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!

Nautanki Saala Music Review

Nautanki Saala Music 
Music Direction : Falak, Mikey McCleary, Rashid Khan

What I expected? : Melodies, melodies, good melodies.

Dramebaaz by Geet Sagar is quirky, enjoyable, well orchestrated but situational. Good one.
Tu Hi Tu by Ayushmann Khurana is swayable, well sung breezy melodic tune, vouches for repeat hear! Good one.
Dhak Dhak is decently orchestrated I'd say, not missing he essence of the original 'Beta' song sung funkily by Saba Azad,Geet Sagar and Santosh Sawant. Good hear!
Saddi Galli Aajaa is one song where Ayushaman shows immense professionalism(in composing along with Rochak Kohli and in singing) with Neeti Mohan supporting greatly in this serene Punjabi melody which go in leagues with 'Pani Da' to an extent. Grt hear.!
Remix is added. Reprise is equally enchanting!
Dil Ki toh lag Gayi  is jazzy-blues, a bit of country sound in it, interesting premise with secretive apt vocals from Saba Azad.  Mikey McCleary composition. Good one!
Mera Mann Kehne Laga's back laying accordion will make you fall for it, superbly composed, well orchestrated and conveniently sung addictive piece of melody, worth every penny you spend.! Falak's vocals need special mention, soulful. Grt hear.!
Mera Mann female version by Tulsi Kumar is not bad, compared to Tulsi's recent status, still I'll prefer the male version.
Reprise version is as beautiful.
Sapna Mera Toota Toota has Rahat Fateh Ali Khan singing what he's best at, sufi-qawaliish melody, thankfully for Rashid Khan's composition, way way better than the usual Sajid-Wajid mediocre stuffs we've been hearing recently, especially for the good tune and the youthful and low pitch singing! Good one!
So gaya Yeh Jahan is the 'Tezaab' song recreated retaining Nitish Mukesh's vocals, giving an electronic twist in orchestration. Good hear!

Verdict : One word to describe this album. Youthful.! The composers have succeeded in bringing together some smart tracks so rich in melody and so varied in genres with immense repeat quality. The two recreations work well, better than the original, some may find. Refreshing, lasting, cool tracks going straight into my playlist, to remain there. You won't want to miss this one. Excellent!

Must hears! : Mera mann, Sadi galli aaja, Dil ki toh lag gayi, Tu hi tu, Sapna mera

4/5

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

Himmatwala Music Review

Himmatwala Music
Music Direction : Sajid-Wajid
Lyrics : Indeewar & Sameer

What I expected? : Expecting quality stuff from Sajid-Wajid for a Sajid Khan movie is pretty lame. So neutral views.


Naino Mein Sapnan - Amit Kumar & Shreya Ghoshal

 Taki Taki - Mika Singh & Shreya Ghoshal

 Dhoka Dhoka - Bappi Lahiri, Sunidhi Chauhan & Mamta

 Bum Pe Laat - Shaan, Soham & Shubh Mukherjee

 Thanks God Its Friday by Sunidhi Chauhan and composed by Sachin-Jigar is a decent effort of a disco dance track. Good hear.

Verdict : There is nothing innovative in the two yesteryear recreations, while the original songs by Sajid-Wajid are pretty unbearable.

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

Jayantabhai Ki Luv Story Music Review

Jayantabhai Ki Luv Story Music
Music Direction : Sachin-Jigar
Lyrics : Mayur Puri

What I expected? : All songs were released before even I started speculating.

Hai Na by Atif Aslam and Priya Panchal is quite likable not for Atif's casual, lazy singing. Romantic rock track, worth a hear.
Dil Na jaane Kyun by Atif Aslam and Anushka Manchanda is a powerhouse of sound engineering techniques mixed with a peppy tune and energetic singing,(that doesn't mean good, Atif still sounds stale) resulting in something that might work on screen.
Abhija mere Mehermaan is mesmerizing, tailor made romantic track for Atif Aslam, with just the right urbane arrangements. Haunting and a good hear!
Thoda Thoda is a cool light hearted melody, sung aptly by Shreya Ghoshal and Sachin, worth repeated hears. Composers have actually shown justice to the song by NOT letting Atif sing this one, which could have turned it into a vocal gimmick.
Mashup was fun, usual DJ sound circus.

Verdict : JKLS soundtrack has delivered just what was expected and nothing more. Couple of feel good tracks, most of which relies on the arrangements rather than the composition. Average one I'd say, but worth a try!

Must Hears! : Thoda Thoda

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

Murder 3 Music Review

Murder 3 Music
Music Direction : Pritam Chakraborty
Lyrics : Sayeed Quadri

What I expected? : Expectations quite high, given the franchise has given a good deal of chart busters  and of course Pritam.

Teri Jhuki Nazar by Shafqat Amanat Ali is soft and simple, good singing but immensely forgetful. The problem is with the beaten to death tune and lyrics, just worth a hear.
Mat Aazma Re by KK does try to bring back the old Pritam-KK hit feel, but fails to grab your attention by all means, the song has nothing innovative to its credit and the 'bar bar' loop is annoying! Worth a hear.
Jaata hai tujh Tak by Nikhil D'Souza is another song which strangely fails to relate with the listener by large margins. Disappointing!
Hum Jee Lenge has Mustafa Zahid singing and composing but a bit too reluctant to go out of his templated zone, resulting in a slow romantic but average hear.
All Pritam songs have one more version each which are not worth mentioning.

Verdict : Murder 3 music is a Himalayan letdown from Pritam, one of his weakest soundtracks in years!

Must Hears! : None

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

Kai Po Che Music Review

Kai Po Che Music
Music Direction : Amit Trivedi
Lyrics : Swanand Kirkire

What I expected? : Was looking forward for some amazingly refreshing tracks ever since Manja released.

Manja sung by the composer itself relies strongly on its inspirational lyrics and the brilliant composition, the nice amalgamation of Esraj, guitar and swaying beats along with some wonderful anthem-ish singing paves way to one hell of a hear! Brilliant!
Shubharambh has some real good Shehnai, both in the lyrics and the arrangements which gels well with the dandya-folkish(Gujarati?!) garba beats and simple singing by Shruthi Pathak and Divya Kumar! Good hear!
Meethi Boliyan is some great piece of music where Mili Nair scores by leaps and bounds by her soulful singing supported beautifully by Amit Trivedi in the soulful soft rock track, brilliantly composed and executed elegantly! Great hear!

Verdict : Kai Po Che has just three songs which exactly is the reason that we'll be left wanting more at the end of it. As usual Amit Trivedi has done a very good job, this time in his comfort zone, folksy-based tracks given a modern outlook. Three songs of Kai Po Che are something you are gonna love and something that are gonna be in my playlist for long.

Must Hears! : All songs

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!

Press Play | Adnan Sami | Indipop Music Review

Press Play Music
Music Director & Artist : Adnan Sami

Listen Online the Album Here
or
Buy the tracks LEGALLY Here

Note : Buying the tracks legally instead of downloading them off piracy websites will definitely make a difference here, since it is an independent album and the revenue comes ONLY and solely from the album sales.
You downloading pirated tracks = You killing the album.

Ali Ali is well sung, with the sufi touch ringing into the interesting Qawaali-ish arrangements. Good hear.!
Roya and Mein Tere paas Hun are ruddy brilliant, trademark Adnan Sami stamped poignant love ballads complete with sonorous heart touching arrangements and soulful singing! Is anyone complaining about the 'Kisi Din' hangover? I'm definitely not, coz its quite unnecessary, for the songs stand out on their own! Great.!
Mere Baap Ka Kya Jata Hai tries to be funny with quirky lyrics and manages to impress somewhat with all that gully tune and energetic singing. Not really buy worthy, will work better behind a good video.
Kudi Tight is nothing great, templated Punjabi dance track, predictable to core. But then it manages to appeal for once, thanks to the careful placements of arrangements and lyrics that are quite wacky.
Karun Na Yaad gives another great listen, while remaining in league with Roya and Mein Tere, this soft-yet-intense ghazal gets an urbane treatment which somehow holds it different!
Baba is passionate, the singer's tribute to his father for whom he is desperately searching, made evident through the good lyrics and expressed with soul in singing! Great hear!
Dua De has an intriguing soft jazz-pop sound, quite likable romantic track. Good one!
Ali Ali and Roya appear in Remixes, quite unnecessary.

Verdict : Press Play is Adnan Sami in pure form, showcasing what he does best. A well composed and well sung album with all those feel good melodies and couple of heart touching ballads, definitely worth the money and time you spend on it. I'd say, go for it, add the tracks to your playlist and press play!

Must Hears! : Roya, Mein Tera Paas Hun, Karun na yaad, Baba


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

ABCD : Any Body Can Dance Music Review

ABCD : Any Body Can Dance Music
Music Direction : Sachin-Jigar
Lyrics : Mayur Puri

What I expected? : From Sachin-Jigar, a complete techno urbane dance package.

Shabhu Sutaya by Shankar Mahadevan and Vishal Dadlani is wonderfully arranged and fabulously sung Ganesh-tribute devotional track which is quite easy on the ears and thus giving a good hear!
Bezubaan is scintillating, the moody soulful Mohit Chauhan and the energetic Priya Panchal and Deane who does all the raps infused into the rightly addictive dance beats with strong lyrics convert the song into a great hear!
Psycho Re by Mika Singh and Udit Narayan is kick-ass, terrifically addictive Tamil-'deppankuth' track where the plus point lies in the arrangements which are insanely fuuny.! Good hear!
Man Basiyo Saanwariyo showcases Anushka Manchanda in brilliant form, where she sings her heart out in the rock-fusion track, dazzlingly arranged! Good hear! Must be great on screen!
Chandu ki Girlfriend has again arrangements flying over expectations, what with the gully song sung aptly by Raman Mahadevan and mixed into a hell lot of imaginative sounds! Addictive, good hear!
Duhaai has an ingenious start with powerful vocals by Madhav Krishna before it ventures into the catchy hard rock-fusion, complete with strong lyrics and god arrangements! Good hear!
Sorry Sorry by Jigar is situational yet amazingly catchy filled with booming beats and quirky lyrics. Something we must wait out to watch out on screen, good hear!
Kar Ja Re Ya Mar Ja Re sung by Suraj Jagan is such a blasting mix of sounds, powerful vocals and beats, that you tend to mess up the repeat button.! Great hear!
Sadda Dil Vi Tu(Ga Ga Ga Ganpati) throws a flair bit of surprise, one thing it has been sung by Hard Kaur and another thing is the unconventional choice of arrangements and the placing of the track. Devotional, yet in every way urbane, this thing is wicked! Great hear!

Verdict : ABCD is definitely out-of-the-box, crossing all expectations still delivering a package so brilliantly done. In a situation where we expected some hard hitting techno-rock tracks, Sachin-Jigar amazes us by the sheer choice of unconventional arrangements which mesmerizes in a great deal! ABCD may not be a collector's item, but it definitely qualifies as one of the better soundtracks of the year, tailor made for the movie! Kudos to Sachin-Jigar for coming up with such varied-genre soundtrack, it takes real hardwork and creativity so produce something like this! Excellent work!

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

Must Hears! : Bezubaan, Man Basiyo Saanwariyo, Kar Ja, Sadda Dil

David Music Review

David Music 
Music Direction : Mikey McCleary, Prasanth Pillai, Bramfatura, Remo Fernandes, Anirudh Ravichander, Maatibaani, Saurabh Roy, Gaurav Godkhindi and Modern Mafia.


What I expected? : Nothing but a blast, given the soundtrack's Tamil counterpart was rocking!

Ghum Huye (The Theme Of David) kick start the album and throws a fair bit of surprise, being a pensive somber Dub track by Bramfatura sung in the right mode by Sidharth Basrur.! This one's dark and catchy!
Tore Matware Naina, composed by Maatibani and sung by Nirali Karthik & Joyshanti is crazy, crazy French-Carnatic fusion material, extremely appealing!
Tera Mera Pyaar Ki has Prashant Pillai on board composing an extremely graceful romantic piece of music, coated over with careful amounts of crafted arrangements executed terrifically by Naresh Iyer and Shwetha Pandit! Beauty! Great hear!
Rab di again by the same composer, is outright anthem-ish with some some unconventional arrangements, good percussion work by Tao Issaro with Karthik being the choice of singer. Nevertheless catchy and a good hear!
Rab di - Rab Step Version(actually the Dub Step Version), remixed by Dub Sharma relies on the expertise of the DJing done! Good hear!
Out of Control is Mickey McCleary's turn in composing and produces something breezy, light on ears soft-rock, guided on by the serene singing of Nikhil D'Souza and Preeti Pillai.! Great hear!
Out of Control(Choir Version) is nothing to boast of, yet takes you by surprise for sure! Good hear!
Mast Kalandar is recreated and who better than Rekha Bharadwaj to sing this? (Though I don't understand why she goes nasal.) I'm not in for comparing this one with original, but this one definitely holds itself different with the less traditional Qawaali sound, thanks to Micky McCleary's clever arrangements.!
Mast Kalandar(Vengeance Mix) is for you if you want to hear something different, the same song presented in a rock-ish outlook. I liked it, yet many will have views against it, "killed the original's soul" stuff. I don't care.
Ya Husain by Lucky Ali is deep spiritual sufi, brilliant in every respect especially the way Micky layers the track.! I felt hypnotic! Great hear!
Bandhay by Modern Mafia didn't make much sense, maybe because I don't understand rock much.
Yun Hi Re, music by Anirudh Ravichandar, sung by Anirudh & Shweta Mohan has certainly a '3 hangover'*, even when the track is appealing as a standalone with all the brilliant Sitar and Violin merged into the feel good tune and good singing! Good Hear!
Maria Pitache composed and sung by Remo Fernandes is absolute fun, folk dance track from ex-Portuguese colony Daman(Gujarat), with a new Goa'n sound by Remo. Good hear!
Light House Symphony has Remo arranging a simple assort of flute, guitars, keys and African percussion  along with a feel good humming. Implies essentially a good hear!
Three Kills by Saurabh Roy is again hard-rock, seems to be good. I don't know.

Verdict : David is amusing for various reasons. One is the number of musicians associated with it. 9 composers and 15 singers with a total of 15 tracks! Another is the variety of genres it offers due to the variety of composers, each scoring in their own field. Definitely imaginative, creative and competitive soundtrack, must hear for any music fan who craves for class in it! Excellent stuff!

Must Hears! : Tore Matware, Tera Mera Pyaar, Rab Di, Ya Husian, Mast Kalandar, Out of control

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


* : 3 is the first soundtrack of Anirudh Ravichandar, Tamil. You'll know 'Why this Kolaveri' for sure.! That's from that movie!

Special 26 Music Review

Special 26 Music
Music Direction : M. M. Kreem, Himesh Reshammiya
Lyrics : Irshad Kamil, Shabbir Ahmed

What I expected? :  M.M Kreem, of course some good melodies.

Tujh Sang Laage by KK and MM Kreem is beautiful, the serene Sufi-esque tune blended elegantly into qawaali-sh mode with feel good Hindustani arrangements, good lyrics and great singing! Good hear!
Gore Mukhde Pe by guest composer Himesh Reshammiya and sung by Aman Triikha, Shabab Sabri and Shreya Ghoshal is at most a very good song, what with a template Punjabi dance tune, lyrics and constant beats, it still manages to give a good romantic hear.!
Kaun Mera rightfully appears in three versions, love ballad, soft rock and unplugged sung by Chaithra Ambadipudi, Papon, and Sunidhi Chauhan respectively, each as mesmerizing as the other, Papon's version being my favorite! The short, effortless composition back lifted by simple arrangements and sonorous singing volunteers for three great hears.!
Mujh Mein Tu, essentially a powerful composition sung to perfection by Keerthi Sagathia and MM Kreem in two versions respectively gives another couple of great hears, ode to the brilliant melancholic tune, alluring jazz-rock-fusion arrangements(in Sagathia's version) and great lyrics.! Must hear(s) no. 2!
Dharpakad is situational, lyrics are quirky and definitely demands a repeat for the singing of Bappi Lahiri!

Verdict : M M Kreem steals the show with his sublime compositions which impress big time as standalones. Himesh is apparently a bit down in comparison, even then the album is definitely a deal worth every penny which is not to be missed.!

Must Hears! : Kaun Mera, Mujh Mein Tu(All Versions)

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

Race 2 Music Review

Race 2 Music
Music Direction : Pritam Chakraborty
Lyrics : Mayur Puri, Prashant Ingole &Yo Yo Honey Singh

What I expected? : Coz Pritam is in excellent form and the movie is the sequel to a musical chart buster, an out and out modern commercial outing.!

Lat Lag Gayi has Benny Dayal and Shalmali Kholgade kick starting the procedures with this not-so-appealing techno dance track filled with "lat-lag-gayi", "yeah-ah-ah-ye" loops and template beats. Might work hugely on screen but as standalone track, just good.
Be Intehaan by Atif Aslam and Sunidhi Chauhan, the Pehli Nazar substitute works in vain even with the feel good tune and standard arrangements mainly due to below average, ear throbbing singing by Atif and Sunidhi being utterly pointless. The song could have done wonders if it was sung by some other singers, say Arjit Singh and Shreya Ghoshal, but for the Atif tag it can actually work with the singing being fakely termed as 'soulful' even when the track remains average.
Remix is a fast paced DJ gimmick.
Be Intehaan(Unplugged) by Rahul Vaidya is mesmerizing, still a but conventional. Better than the original anyway!
Party on My Mind is ear splitting techno dance and right from the start, I'm counting "I've heard this before" parts of the song(technically 'Inspirations') hence the song is just worth a hear even with the energetic singing by KK, Yo Yo Honey Singh and Shefali Alvarez. Another one which might work on screen.
Remix remains remix.
Alla Duhai Hai by Atif Aslam, Vishal Dadlani and Anushka Manchanda is at last terrific, terrifically addictive rock-techno which follows the lines of Race Saanson Ki, but keeping its own identity engaging you from start to finish blending a huge deal of sound engineering techniques into the fair tune with powerful singing! Good hear and a thumps up!
Remix has a false tempo. Not very appealing.

Vedict : Not for Alla Duhai Hai, Race 2 was a pretty average fair for me. Even then it doesn't elevate the prospects of the album, since Alla Duhai hai comes under the situational song category. No doubt Pritam has worked on the album well, there is a fair deal of DJ ing done, but something is amiss and hence the album is worth a hear, nothing more. Just like Players in 2012, Pritam starts with a dud in 2013!

Must Hears! : None

AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVERAGE<AVERAGE<GOOD<VERY GOOD<EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!

Akaash Vani Music Review

Akaash Vani Music
Music Direction : Hitesh Sonik
Lyrics : Luv Ranjan

What I expected? : Hitesh Sonik proved himself promising in Coke Studio Season Two. So expecting a good deal of melodies.

Pad Gaye Ji has KK and Sunidhi Chauhan at the helm of affairs, singing a slow rock composition which is rightfully pleasant on ears, mainly due to the endearing singing by both singers. Along the lines I felt a bit of Amit Trivedi in it, but might be my imagination, dunno, it was a good hear!
Crazy Lover : WTF was that?!! Stupid techno.! Stupid lyrics.! And what the hell was Vishal Dadlani and Sunidhi Chauhan doing there!? Skip!
Bas Mein aur Tu sung by Nikhil D'Souza  has a fair slow melancholic melody in it with the good singing giving it an upper lift! Nice hear.!
Bas Mein aur Tu Reprise has better arrangements, nothing more.
Rumani by Thomson Andrews and Shalmali Kholgade holds your attention for its out of the box approach in the singing and composition, the lazy-cool rendition, head swaying tune and the whimsical jazz-techno-rock arrangements.! Good hear!
Tera Mera Naam is another slow rock, this time by Shafqat Amanat Ali, of which's interludes I loved more than the singing or the tune. Average and worth a hear.

Verdict : Hitesh Sonik's debut gives an impression that he has worked more on the arrangements than the basic back bone of his songs. Good arrangements but average tune works against most tracks. I loved Rumani, and Pad Gaye ji was somewhat good too, but overall an average fair, which was sort of a let down. Could have delivered better, may be next time Hitesh!

Must Hears! : Rumani

AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVERAGE<AVERAGE<GOOD<VERY GOOD<EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!

Infinite Love | A R Rahman

A R Rahman has come up with his new single Infinite Love, released on December 20, in two versions, one in Hindi and one an official English version.

The video is aimed to "instill faith and optimism in people" as the makers say.
Well, the song itself is on the lines of Rahman's other English singles like "Pray for me brother", but with a better video, which one I liked immensely. It is exquisite and has a whole variety of cultural showcase in it, the idea is commendable. Video directed by Paul Boyd and choreographed by Longinus Fernandes.

The song has been composed by Rahman itself.  

The English version lyrics are written by Rahman, Blaaze and Gil  Levy and Hindi version written by Irshad Kamil.

Sung and performed by Rahman and Blaaze.

Posting the two versions below.

Table No. 21 Music Review

Table No. 21 Music
Music Direction : Gajendra Verma & Sachin Gupta

What I expected? : Good expectations from Sachin Gupta.

If you lie you die by Jaspreet Jazz and Neeraj Shridhar is the situational techno title track with occasional  voice over by Paresh Rawal. Nothing appealing.
O Sajna gives a better listen with Gajendra Verma and Puja Thaker singing a carefully crafted melody which is slow and fervid as a whole giving a good hear!
Mann Mera by Gajendra Verma turns out to be an average romantic number.
Both Remixes, of O Sajna and Mann Mera were unnecessary.

Verdict : Sachin Gupta disappoints with O Sajna being the only saving grace in this otherwise below average album.

Must Hears! : None

AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVERAGE<AVERAGE<GOOD<VERY GOOD<EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!

Rajdhani Express Music Review

Rajdhani Express Music
Music Direction : Lahu-Madhav, Ritesh Nalini

What I expected? : Nothing

Koi Umeed(Western) by Hitesh Prasad is astoundingly a 10 minute long track with soft rock, fusion arrangements, melancholic slow feel and apt singing which is greatly appealingly to an extent but gets monotonous at some point. Good hear!
Koi Umeed(Indian) takes the tender ghazal route, brilliantly sung by Shahid Mallya with minimal Indian arrangements. Great hear!
Armaan Jagathi Hai even with the 80's styled background holds your attention, mainly due to the light melodious tune and feelful singing by Shaan! Good hear!
Tera Zikr(Female) showcases Madhusmita's passionate and intense vocals merged into a husky melodious romantic tune backed by simple but ample soft rock arrangements and good lyrics giving one hell of a track! Great hear!
Tera Zikr(Male) has Suresh Wadaker holding the mic which is as equally good as the other version, tender and a great hear!
Karta Hain Dil Se is definitely an age old romantic track, or it gives such a feel with Udit Narayan and the arrangements both in retro mode, something we usually gets in Mohd. Rafi songs, which is nevertheless good!
Mein Hoon Pathith is another old school track with assorted singers, slow and giving an average hear.

Verdict : This one belongs to that category of soundtracks "on which I don't have any expectations at all, but turns out to be immensely captivating.!" Rajdhani express has debutantes Lahu-Madhav and Ritesh Nalini churning out some feel good melodies rich in quality so that you tend to overlook the retro feel over them. Impressive work!

Must Hears! :  Koi Umeed(Indian), Tera Zikr(Female)

AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVERAGE<AVERAGE<GOOD<VERY GOOD<EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!

Inkaar Music Review

Inkaar Music
Music Direction : Shantanu Moitra
Lyrics : Swanand Kirkire

What I expected? : Nothing

Darmiyan has certainly something wrong with it, don't know whether it is the lyrics, which is romantic, or the tune which is downright anthem-ish so that even Swanand Kirkire couldn't save it with his singing.
Inkaar(Theme) is a better listen with a nice brew of Keyboard, Guitars and Cello and the fabulous female voice.
Kuch Bhi Ho Sakta hai shows Suraj Jagan in his usual hard rock mode, catchy and nevertheless good!
Zindagi Ka Karobar by K. Mohan works well in blending that element of mystery to the fast paced, addictive composition, but with cliched arrangements.
Maula Tu Malik Hai by Shantanu Moitra and Swanand Kirkire tries hard to be appealing as a peppy sufi-sh song, but in vain.

Verdict : One of the weakest of Shantanu Moitra's works, he hasn't surely concentrated on this one. Average fair, with one or two songs occasionally appealing.

Must Hears : None

AVOIDABLE<POOR<BELOW AVERAGE<AVERAGE<GOOD<VERY GOOD<EXCELLENT!<OUTSTANDING!