Nanban – Music Review (Tamil Movie Soundtrack)

En Frienda Pola seems like a friendship extolment song + hero song rolled into one, but its rock-based anthemic sound works quite well, with Krish and Suchith Suresan doing a neat rendition. Harris Jayaraj does an impressive job of adapting the Aal Izz Well motif into Tamil, in Heartiley Battery. There is an obvious nod to Moitra’s AIW, but there is also originality in the arrangement. Hemachandran and Mukesh do the honors on vocals, quite impressively. The orchestration and the Kaapi raga base (at least partly) of Askku Laska make it sound more Vidyasagar than Harris Jayaraj! Lovely listen though, despite some seemingly random lyrics, thanks a great deal to Vijay Prakash and Chinmayi. Suvi does a rap-based cameo in the interlude.

Aalap Raju’s Endhan Kan Munney is where the composer’s reusal habits start surfacing, but the acoustic guitar factor helps mitigate that element. Irukkaanna quite blatantly borrows from HJ’s own Manjal Veyil (Vettaiyaadu Vilayaadu), and an annoying arrangement for the remaining part (there is gargling sound and all!) doesn’t help matters at all. Vijay Prakash, Javed Ali and Sunidhi Chauhan wasted. The soundtrack ends on a high note though with Nalla Nanban (presumably the analogue for Jaane Nahin Denge), a song where the composer beautifully incorporates semiclassical elements in an otherwise western-tinged orchestration. Ramakrishna Murthy’s singing isn’t perfect, but there is an allure in his rendition, which goes very nicely with this song.

Second time that director Shankar chooses Harris Jayaraj instead of his usual man A R Rahman to score for him. And the second time too HJ pulls off a commendable job.

Music Aloud Rating: 7.5/10

Top Recos: Nalla Nanban, Askku Laska, En Frienda Pola

RAJA says:

This is the worst ever Shankar film music. Hilarious to see some senseless comparison HJ with ARR.. Don’t talk aloud about this films music.. People will not laugh with their mouth. I’ve never heard such useless soundtrack of shankar’s films. This guy having 3,4 tunes in his bag and keep remixing it to convince directors rather irritates who really knows wat he’s doing in last 10yrs. Every song reminds his previous songs.. Even the notes, orchestrations are becoming repetitive in last 2 years. His last good work was engeyum kadhal which i admit is a good track but where r u taking this spoof to roof.. He literally damaged a big film like 7aam arivu and now killing Shankar’s calibre. Only shankar’s picturization and direction will make people forget the flaws of this ugly remixed ordinary album. Vettai and 3 films music are far ahead of nanban.

arivazhagan says:

Well..i couldnt stop laughing when some one posted that “ARR fans are insecure of HJ” , Harris is a good composer, no doubt, but he is no competition to AR Rahman. Harris has the same kind of songs for the past few years in almost all his movies and i guess thats what makes people irate. He doesnt create magic anymore and it doesn’t seem like he will unless he gets out of the trash can.

Surinder says:

Its been 10 years now that this man HJ has been tried, tested and proven. ARR fans doesnt seem to grow up. Inspite of ARR reaching great heights, they get insecure when someone is compared to the ARR atleast for the delivery of music.

Harris has a style that appeals the youth of today. If you cannot digest that fact, visit a gastroenterologist. Let peace prevail!

VIP says:

@Raja & Rajesh: Totally endorse your views about ARR having given the best for Shankar (though I wouldn’t consider Boys as belonging to the same league as Kaadhalan, or Gentleman) But notice that even your examples emphasizing the quality of ARR-Shankar combo are at least 10 years old. The ARR-Shankar combo of today aren’t quite the level of the ARR-Shankar combo of yesteryears. And given the current trend I felt HJ did a good job. Of course not ARR’s level still, but the soundtrack works. It did, for me.

RAJA says:

Music is just average and definitely not Shankar film’s music. Remember shankar’s light movies like Kadhalan, Jeans, Boys ?? Those films music stormed the nation and where this Nanban is ? The songs are very ordinary and may be according to the demand of the film but nowhere near the league of Kadhalan or boys and not even like anniyan. Rightly said by rajesh “THE RECYCLE BIN IS OVER USED NOW MR.HARRIS”.. But having said that don’t say nanban songs will not be a hit.. It will be a hit and even more after we find it with Shankar’s picturization but we miss Rahman’s flamboyant energy and the magic of Rahman-Shankar combo..

sandeep says:

i think shankar is right this time.a.r.rahman no need 2 do a remake movie,he should have better works 2 do

Rajesh says:

Songs are just about OK and there is nothing, literally nothing that stands out. Shankar hopefully will not make the mistake of using HJ in a place that belongs to ARR.

You have to be a hardcore HJ fan to want to keep listening to this album on loop, barely passes muster. In a way, HJ is causing a negative effect on movie just like how he did for 7am arivu. May be the recycle bin is becoming empty and hence the composer is unable to evoke any kind of interest in the listeners mind.

PS: My personal opinion and i dont expect anyone else to accept…