it has every potential to become the new youth anthem, thanks to the brilliant setting. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy gives us one of their better soundtracks, made more in sync with the movie I think. Very Good effort.

Must Hears! : O Rangrez, Zinda, Mera Yaar

AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!.

Radio Music Review

Radio Music
Music Direction : Himesh Reshammiya
Lyrics : Subrat Sinha

Listen to the album Here

Prelude: I know it is late, by almost 4 years! But couldn't resist writing a review after hearing the album once again this morning! This time my music tastes have matured and I hope I'll be able to scrutinize the album in a more quality, critic point of view than a HR fanatic point of view in which I enjoyed it back in 2009.

Mann Ka Radio, the title song, probably the only song of the movie which was promoted well, opens the soundtrack in a fantastic note! What with the new, fresh, urbane haunting sound of Himesh along with some uber cool beats and guitar riffs justifies the highly addictive slow tune! #Must Hear #Repeat
Koi Na Koi is reminiscent of the old post AshiqBanayaAapne Himesh, the composition has enough pain and thankfully minimal but lovely orchestration keeps the profile high! Shreya Ghoshal sounds pleasant and in sync with HR! #Repeat
Jaaneman was undoubtedly one of the sweetest melodies of 2009 and the controlled, non-nasal way Himesh sings it just shows his prowess as a singer. The song gets to another high with the entry of Shreya Ghoshal! #Must Hear #Repeat
Piya Jaise Ladoo is one perfect example to cement down Himesh's Hindustani classical abilities as a composer! Starting the note off in some brilliant Shehnai, this is one song tailor made for Rekha Bharadwaj where she essentially sings it with utmost grace and grief. HR provides ample support! Simply the best of the album! #Must hear #Repeat
Shaam ho Chali hai makes me skip a heartbeat. Probably one of the BEST romantic ballads of HR(yes, you heard it right, in par with Tere Naam) and one of the most under promoted! Particularly the brilliancy is seen towards the anupallavi(2nd stanza, I don't know the Hindi phrase) where the same lyrics are repeated in two totally different tunes, by Shreya and HR respectively but still stays in sync! The arrangements are top notch as well as the singing! Too bad and too sad that hardly anyone heard it! #Must Hear #RepeatForever
Damadji is total fun! The folk-ish compositions gets the best of vocals from Kailash Kher who totally captivates the song in the start before it turns into HR's somber vocals, which is as good! #Must hear #Repeat
Teri Meri Dosti is simply amazing for the sheer contrast of pitches it displays! While Shreya goes sweet, simple and low, HR gets the pitch high, so high, as high as it can get! And the cycle follows with the comely western arrangements! Interesting is the word! #Must hear #Repeat
Rafa Dafa has again HR gaining as a composer, a surprisingly eclectic compositions sung by HR in his cool voice avatar emits a fresh positive vibe and the good lyrics helps immensely! #Repeat
Zindagi Jaise completes the album with its Punjabi R&B pop sound. Considerably weakest of the lot, the song but does entertains you to a certain extent, if you ignore the mind boggling lyrics.

Verdict : I remember promoting the album and the movie alike vigorously back in 2009. Incidentally, that was the HR fan in me working, and some of the acts at that time, I agree, was biased. Now that my music tastes have matured(as I stated at the beginning, I have started hearing more world music, more Indian folk and classical, more languages) I look at the album with more of a critic's eyes and ha!! Nothing has changed whatsoever! Radio was a brilliant album for me back then, and four years later, after hundreds of songs I have heard in between, it still remains brilliant! In fact the re-hearing has only helped to elevate my admiration of the album. This is another outstanding album for me! Overly scintillating, particularly engaging, experimental, new-gen stuff from HR!

Must Hears! : All songs, except Zindagi Jaise

Listen to the album Here

4.25/5
AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!



Trivia : Here's what Shreya Ghoshal said about the album in an interview.

Q : Would you agree that your songs in Radio are among your best in recent times? 

Shreya : Completely - it is one of the most frequently-played CDs in my home for a good while, and not because four songs are sung by me. Himeshji is amazing. The clean sound and interesting lyrics - even if they are not uber-cool - keep you hooked. I also do not agree with those who say that Himeshji is a non-singer. Shaam ho chali hai was a challenge for me as I have never sung so low in my career - it was challenging to sing in kharaj here. The contrast he has managed between my portions in Teri meri dosti ka aasmaan and his high-pitched segments is awesome!

http://bit.ly/13vqQBE

Alai Wave of Bliss | Sounds of Isha | Indipop Music Review

Alai - Wave of Bliss Music Review

Band : Sounds of Isha

Buy the Album Here at a 'Name your price' basis. Get it for free if you don't want to pay.

Prelude : For those who don't know, Sounds of Isha is the home band of the Isha Foundation, you can get more info Here.
Isha Foundation's or rather Sadhguru's spiritual influence is generally expected from the album. Written and composed by Sounds of Isha during a series of Mahasathsangs with Sadhguru across South India, Alai boasts of profound lyrics with deep inner meanings. Being made completely in Tamil, a dominance of native sounds and classical influence seems like an unavoidable element. A visit to Isha Foundations website thankfully gave the lyrics of all the songs and can't really help being a bit enchanted by the sheer eloquence of the lyrics!

Alai Alai is the perfect start, the fisherman's song presumably, a colloquial tune set to wonderful guitar riffs, enhanced with the nuanced sound of Mridangam and the spritely chants of the chorus!
Kanale Kanale is more folk in the core, both the singing style and instruments announces so, while the poetic lyrics of Sri Marabin Maindhan Muthiah gets a highly rhythmic and addictive tune!
Oru Anniyar is folk genre again, sounds more like a 'pulluvan song' going by the alluring sound of the violin like instrument(pulluvan pattu) and the constant beats of pulluvan kutam, but then the nadaswaram comes in between resulting in somewhat a hybrid natured song, yet engaging in every way!
Oru Murai has predominant Carnatic classical base, the free flowing composition sung to grace by Narayan Parasuram given lift off by VV Ravi's brilliant Violin with some inspiring lyrics!
September 23 is perhaps the most spiritual of the lot, the haunting vocals merged with the deeply rich lyrics given classical treatment produces something with a resilient divine mood!
The absolutely graceful tune of Something Something works big time, an ample melody strong in the composition department gets to another high with the confident yet soothing vocals!
Un Padham sounds like a fervid prayer, the traditional temple rhythm backed by apt instrumentation(Mridangam and Flute) gives highly pleasing results!

Verdict : Sounds of Isha doesn't go wrong anywhere in Alai. It is a wonderful ensemble of brilliant tracks with some equally brilliant lyrical backbone. Nothing below than a must buy, the album enchants you, inspires you and puts you to sleep, evoking questions about life we've chosen to ignore until now hovering in your head. If it is spiritual, then it is beautiful!

Must Hears! : The whole album!

Buy the Album Here 


4.25/5
AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!


Trivia : The name September 23 comes from the date on which the song was first performed!

Raanjhanaa Music Review

Raanjhanaa Music 
Music Direction : A R Rahman
Lyrics : Irshad Kamil

Buy the songs legally, Here
Listen to the songs legally, Here or Here

What I Expected? : Rahman, big time!

Raanjhanaa is sound fiesta! The impeccable vocals of Jaswinder Sing & Shiraz Uppal infused into the hugely energetic yet lovely desi arrangements,(the Sitar for instance, stands out) makes up for a wonderful hear! #Must Hear #Repeat
Banarasiya is where Shreya Ghoshal and A R Rahman scores together, in the singing and composition departments respectively, it is hard to say who outshines whom for the song is one perfect example why Shreya is called the modern Indian nightingale and why Rahman is the nemero uno with all the sweet Sitar merged to the perky Indian composition(Sangeet song), making it highly intriguing! Meena Jain and Anweshaa provide ample support. #Must Hear #Repeat
Piya Milenge is basically a bag of too many good things, strong vocals(Sukhwinder Singh and KMMC Sufi Ensemble), brilliant composition, profound sufi touch, lilting classical base, the predominant urbane beat given a Qawaali edge and the deep lyrics! #Too hard to miss #Repeat
Nazar Laaye is absolutely breezy with the urbane coolness! A romantic ballad, where the soulful vocals of Rashid Ali and Neeti Mohan doesn't go wrong! #Must Hear #Repeat
Aisa Na Dekho surfaces with that lazy-lazy feel, aided heavily by A R Rahman's mastered vocals led by jazz strings and homely lyrics! #Repeat
Tum Tak is truly experimentation at its peak, a purposefully less engaging start then recreates itself in to a cat and mouse race of swaying composition and unmistakable singing, with the apt arrangements and brilliant lyrics setting the divine mood right! #Must Hear #Repeat
Aey Sakhi is has a highly sonorous sound, with the four ladies(Madhushree, Chinmayi, Vaishali and Aanchal Sethi) enjoying themselves in the cheerful yet funny composition coated with the standout sound of Ghatam! #Must Hear #Repeat
Tu Mun Shudi is desi-techno, presumably the less engaging of the lot even with Rabbi Shergill getting a nice piece of music to engage in his own favorite area of music. Good hear!
The Land of Shiva, the instrumental piece, is functional with the Mahadev chants and rudra beats.


Verdict : #MustHear! #Repeat! #Creativity at its best! #Classic Rahman, big time!

Must Hear! : The whole album!

Buy the songs legally Here 
Listen to the songs legally, Here or Here


4.25/5
AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!

(This is the 2nd Outstanding! album rating in IndiBeats the first one being 'Thattathin Marayath'. With the test of time, 4.25 can translate itself into 4.5, for that we have to wait and watch.)

Lootera Music Review

Lootera Music
Music Direction : Amit Trivedi
Lyrics : Amitabh Bhattaharya


What I expected? : Class

Sawar Loon's simplistic folk tune gets enhanced by some controlled vocal's from Monali Thakur and some wonderfully dynamic orchestration from Amit Trivedi's part! Simply absorbing! #Must Hear #Repeat
Ankahee is sweet, romantic, and while Amiabh Bhattacharya gives full justification to the song by his highly expressive singing, the soft rock arrangements are just out of the world! #Must Hear #Repeat
Shikayatein is highly intriguing and more than Mohan Kanan and Amitabh Bhattacharya's good singing, it is the strikingly beautiful rock arrangements, which grows building itself as the song progresses, which catches our attention! #Must Hear #Repeat
Monta Re is usual Amit Trivedi template, a serene folk tune with dandiya background and a Bengali edge(much like Dhak Dhuk, English Vinglish) sung with essential grace by Swanand Kirkire and Amitabh Bhattacharya! Feels really good! #Repeat
Zinda has very carefully crafted progressive rock arrangements but Amit Trivedi does score lower in the singing department, which turns annoying at times. Good hear nevertheless.
Manmarziyan has to it that certain magic which happens when Shilpa Rao comes aboard, absolutely zealous fervid melody, aptly orchestrated with terrific job in singing by Shilpa Rao, Amit Trivedi and Amitabh Bhattacharya! #Must Hear #Repeat

Verdict : Class Expected. Class Delivered. I just don't care about the commercial prospects of the album, but if the music audience of our country are craving for quality, this must be one of the best selling albums of the year! Excellent!

Must Hears! : Sawar Loon, Ankahee, Shikayatein, Manmarziyan


4/5
AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!


Update 1 : More expert reviewers claim that Monta Re has Baul music background, not dandiya. Both Indian folk, while sounding similar, uses different instruments.

Shortcut Romeo Music Review

Shortcut Romeo Music 

Music Direction : Himesh Reshammiya

Lyrics : Sameer, Shabbir Ahmed, Sanjay Masoom

What I expected? : Fresh commercial entertainment.

Pe Pe Pe has Himesh Reshammiya nasal all the way, templated romantic techno, functional but forgetful in the long run. Remix is added.

Khali Salam Dua, much like HR's own 'Jab Se' from Bol Bachchan, has Mohit Chauhan as its high point placed in an intense melodic tune with minimal but constant arrangements in the background. Works for the rawness in Mohit's voice, good one! #Repeat

Ishq Gangster has a scintillating rhythmic verve to it, Vineet Singh and Himesh Reshmmiya contributing equally to the techno-pop perky track. Good hear!

Remix sounds definitely good with all the infused raps!

Shortcut Romeo, the title track presumably, goes mysteriously techno-jazzy with Ash King sounding the usual fresh. Situational, but one of the better hears of the album!

Shortcut Romeo(Reprise) has an anthemic-patriotic Indian touch to it, mostly due to the way Aman Triikha sings it, but I'm not sure whether the lyrics go perfectly in sync with the setup. 

Jaave Saari Duniya has Mika credited as the singer but I could definitely hear HR all through it, situational celebration song again, might work with the video.

Mashup is essentially well mixed.

Verdict : Shortcut Romeo. Music just for the movie, nothing more nothing less. With good promotions, might last until the movie hits the screens, all set to fade after that. Average

Must Hears! : Khali Salam Dua

AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!

Ramaiya Vastavaiya Music Review

Ramaiya Vastavaiya Music 
Music Direction : Sachin-Jigar
Lyrics : Mayur Puri, Priya Panchal

What I expected? : Competent romantic stuff from Sachin-Jigar

Jeene Laga Hoon, even with the surprisingly heard before tune and retro feel, rides high on Atif Aslam's and Shreya Ghoshal's strong vocals giving an adequately engaging melody!
Bairiyaa has the singing duo again, singing a fairly fervid tune. Good effort but doesn't stay in one's mind.
Peecha Chuute has Mohit Chauhan as its high point as well as the strikingly perky setup! Good Hear! #Repeat
Rang Jo Lagyo is easily the best among the lot, the anthem-ish romantic tune goes perfectly in sync with Atif's voice, where he belts occasionally, with Shreya as good as ever! #Repeat!
Hip hop Pammi and Jhaadoo Ki Jhappi doesn't click, the former being a painstaking rehash of the gazillion Punjabi dance tracks we've already heard, and the later an all-familiar item number. Mika doesn't help in both. Just for the screen, situational songs.

Verdict : A good album with occasional good melodies and cliched dance tracks. Scores for the first four songs!

Must Hears! : Rang Jo, Jeene Lagaa, Peecha Chute

AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!

Fukrey Music Review

Fukrey Music
Music Direction : Ram Sampath
Lyrics : Munna Dhiman, Vipul Vig, Mrigdeep Singh Lamba

What I Expected? : High quality entertainment!

Fuk Fuk Fukrey, is mad, insanely catchy, what with the addictive dholak beats merged with the neat electronic music along with some high energy singing from Amjad Bagadwa, Ram Sampath, Yash Divecha, and Vrashal Chavanand, builds up for a chart buster! #Repeat
Beda Pyaar is surprisingly leaps and bounds above the usual Mika club song affairs, thanks to the extremely catchy chorus and high level production quality. Tarannum Malik is perfect as the backing vocal! #Repeat
Lag Gay Lottery gets the Punjabi fusion sound right but is a nudge below the standards set by the first two songs, singing by Ram Sampath and Tarannum Malik is impactful enough though. Entertaining stuff!
Karle Jugaad Karle's predominant Indian flavour is accelerated by Kailas Kher and Keeti Sagathia, the Qawali mode executed perfectly by the apt arrangements keeping you engaged throughout with catchy hooks! #Repeat
Rabba is delightful, the fantastic layering of sounds on a folk-ish tune stand out along with some powerful singing from Keerti Sagathia, Ram Sampath and Clinton Cerejo!
Ambarsariya is just rightly made for Sona Mohapatra, seems just out of her 2007 album 'Sona', the breezy Punjabi tone set to some wonderful guitar with simple yet instantly memorable lyrics! #Repeat

Verdict : Fukrey is listeners delight! The dance tracks excels in quality, which you rarely get to hear, while the melodies are subtly alluring! Ram Sampath gets the tunes right, as he always does. Very Good effort this is. Fuk Funky Fukrey!

Must Hears! : Fuk Fuk, Beda Pyaar, Karle Jugaad, Ambarsariya


AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!

Yamla Pagla Deewana 2 Music Review

Yamla Pagla Deewana 2 Music

Music Direction : Sharib-Toshi, Sachin Gupta

Lyrics : 

What I expected? : Punjabi masala

Yamla Pagla Deewana, apart from being a song for the Deols to shake a leg onscreen, nothing much. Catchy tune anyway.
Sadi Daru, a slightly different version offers same effect.

Changli Hai Changli Hai is no different
Main Taan Aidaan Hi Nachna has Sachin Gupta stamp all over it, more fresh with the hip hop mode, still basically the same feel

Suit Tera Laal Rang Da is templatized Punjabi melody, Sonu Nigam and Sunidhi Chauhan does a good job though.
Jatt Yamla Pagla Ho Gaya is adequately funky, thanks to Mika. The second R&B version with Sharib Sabri on vocals, equally good.
YPD Mashup serves the purpose.


Verdict : There is nothing wow about Yamla Pagala Deewana music, might click for Punjabi music lovers. To the others, just the occasional "balle balle" till the movie hits big screen.

Must Hears! : None


AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!

Aurangzeb Music Review

Aurangzeb Music

Music Direction : Amartya Rahut(Song 1), Vipin Mishra

Lyrics : Puneet Sharma, Manoj Kumar Nath, Vipin Mishra

What I Expected? : Nothing much, after all what can you expect from a cop-don thriller?

Barbadiyaan is groovy, club track, an ear worm frankly because the chorus stays with you, once you hear it. Ram Sampath and Sasheh Aagha does an upbeat singing fare and with some neat DJing, does give a lively hear!

Barbadi the soft rock version of Barbaadiyaan is just brilliant! Riding on Mohan Kanan's elevated, deft vocals, the haunting, low pitch, well arranged track demands definitely multiple hears! Great Hear!

Jigra Fakira has Keerthi Sagathia doing a RFAK, the usual sufi-folk-rock template, but gets saved by some soulful Esraj in between. Listening again, oh what the hell, a good hear nevertheless.

Auragzeb, the title song namely, takes the Gospel choir route, slow and serene, clearly stressing on the lyrics while being sung well by Marianne D’cruz Aiman and Choir.

Aurangzeb Rock version hit the right chords, Vipin Mishra croons unmistakably and with some skilled orchestration, the song is strong but better be used in the BGM than as a standalone.

Trial By Fire - Main Theme (instrumental) Violins and Keyboard. Well composed.

Battleground Gurgaon (instrumental) instills an element of fear in you.

The Fathers Truth (Instrumental) Has some really good sax and keyboard.

Aurangzeb - Orchestral (Instrumental) Violins and drums. Impressive.

Verdict : In Harry Potter language, I'll give an 'E' grade to the album, to be specific, it 'Exceeds Expectations'. While all the instrumentals are done well, the rest songs are bloody impressive, even when being a tad situational. Composers Amartya Rahut and National Award winning, ex-Parikrama guitarist Vipin Mishra does a neat job and for a cop-don thriller, more than enough.

Must Hears! : Barbadiyan, Barbadi, Aurangzeb Rock Version

AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!

Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani Music Review

Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani Music
Music Direction : Pritam Chakraborty
Lyrics : Amitabh Bhattacharya

What I expected? : Understandably, Pritam will pull all strings to ensure a fantastic music score for a Ranbir Kapoor film which is huge in making and high on hype! Nothing but a 'fun'tastic album!

Batameez Dil is instantly trippy, quirky and peppy with highly imaginative lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya. This Benny Dayal & Shefali Alvarez sung track gonna be high on the discos! #Repeat
Balam Pichkari by Vishal Dadlani and Shalmali Kholgade, the holi song, is addictive from the word go! Especially the 'balam pichkari' hook stuffed brilliantly inside the largely colorful and energetic arrangements! #Repeat
Ilahi and Ilahi Reprise, respective versions sung by Arjit Singh and Mohit Chauhan, are exactly the same not for the singers, but definitely arranged well, especially for the sound placing of the chorus. Mohit edges over Arjit by a bit in the singing department, rawness in voice contributes, nevertheless, superb track! #Repeat
Kabira is soft rock melody, templatized by a bit, but sung well by Tochi Raina and Rekha Bharadwaj.
Kabira Encore, the second version by Arjit Singh and Harshdeep Kaur is actually way more likable due to the folkish rich arrangements, which suits the composition more in entirety. Good Hear!
Dilliwali Girlfriend by Arjit Singh and Sunidhi Chauhan comes with the heavy heard before feel which usual Punjabi songs give, enjoyable but situational.
Subahnalla, even with the prosaicness in the composition department, rises above the usual due to the flawless rendition by Sreeram with ample support from Shilpa Rao. Good hear!
Ghangra is strangely staid albeit the singers being concerned is Rekha Bharadwaj and Vishal Dadlani, mainly due to the mediocre arrangement setup and less lively singing. May work with a video.

Verdict : The score does not satisfy huge expectations. Its a 50-50 affair, Pritam begins the album in a fantastic note through Batameez Dil and Balam Pichkari but then falters through the middle of the album. While all the songs are good enough to ensure a good promotion round for the film, the album as a whole is not enough to satisfy the demands of the music audience. On the up side, the album does scores through the first three songs, which becomes its high point, and which makes this one lively and worth trying. Good effort!

Must Hears! : Batameez Dil, Balam Pichkari, Ilahi


AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!

Gippi Music Review

Gippi Music
Music Direction : Vishal-Shekhar
Lyrics : Anvita Dutt Guptan & Vishal Dadlani 

What I expected? : Looking from the premise of the movie, some quality 'childish' fun! :D

We Are Like This Only needs a video to fit in completely though the Vishal Dalani, Hard Kaur techno rock show somewhat holds your attention to an extent.
Baby Doll is relishing for various reasons. Udit Narayan, Sukhwinder Singh and the situational, funny yet peppy, upbeat overall tone of the song.
Pehn di Takki by Vishal Dadlani is predictable and trend similar routes as that of Baby Doll, except in Punjabi.
Mann Baavra definitely belongs to the Indian Indie music scene, brilliant soft rock-hindustani fusion material sung to grace by Shekhar Ravjiani! #Must Hear #Repeat
Dil Kagzi is serene, a tune that is pure bliss and Neeti Mohan sounding as tender as ever backed by apt instrumentation, violins, keyboard and cello. Beauty! #Repeat

Verdict : Gippi is not childish as expected, it shows levels of maturity in Mann Baavra and Dil Kagzi. But for the rest, it'll need the movie for working out. Mostly predictable albeit enjoyable ride from Vishal-Shekhar.

Update 1 : People and critics alike have been talking about the surprisingly off-tune portion of Mann Baavra's first interlude. I agree, it falters a bit there, but then brilliantly gains momentum after that and towards the end, which kind of makes up for the initial falter.

Must Hears! : Mann Baawra, Dil Kaagzi

AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!

Go Goa Gone Music Review

Go Goa Gone Music
Music Direction : Sachin-Jigar
Lyrics : Amitabh Bhattacharya

What I expected? : Competent fun stuff from Sachin-Jigar who constantly delivers.

Slowly Slowly by Jigar and Talia Bentson is groovy enough to hold your attention with the wonderfully laid addictive rhythm and beats, perfect 'on the floor track'. Good hear!
Khoon Choosele is real crazy, insanely funny and vehemently quirky track on the "bloody Monday" where the heavy lift off comes from Amitabh Bhattacharya's hugely imaginative lyrics and the energetic singing departement!(Arjun Kanungo,Sachin & Priya Panchaal) #Repeat.
Babaji Ki Booty can be perceived in any way, situational or comic or a mere filler, but just one thing that  this Anand Tiwari,Sachin & Jigar Saraiya sung track is sufficiently funny to keep you hooked till the end.
Khushamdeed is cakewalk for a singer like Shreya Ghoshal, simple, low pitch, serene guitar backed melody, a good hear alright for the positive vibe it emits!
I Keel Dead Peepul has perfect arrangements and DJing with all the voice overs mixed together pretty well.

Verdict : Go Goa Gone delivers as expected, Sachin-Jigar in their usual form comes up with two extremely addictive tracks in an album where the production quality shines over everything! This movie will have real good music!

Must Hears! : Slowly Slowly, Khoon Choosele

AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!

Bombay Talkies Music Review

Bombay Talkies Music
Music Direction : Amit Trivedi
Lyrics : Amitabh Bhattacharya & Swanand Kirkire  

What I expected? : What else than a very good score which gels excellently with the movie.

Akkad Bakkad's steady rhythm goes well with Mohit Chauhan's deft vocals. Situational, yet all-round fresh treatment with all the interesting urbane-desi sounds on the background.! Good one!
Bombay Talkies, the theme song most probably, wonderfully arranged with equally eloquent singing by Kailash Kher and Richa Sharma. The other version is seriously intriguing too, loud and perky.
Murabba is standard Amit Trivedi duet template, longing female voice(Kavitha Seth) with occasional low key male voice(Amit Trivedi) dominated with sharp and catchy arrangements. Good one!
Javed Bashir is about right in the extremely polar second version, brass band-rock arrangements. Neat singing.
Bachchan with Sukhwinder Singh celebrates Amitabh Bachchan, all concentration on the interesting rhythm and lyrics. Nothing much.

Verdict : An honest effort but as far as a Bollywood album is concerned, no chart busters, no "I'll put this on the loop" songs. Songs just plain for the movie, but that doesn't mean they are all mediocre. Average in overall.

Must Hears! : None

AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!

Shootout at Wadala Music Review

Shootout at Wadala Music
Music Direction : Anu Malik, Anand Raj Anand & Mustafa Zahid
Lyrics : Irshad Kamil

What I expected? : Some really, really situational tracks, for an action oriented film.

Babli Badmash, lets face it, despite being a standard Sunidhi Chauhan item number, has an addictive hook, which definitely makes it worth repeated listens. Otherwise, strictly video-dependent track. 

Aala Re Aala feels like continuation of Babli Badmash and even with Mika and Sunidhi, falls flat.

Yeh Junoon is thankfully scintillating where we get to hear the Mustafa Zahid of the 'Awarapan' days in the elegantly crafted somber soft rock melody. Haunting, soulful and beautiful! #Repeat

Aey Manya has an interesting rhythm albeit being situational, Adnan Sami takes the prospects higher.

Goli by Meet Bros Anjjan is again situational, feels more like a theme song.

Laila Tujhe Loot lage with Mika to its grace, feels staid even with enjoyable 80's beats and arrangements.

All songs have a remix each, which have not been reviewed.

Verdict : For a movie like Shootout at Wadala, a non-situational soundtrack doesn't make sense and the album justifies expectations. Minus Yeh Junoon, all others are formula tracks which will hopefully work along with the video but as stand alones, tough luck.

Must Hears! : Yeh Junoon

AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!

Aashiqui 2 Music Review

Aashiqui 2 Music
Music Director : Mithoon(Song 1),  Ankit Tiwari(Song 2), Jeet Ganguly(All other songs)

Lyrics : Irshad Kamil, Sanjay Masoom, Sandeep Nath


What I Expected? : With Mithoon coming back with a bang and Jeet Ganguly confident after a very good 2012, nothing but the best romantic album of the year!


Tum Hi Ho is painfully romantic, the slow, zealous tune riding high on Arjit Singh's somber, emotional singing! The duet version with Palak Muchal's added vocals is as serene! #MustHear #Repeat
Sun Raha Hai is beautiful, the Pakistani pop-rock sound enhanced greatly by Ankit Tiwari's good and controlled singing! Great hear!
Sun Raha Hai(Female) takes another route, Shreya Ghoshal along with the Desi-touch arrangements manages to covert the song into one solemn, soulful, Bollywood-ish track! Great hear!
Bhula Dena has Mustafa Zahid singing again in his comfort zone, soft rock slow romantic track, but with middling results. Good hear nevertheless, less shelf life.
Hum Mar Jayenge seems like a 90's Udit Narayan-Alka Yagnik duet, the tune and arrangements both gives the same feel with Tulsi Kumar as squeaky as ever and Arjit Singh doing a good job. Worth a hear.
Aasan Nahin Yahan runs out of luck even with Arijit Singh trying his melancholic best in singing.
Piya Aaye Na is at most a good hear for KK, because everything else is strangely prosaic, the tune, arrangements and Tulsi Kumar! Worth a hear!
Chaahun Mein Yaa Na again has an ordinary setup, still got saved by Palak Muchal's and Arjit Singh's confident vocals! Good one!
Milne Mujhse starts off like Jeet's own 'Zindagi Se' from Raaz 3 and goes on led by pointless guitars, Arjit Singh's wannabe rock singing and ends up in something plain ordinary with zero repeat value. Worth a hear.

Verdict : Considering the humongous expectations, Aashiqui 2 is a definite letdown. With just one song each, Mithoon and Anki Tiwari outshine Jeet Ganguly by a large extent and we are left with a feeling that the whole album should have been done by Mithoon. Jeet had previously shown immense promise, but in the soundtrack he revisits his own beaten-to-death style territory that the listeners are left unimpressed. On the positive side, the album has two very good songs, Tum Hi Ho and Sun Raha Hai, which elevates the final prospects to a bit higher level. Good album, worth a try.

Must Hears! : Tum Hi Ho, Sun Raha Hai(Both versions)

AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!

Ek Thi Daayan Music Review

Ek Thi Daayan Music
Music Direction : Vishal Bharadwaj
Lyrics : Gulzar

What I expected? : Melodies, poetry, serenity.

Yaaram is where Sunidhi Chauhan and Clinton Cerejo are at their soulful best, flowing through the urbane soft rock melody, terrifically composed I'd say and with the comely placed fresh but calm, romantic arrangements emitting a positive vibe, ends up as one of the best melodies to come out this year! #Must Hear #Repeat
Totey Ud Gaye by Sukhwinder Singh, Suresh Wadakar and Rekha Bharadwaj is situational, quirky but with much less scope for anything else.
Lautungi Mein drips passion, literally, utterly haunting composition and the rendition by Rekha Bharadwaj  takes it to entirely new heights! Ghost song, I presume from the lyrics, gets the best lift off from the enigmatic, dark arrangements and makes it spooky and mysterious enough. Great hear!
Sapna Re Sapna in one word is absorbing! SaReGaMaPa Li'l champ product Master Padmanabh Gaikwad justifies his debut by singing with such innocence and vehemence, that the graceful, serene tune powered with equally eloquent lyrics proves to be absolutely blissful! #Something you can't miss #Must hear.
Kaali Kaali is controlled by Clinon Cerejo in entirety but it is the endearing mix of piano, violin and guitar in the background which makes this melody seductive enough that we'll definitely go for a repeat! Great hear!

Verdict : Expectedly, Vishal Bharadwaj delivers by leaps and bounds. Ek Thi Daayan is melodious, poetic and serene, that with just 5 songs, we can't get enough of it. Except for one situational track, this has four definite, solid gems, and that is what makes it a must buy! Certainly imaginative, creative and confident soundtrack you don't want to miss!

Must Hears! : Yaaram, Lautungi Mein, Sapna Re Sapna, Kaali Kaali

4/5
AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!

Commando Music Review

Commando Music
Music Direction : Mannan Shaah

What I expected  : Nothing

Saawan Bairi is pitch perfect! The seemingly gorgeous, slow, out of the world tune is justified by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's brilliant vocals of which's perfect use we haven't heard for AGES! The amazing Sufi blend and the sheer choice of unconventional instruments really induce the right amount of grief and romance into the listener. ##Something you cannot miss. #Repeat
Lutt Jawaan by Dhruv Sangari has some real interesting tribal sounds in the beginning which is progressively mixed into the addictive Punjabi setup, essentially intriguing! Ear worm this is, with that hooking chorus, good hear!
Mungda by Sunidhi Chauhan, being an item number came as a pleasant surprise! Not a write off at all, where the arrangements make everything seem brighter and perkier and with Sunidhi doing a usual job, makes up for a good hear. Situational, commercial, yet good.
Lena Dena has raw, folk Punjabi flavor, the type which we could be heard in old Punjabi albums and with Daler Mehendi being apt behind the mic, gives a good hear!

Verdict : With just 4 songs, Mannan Shaah succeeds to impress big time, I'd say due to the strength of the compositions. Also with Saawan Bairi already getting positive reports on Youtube, Commando is high on musical elements, at least for now, coz how much use the songs will have to an action movie is something to watch out for. Four songs, highly impressive! Very Good Work!

Must Hears! : Saawan Bairi, Lutt Jaawan

AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!

I Love NY Music Review

I Love NY Music
Music : Pritam, Falak & R.D.Burman
Lyrics : Mayur Puri, Sayeed Quadri & Falak Shabbir

What I expected? : Less expectations, for a movie like this.

Gud Naal Ishq Mitha is thankfully not routine, essentially catchy Punjabi trance remade from Bally Sagoo's original, where Tochi Raina edges over Sukhwinder Singh in respective versions. Good hear!
Aao Na is pleasant but ordinary with Sonu Nigam sounding better than the squeaky Tulsi Kumar. Worth a hear.
Judaai by Falak Shabbir had been doing rounds on the net for over two years, and with slightly better arrangements, the song do impress mainly due to the slow drawling tune and Falak's addictive vocals! Good hear! #Repeat
Halki Halki  by Shaan and Tulsi Kumar is situational and plain outdated with Shaan being the only saving grace in the happily-dance-around composition.
Aaja Meri Jaan has Pancham da's haunting and sublime composition being remade and unmistakably crooned by Mauli Dave. Grt hear!
Every song has a remix each which I skipped.

Verdict : I Love New York has essentially feel good music, frankly a time pass album, the ones which comes and goes with couple of engaging tracks. Now with lesser shelf life, I'd say due to Pritam's laziness, falls into average in overall. Worth a try.

Must Hears! : Judaai, Gud Naal, Aaja Meri

AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!

Aatma Music Review

Aatma Music
Music Direction : Sangeet and Sidharth Haldipur

What I expected? : Nothing.

Aaja Nindeya by Sangeet Haldipur hits the bulls eye, absolutely sway-ful slow, light tune, with the prospects elevated by Sangeet's pathos led rendition and haunting arrangements. Grt hear!
Aatma theme turns out to be a bit prosaic instrumental of Aaja Nindeya, violin and guitars, good enough!
Koi Jaage Aankhein by Anahita Irani, jazz version of Aaja Nindeya again is sufficiently impressive for the seductive vamp vocals, with toned down arrangements. Good hear!
Jee Le Jyada has Nikhil Paul George going nasal with, thankfully, endearing results, Nikhil being in the comfort zone he created in Barfi! croons well the lively, delightful tune, orchestrated aptly. Good hear!
Jee Le Jyaada female version gets nailed by Alyssa Mendosa, Shefali Alvarez, Anusha Mani and Apeksha! Good hear!
Tera Khatir is progressive rock, and uses Suraj Jagan's secretive vocals conveniently. Quite haunting and interesting! Good hear!

Verdict : For a suspense thriller, Aatma has more than good enough music, actually all songs are quite hummable. Don't know how much use the songs will have to the premise of the movie, but as of now, the movie seems strong in the musical department. Good one.!

Must Hears! : Aaja Nindeya

AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!

3G Music Review

3G Music 
Music Direction : Mithoon & Amar Mohile

What I expected? : Because it is Mithoon after a long time, expectations are pretty high. Mithoon is someone whom the critics consider hugely talented taking into account the relatively small but highly impressive career stint he had till now.

Kaise Bataoon by KK and Sonal Chauhan is pleasant albeit the Pritam-ish track standing on the shoulders of the talented singers(Sonal Chahan makes an impressive debut) rather than the strength of the composition. Good hear, less shelf life.
Kaise Bataoon(Cantibile) is slow, the original transformed into a sound Acappella with Abhishek Nailwal's expressive vocals getting along wonderfully together with the choir and the instrument-less background. Good one!
Khalbali has perfect choice of singers, Arijit Singh, Shilpa Rao sounding romantic and Tochi Raina bringing the well placed qawaalish touch into the essentially charming, addictive tune. Good hear!
Khalbali(Punjabi) by Tochi Raina has that rustic Punjabi flavor to it, good hear!
Bulbuliya is haunting, given lift off by Adnan Sami's passionate vocals and good arrangements with a lilting sufi touch. Situational, yet good one!
3G Theme composed by Amar Mohile serves the pupose, nothing more.

Verdict : Personally, 3G is below expectations, but then for a suspense thriller movie, the soundtrack is essentially suitable. Mithoon is nowhere near the old self we saw in 'Anwar' or 'Lamhaa', still manages to give couple of hummable listens. One good thing is that it makes you longing for Mithoon's next album.!

Must hears! : Khalbali

AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVG<AVERAGE<GOOD< VERYGOOD <EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!