Dedh Ishqiya Music Review

Dedh Ishqiya Music Review

Music Direction : Vishal Bhardwaj

Lyrics : Gulzar

Listen to the album Here

What I expected? : For me, Vishal Bhardwaj has shown amazing consistency in his soundtracks. And because the total grand affair Ishqiya music was, winning the National awards for both Best Music Direction and Best Female Singer that year, expectations, from the sequel, are naturally high!

Dil Ka Mizaaj Ishqiya is scintillating, tailor made Rahat Fateh Ali Khan material! The soothing tune and the soft rock arrangements which amalgamates with accordion sound initially and Sax along midway adds to the beauty! #Repeat

Zabaan Jale Hai is drop-dead brilliant! Equally mesmerizing is the serene composition, beautifully written lyrics, terrific strings and the wonderfully nuanced singing from Fateh Ali Khan's part! #MustHear #Repeat

Hamari Atariya's very very Rahman-ish intro captivates subtly well and rightly so, Rekha Bhardwaj aces the mujra track! #Repeat

Kya Hoga has everything going strong. The qawwali sound is executed exceptionally well and the vocalists, Jazim Sharma, Master Saleem, Shahid Mallya and Jamal Akbar are competitive enough, or rather, compliments each other perfectly. The instrumentation, replete with Tabla, Harmonium and other traditional instruments elevates an enchanting midway turn! #Repeat

Jagaave Saari Raina, for a Kathak track, is as beautiful as it can get especially for the tempting sitar interludes and Ms. Bharadwaj's singing. Now the song is predominantly Hindustani in appeal, but somewhere along the lines, must be the swaram portions, there is a definite Carnatic feel which is BTW cleverly incorporated. #Repeat
Horn OK Please has Sukhwinder Singh and Honey Singh rocking together the techno-folk piece! #Repeat

Verdict : Needless to say, faith in Mr. Bhardwaj's musical capabilities are, once again, cemented and anchored down strong! Dedh Ishqiya is a bravo effort, one of Vishal's best and for me in par with both Godmother and Ishqiya. I strained my ears to find one little flaw, alas, but in vain! I don't care whether the soundtrack works in the movie or not but for sure the music audience are in for a treat this time. Vishal Bhardwaj gives the 2014 Bollywood music scene a classy and heady start! Excellent!

Must Hears! : The whole album!

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

Mickey Virus Music Review

Mickey Virus Music
Music Direction : Hanif Sheikh

What I expected? : Nothing

Tose Naina by Arijit Singh is pleasant, sufi-ish, but I have a feeling that Mohit Chauhan would have done a better job than Arijit.
Aakhan hi Aankhon makes the cut, the good tune as well as the singing by Mohit Chauhan and Palak Muchhal helps! #Repeat
Pyaar China Ki Maal Hai, Sajna Ve Sajna and the Title song are simply 'skip'pable!

Verdict : What intrigues is the fact that Hanif Sheikh manages to sound every singer incredibly nasal! Arijit Singh hasn't sung so nasal in his entire career, and the the guy who sang Pyaar China can beat even Himesh Reshammiya! Same goes with Sajna and the Title song. As the saving grace, Palak Muchhal doesn't go with the trend. Not for two hearable songs, Mickey Virus would have gone down to the poor zone. It maintains a Below Average identity somehow.

Must Hears! : Aankhon Hi Aankhon


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

Ram Leela Music Review

Ram Leela Music

Music Direction : Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Lyrics : Siddharth - Garima

What I expected? : Going by the trailer and the music direction track record Bhansali has, an emotional ensemble.

Raam Chahe Leela doesn't soar, its appealing in parts but that is it. Indian Idol find Bhoomi Trivedi does an impressive job though!

Lahu muh lag Gaya sounds pleasantly seductive, the traditional arrangements help while Shahil Hada shines his way through!

Ang Laga De works the same way, although the mellowed down arrangements and Aditi Paul's graceful vocals make it a bit more luscious affair! #Repeat

Poore Chaand has Shahil Hada again, but can't help getting a monotonous sound, the tune isn't exciting either.

Nagada Sang Dhol has Shreya Ghoshal in pure form, especially the vocal variations she brings into the framework fits in the garba dance mood perfectly! #Repeat

Laal Ishq flaunts a bhajan-like outlook for most parts, thanks to that hypnotic tune and temple sounds, while it is more of a romantic affair going by the lyrics. Arijit Singh gets the job done pretty well here, he aces it actually! #Repeat

Ishqyaun Dhishqyaun is weak in itself, lyrics and composition wise, while Aditya Narayan, the good singer he is, strangely sounds like his dad but somehow lacks the charisma and is oddly bleak.

Mor Bani Thanghat Kare is folk-ish in core, like the usual songs Osman Mir sings, nothing to brag about but.

Dhoop can be easily mistaken for an Ismail Darbar song, the sweet yet moody melody is marvelously crafted! With Shreya Ghoshal flowing in beautifully, it makes one hell of a hear! #MustHear

Tattad Tattad, again by Aditya Narayan has a loud south Indian dance template, boringly noisy. Skip.

Verdict : Maybe this is the kind of music the movie needs, but Ram Leela soundtrack leaves one somewhat dissatisfied. Bhansali does great when it comes to the arrangements, but he must really work on his tunes, I'd say. Good effort, could have been a lot better.

Must Hears! : Dhoop, Laal Ishq, Ang Laga De, Nagada Sang

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

Boss Music Review

Boss Music
Music Direction : Meet Bros Anjjan, Chirantan Bhatt, P.A.Deepak, Yo Yo Honey Singh
Lyrics : Kumaar, Manoj Yadav & Sahil Kaushal-Lill Gollu

What I expected? : Pretty low expectations, quality wise.

Title song is pretty lackluster, slightly heard before electronic music, massy. Honey Singh tries well but in vain.
Har Kisi Ko borrows elements from the original 'Jaanebaaz' song of the same name while keeping its own identity, increased tempo for instance and some unnaturally loud orchestration. Arijit Singh and Neeti Mohan pulls off an okay-ish effort, all blame on some average arrangements which lets it even down.
Nikhil D'Souza's version is not much different, save for some added strings.
Party all night goes in leagues in with the title song, with a constant synth bass and DJ elements merged with Honey Singh's drunken vocals, ends up slightly more impressive, for the time being.
Pitah Se Hai Naam Tera is ordinary, Sonu Nigam tries his best to shine up this devotional-ish track, while Meet Bros. struggle, composition wise.
Hum Na Tode, Hindi remake(by Graamy awarde winner P. A Deepak) of Vidyasagar's original 'Appadi Pode' doesn't excite much. (May be its me, because of the zillion times I've heard the original play all around me for years now.) Vishal Dadlani is in his usual bombastic self while the song is complete with the addictive kuthu elements!
Boss Theme. I'm still trying to figure out what this is.

Verdict : Boss music, like the ones which comes and goes without any particular effect. Average.


Must Hears! : None

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

Shuddh Desi Romance Music Review

Shuddh Desi Romance Music

Music Direction : Sachin-Jigar
Lyrics : 

What I expected? : Ever since 'Gulabi' released, the expectations were pretty high. Romance, quality and freshness.

Tere Mere Beech Mein stands justified to the 'fresh' expectations, Mohit and Sunidhi Chauhan aces the track while the tune is sufficiently romantic as well as quirky. The westernized arrangements makes things look even better! #Repeat
Gulabi can be readily recognized somewhere in between the A R Rahman-Amit Trivedi zone, an amazingly perky and lovely tune with Jigar coming up with his career best singing act along with Priya Panchal! The arrangements, especially the repetitive folksy interludes are seriously addictive! #MustHear #Repeat
Chanchal Mann scores at everything, the highly energetic background, Divya Kumar's one-man-show-stealer-show and the quirky lyrics. Can't help shaking your head! #Repeat
Title song cannot get any more crazy, the enchanting harmonim-dholak mix sandwiched between the highly spirited Benny Dayal-Shalmali Kholgade vocals and a purely desi dance tune! #Repeat
Mujhe Kiss Kar Sakte Ho is a vehemently brilliant instrumental, the slow buildup and the absolutely lovable middle portions have a strongly emotional feel! #Repeat
Love in Jaipur has Priya Panchal whispering Rajasthani, with an external coating of exotic desi arrangements! #Repeat
Tez Waala Attraction is basically Chahchal mann interludes rehashed, nothing much. Quirky BTW.
Boyfriend Banogey is again Gulabi interlude presented in a different avatar, charming!
Bhanwara Ma Bhatke has an impressive pedestrian lineup of instruments, interesting!

Verdict : Plain simply, all the songs work, to a large extent. Then again, majority are instrumentals with short running span so commercial prospects cannot be judged. The four original songs are rock-solid, will easily feature among Sachin-Jigars best works and the album on the whole is a must hear for them! The duo have successfully managed to fit the essence of Rajasthan into a modern frame! Very Good work, the four songs, gonna be on my playlist for the coming months!

Must Hears! : Gulabi, Tere mere beech

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

Satyagraha Music Review

Satyagraha Music 
Music Direction : Salim-Sulaiman, Indian Ocean, Meet Bros. Anjaan, Aadesh Srivastava
Lyrics : Prasoon Joshi

What I expected? : Nothing

Janta Rocks by Meet Bros. is partly engaging, mainly for the sarcastic-inspiring lyrics and the nice bit of percussion going behind the scene. Sitautional and a tad too long.
Hum Bhole De's anthemic sound may work well in the movie, signature Indian Ocean folk-rock template with Rahul Ram, Amit Kilam and Himanshu Joshi in great form!
The title track has a highly impactful start, the "Raghupati Raghav..." chants doing magic along with the neat electronica. But the initial high falters with the extra lyrics, which seemingly doesn't go in sync.
Aiyo Ji has Shradha Pandit in her brilliant crystal clear avatar, flowing through the fusion stuff the track is, ending up with seemingly good results!
A remix is added.
Raske Bhare Tore Naina is the best reserved for the last, Shafqat Amanat Ali is pitch perfect in this Hindustani semi-classical material which hits the bull's eye, composition wise. Minimal arrangements giving thankfully more space to the singer to showcase his vocal details cleverly does the magic here!
The House Mix of the song rendered by Aadesh Srivastava is just about OK. Aadesh, unlike Shafqat sounds folk-ish at times.

Verdict : Satyagraha started off with zero expectations only to end up with a fairly good track list. While Raske Bhare is going to be on loop, Aiyo Ji and the other songs scores for their own situational merits. All composers contributes expectedly, while Salim Sulaiman seems on an welcome high, compared to their recent status. Looking forward to see how well the songs are incorporated into the movie. Good one, worth a try!

Must Hears! : Raske Bhare Tore Naina


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

Once Upon A Time In Mumbai Dobaara! Music Review

Once Upon A Time In Mumbai Dobaara! Music 
Music Direction : Pritam Chakraborty, Laxmikant - Pyarelal
Lyrics : Rajat Aroraa

What I Epected? : Thinking on the lines of OUATIM, some sturdy melodies.

Chungliyaan has tried, tested, cliched Sufi-Qawaali template, Javed Ali shows his usual self anyway. Composition wise, just average.
Ye Tune Kya Kiya is no different, except for the raw, rustic vocals of Javed Bashir, which helps the song rise above average, still just film-worthy.(The Sitar piece in between, comprising hook lines of Tum Jo Aaye and Pee Loon was pretty nice!)
Tu Hi Khwahish throws a pleasant surprise, well composed follow up to 'Parda', Sunidhi Chauhan croons the disco song well while sounding quite Asha Bhosle-ish!
Tayyab Ali is plain boring. I'm not in for comparing this with the original 'Amar Akbar Anthony' song but this Anupam Amod recreation is lackluster, fails to entertain.

Verdict : OUATIMD is nowhere close to OUATIM. Lacking almost everything, Pritam delivers another dud.

Must Hears! : Nothing

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

Chennai Express Music Review

Chennai Express Music

Music Directors : Vishal-Shekhar

Lyrics : Amitabh Bhattacharya

What I expected? : What else than an out and out masala entertainment affair with Vishal Shekhar's highly capable abilities merged with SRK's stardom! 

1234 opens to dysfunction, even the rhythmic Tamil kuthu dance template works in vain, falls flat outright on its face!

Titli helps the album bounce back like a boomerang, an amazingly serene tune set to occasional Carnatic classical backgrounds and sung to immense grace by Chinmayi Sriprada with Gopi Sundar's apt support! #Must Hear #Repeat

An unwanted, badly done Dubstep version is added! Why V-S Why?!

Tera Rastaa Chhodoon Na's swingy, youthful composition with the equally eclectic orchestration impresses big time! The singers, Amitabh Bhattacharya and Anusha Mani sounds lively! #Repeat

Kashmir Main Tu Kanyakumari is interesting for the snappy lyrics, but is immensely forgetful for the tune is dull and the good elements all scattered! Worth a hear, likely to work with the video!

Ready Steady Po has a lot of things going around it at a time, its hard to discern them all together. Techno-hip hop with the usual Bollywood edge, strictly functional.

Chennai Express, the title song, is sure-fire catchy if you forget the bizarre lyrics, with the high point definitely being S P Balasubrahmanyam's impeccable vocals which takes the song to further heights along with  the addictive techno swing! Jonita Gandhi's B-Town debut is impressive! #Repeat

Chennai Express Mashup is awfully fast tempoed, nevertheless neatly done.

Verdict : I don't know, Vishal-Shekhar seems pretty handicapped in Chennai Express, the album doesn't meet the mammoth sized expectations. While the 'hits-expected' dance tracks fail miserably(barring only the title track) the saving grace comes in the form of the two melodies. The songs may climb up the charts, thanks to SRK's stardom and the immense promotions given to the film, but the music definitely lacks professionalism and quality. Just above average.

Must Hears! : Titli, Tera Rastaa

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

(Somewhere in the middle :P)

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!.

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

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.

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!

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!

Kaafiron Ki Namaaz Music Review

Kaafiron Ki Namaaz Music
Music Direction : Advait Nemlekar
Lyrics : Ram Ramesh Sharma

What I expected? : Nothing

Aayatein last just 55 seconds, but the intense and deep aalaap by Najim Arshad goes straight into the heart! Great!
Sawalon Ki Godh Mein sweeps you off your feet, relying heavily on the brilliant vocals of Najim Arshad and the zealous tune, this is one damn great ghazal in the recent times! Must hear!
Jhalkian by Javed Ali and Kshtij Tarey strike the right chords, mesmerizing piece of melody fabulously sung and given lift off by pure and traditional arrangements and good lyrics.! Great hear!
Jhalkian(Reprise) by Hashdeep Kaur and Vikas Ambhore is pure bliss, wonderfully well sung and passionate romantic track! Simply fresh in all outlooks, great hear!
Yeh Raat Mona Lisa is unconventional jazz sounding and with Usha Uthup coming out with her raw, secretive vocals, the song do interest in the first listen. Wonderfully arranged, this is one track which is heavily situational yet good!
Bajao Zor Se Taali has surprisingly good background music with Sukhwinder Singh seemingly perfect for the alive tune and slow but perky arrangements! Good one!
Bajao Zor Se Taali(2nd Version) is equally good, with less instruments playing behind.

Verdict : Kaafiron Ki Namaaz is a soulful ride with no bumps or gutters in between! Way beyond expectations, this is one of the best albums with some of the best tracks ever in the recent times.! Music Directon by Advait Nemlekar needs special mention as well as for the lyrics by Ramesh Sharma.
Heavily impressive.! Strongly recommended.!


Must Hears! : Sawalon Ki godh mein, Jhalkian, Jhalkian Reprise, Bajao Zor Se

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

Khiladi 786 Music Review

Khiladi 786 Music

Music Direction : Himesh Reshammiya
Lyrics : Shabbir Ahmed, Sameer, Himesh Reshammiya

What I expected? : A very good deal of commercial massy tracks, couple of engaging melodies, since music director concerned is Himesh Reshammiya and the movie is his home production.

Khiladi 786 Title Track sung by a long list of Vineet Singh, Aman Trikha, Yashraj Kapil, Alam Gir Khan & Rajdeep Chatterjee is amusing and pleasantly captivating which will make your head sway no matter what, thanks to the careful arrangements and perfect singing thus giving a good hear!
Remix is chakhaas! 
Lonely by Himesh Reshammia, Yo Yo Honey Singh and Hansika Iyer showcases Himesh in his middle octave best and nasal worst simultaneously, which is quite amusing and the song being packed in a pretty catchy and peppy arrangement setup with very good support from Hansika, volunteers for a good and addictive hear even when the placement of Honey Singh's rap seems a bit awkward.! Good hear!
Remix is engaging.!
Balma brings in the much awaited Bollywood debut of Indian Idol Sreeram Chandra alongside Shreya Ghoshal and gets to sing a full on masti song which must work on screen since the structure and execution is heavily mediocre. Worth the hear for Sreeram's and Shreya's singing.
Remix is foot tapping!
Long Drive by Mika Singh is just 'wow!' material  turning out to be an addictive, seductive, haunting and modern  slow moving Punjabi club outing(spurting faint tints of Himesh's own 'Chakna') with amazing vocals by Mika and striking arrangements, delivering definitely a grt hear!! #repeat
The Bhangra mix included is an added bliss, thoroughly entertaining! 
Saari Saari Raat by Himesh Reshammiya is essentially intense, nasal yah, but easy on ears with some aptly crafted melancholic arrangements and innovative singing along with nice lyrics making up for a good hear!
Hookah Bar by Himesh Reshammiya, Vinit Singh and Aman Triikha is pleasantly spot on, catchy and refreshing dance track with the high point being the captivating tune and orchestration with terrific job in the singing department.! Good hear!
Tu Hoor Pari by Javed Ali, Shreya Ghoshal, Chandrakala Singh and Harshdeep Kaur elegantly does it job even when being a situational Punjabi dance track with classical elements mixed beautifully into it and sung equally charmingly giving a good hear!

Verdict : Soundtrack of Khiladi 786 mirrors Himesh in a hatke mode(in his old self somewhat, I'd say) with the album containing some terrific massy tracks of inborn hit potential and good repeat value! Even the remixes seems pretty great!  You don't have to hear this album. It'll be all around you in the coming months! Blasting work! Go for it!

AVERAGE<GOOD<VERY GOOD<EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!

Must Hears : Long Drive

Trivia : There is a line in Lonely, 'teri yaad saath hai', the same on from 'Mein Jahaan Rahoon' of Namastey London for which Himesh and Akshay previously collaborated, added deliberately as a relive of the movie.

Joker Music Review

Joker Music

Music Direction : G.V. Prakash Kumar & Gaurav Dagaonkar

Lyricist : Shirish Kunder

What I expected? : Given the music directors, the director being Shirish and the genre of the film, a musical feast.!

Kafirana by Sunidhi Chauhan & Adarsh Shinde is a faltu wannabe-item number track which falls flat with nothing special to mention about it.

Jugnu by Udit Narayan is a good deal of a song with the soulful sounding Udit at the helm of affairs in  this refreshing track with interesting arrangements. Good hear!

Sing Raja by Daler Mehndi & Sonu Kakkar is an instantly catchy number with Daler and Sonu contributing equally well to this R&B track with Bhangra backdrop! Good hear!

Yeh Joker by Sonu Nigam & Shweta Pandit, the title song probably, serves its purpose well with the track having an Indian feel overall and the singers doing  a decent job. Not great, not bad either, must work with the video.

Tears of Joker - Instrumental. Simply gorgeous play of  Flute flowing along with Violin, Sitar and Tabla chained with elegant use of Veena!! Mindblowingly beautiful!

Alien Arrival - Instrumental. Standard march song band template. Decent one.

Verdict : Music wise, Joker is a bit on the downside, with the best track in the album being an instrumental piece. Hearable songs, but with a lack of novelty. Average.

2.5/5

Ek Tha Tiger Music Review

Ek Tha Tiger Music

Music Direction : Sajid-Wajid (Song # 1) & Sohail Sen

Lyrics : Kausar Munir (Song # 1), Neelesh Misra & Anvita Dutt Guptan

What I expected : Its Salman Khan, its Sohail Sen and Sajid-Wajid, its Yash Raj, so nothing but an excellent album.!

Mashallah, sung by Wajid and Shreya, sole song done by Said-Wajid, is basically a bland composition with Arabic belly dance loops mixed with predictable vocals, cliché guitar arrangements and average lyrics, adding up to a forgetful affair! Remix is nothing good.

Laapata by K.K. & Palak Muchhal has quite a catchy setup with impressive rendition by KK and Palak, with cleverly arranged Latino music background. Good hear!
Remix is just fast paced.

Banjaara by Sukhwinder Singh showcases the singer again in an easy high pitch mode with a stunningly good Celtic/Irish inclined addictive arrangements! Good hear!
An equally good remix with increased tempo is included!

Saiyaara by Mohit Chauhan & Taraannum Malik, is the best song of the album, tailor made for Mohit with melancholic vocals by Ms Malik supporting beautifully, ends up being a perfect romantic outing with soulful arrangements and fabulous lyrics. Grt hear!

Tigers (Theme) composed by Julius Packiam is Don-Theme infused wannabe Hollywood-ish track with a heard before feel at many parts. Still an engaging one!

Verdict : Ek Tha Tiger is a good soundtrack with Sohail Sen clearly spilling his magic over the three tracks he got. Sajid-Wajid disappoints(again!) through Mashahllah, but minus that, the album is an enjoyable ride. Go for it!

3/5

 

Aalaap Music Review

 

Aalaap Music 

Music Direction : Agnee 

Just my brief review as time restricts me from writing a detailed one. 

Aalaap is a full on rock music outing except for one track. 

Ek nayi Roshni by Mohan is hard rock, engaging in parts and a worthy listen.  

Dil yeh awaaz de by Meera Shenoy, Mohan and Varun Venkat is progressive rock influenced which is thoroughly entertaining and captivating! Good hear!  

Paa para paa by Nikhil Bonnie nd Dhruv is Jazz infused rock and ends up being a delightful track with careful arrangements. 

Soniye by Mohan has pure sufi-Rock backdrop ending up with a winner with multiple listens! 

Shuruvaat pyaar ki by Nikhil and Yamini is a dreamy soft rock romantic gem of a song! 

Chadhti Jawani by Kanika and Bonnie is a peppy and well executed desi item number track. 

Verdict : I don't understand rock music much but I definitely enjoyed Agnee's Aalaap with a wide variety of songs! This one's a winner! 

 3.5/5