Composer Sharath gets the two veterans Chithra and Yesudas to sing the two respective versions of Ponnodu Poovai, a song with arrangement very evocative of Rahman’s 90s style, topped with some delightful employment of the kanjira. Chithra’s version worked better for me coz of the dainty touches that she adds to it. Her voice sounds quite young, strangely.  Sharath’s imaginativeness on the orchestration lifts the otherwise regular Kannara Thumbi sung by the ever-energetic Mano. The percussion and basslines are especially noteworthy. The song of the soundtrack comes next, one more brilliant piece along the lines of Sandhikkaadha (180) called Enthe Hrudayathaalam. Like with Sandhikkaadha one would note the background elements coming in bursts – the effect is spectacular! Madhu Balakrishnan and Jinsha K Naanu are top class at the vocals. Going by the recurrent RGMRS swara sequence, I presume this is based on Poornachandrika raga. All-round winner, this!

Poovaaname belongs to the composer’s Shesham line of songs, the western classical-ish template and a slightly unsettling sort of tune. That is not to understate the brilliance of the composition in any manner. Alka Ajith and Anand Aravindakshan (who sang Unni Menon’s part in Santhikkaatha’s Telugu version) do their part flawlessly – especially so in the vocal harmony portions. Palghat Sriram rules the melancholic heavy-on-percussion Oh Thingal Pakshi (Poorvi Kalyani-based?), the way he handles higher scales is just enviable. And in the last track Sharreth features the singer he chose from Mazhavil Manorama’s Indian Voice, Siyad. Interestingly arranged again, portions of the classic Akkarappachayile from Sthaanaarthi Saaraamma being placed smartly in a pop-based arrangement. Percussion usage is of note here too, mridangam, thavil etc. being fused brilliantly with the drums.

While reviewing 180 last year I had expressed a wish that Sharreth give a similarly brilliant soundtrack in Malayalam. Less than year later, the composer grants that wish. Fabulous soundtrack!

Music Aloud Rating – 8.25/10

Top Recos – Enthe Hrudayathaalam, Oh Thingal Pakshi, Ponnodu Poovai

With some imaginative touches like Karthik’s whistling and Jaishankar Iyer’s melodica rendition over a breezy Spanish template, composer duo Aravind-Shankar’s Edho Edho charms right from the word go. Pradeep Vijay and Kalyani Nair carry the vocals part with equal sincerity, and you have a winner on your hands. The composers pretty much tread a tried and tested path in the other song Sutiga Choodaku  though, barring a surprise “seetha kalyaana” segment in the second interlude. Hariharan and Saindhavi’s rendition does enhance the overall experience quite a bit. Aravind-Shankar then pass the baton to Anup Reubens who starts off with Oh Priya Priya, a song whose high point is the fact that Nithya Menen accompanies Adnan Sami in the singing. Otherwise it is a pretty middling track riddled with clichéd melodic elements. There is no quality as such to speak of about Lachhamma, the techno elements are actually overboard in places. Nevertheless the song works on the foot tap-inducement front, like such songs are supposed to. Given the techno elements in the original though, a club mix is a redundancy. Chinnadhana is where the composer really contributes something of value, a zingy arrangement and vocals to boot. A bit less of vocal processing would have been perfect.

Enjoyable score from Aravind-Shankar and Anup Reubens, Ishq.

Music Aloud Rating – 7/10

Top Recos: Edho Edho, Chinnadhana, Sutiga Choodaku

The bubbly arrangement of Chinna Kanniley with its lovely use of kids’ chorus et al is a delightful throwback to Raja’s Anjali days. Shreya Ghoshal rules the rendition, sidelining a strangely nasal and off-colour Naresh Iyer. The composer’s adeptness at orchestration, particularly with the guitar, comes to the forefront of Vaangum Panathukkum – the raw sound of the acoustic guitar (nylon string?) present all through the song, backed by some classic Raja sounds. Bliss. And matching him in sounding his best is SPB; what singing! The scatting towards the second half is especially brilliant!

Sweeping orchestral elements and Ilayaraja’s sincere rendition greatly help Thaavi Thaavi Pogum whose tune might otherwise have made it tedious after a bit. The brief pauses before the interludes seem to contribute much even in their silence! Finally Vilayaattaa Padagotty wins you over with its simple tune which the composer beautifies with a fabulous strings-led arrangement. There is a prayer-like earnestness in the singers’ renditions – Hariharan and Shreya in the male and female versions respectively – which even betters the whole affair.

After a long gap the maestro gives us a flavor of his vintage stuff once again. Delectable is the word!

Music Aloud Rating: 8/10

Top Recos: Vaangum Panathukkum, Chinna Kanniley, Vilayaatta Padagotty

Atif Aslam

In Pee Paa Sachin Jigar manage to present a techno Punjabi song without invoking the tedium frequently inherent with the genre of late, thanks to a quirky arrangement and a very exuberant Diljit Dosanjh on the vocals. The other folksy item number, Fann Ban Gayi, might have ended up a sub-par product if not for the interesting jazz-up job done by the composers and more importantly the singing by Sunidhi Chauhan. Her accent is especially killer here rendering the whacky lyrics, with Kailash Kher seconding quite nicely. This should make a hit video. Both the tracks have remixes done by VIP Records – the first one doesn’t work much, but the second is pretty imaginative with some sargam elements et al thrown in. Atif Aslam returns, joined by Monali Thakur and Priya Panchal for a second track, the last song – Tu Mohabbat Hai. The only song in the soundtrack that feels truly commonplace. And yes here the nasality of Atif did come back to annoy me! DJ Suketu’s Remix works as well as the original.

Not the best quality work from the composer duo, what with the borrowed elements and all, but an engaging product in the end.

Music Aloud Rating: 7/10

Top Recos: Piya O Re Piya, Jeene De, Fann Ban Gayi

With a nursery rhyme-ish lilt about the tune and a piano-led unplugged arrangement from Shantanu Moitra that matches the simplicity of the song, Roopkathara is winner all the way, impressing in both male and female versions – sung respectively by Rupankar Bagchi and Shreya Ghoshal. The scale change at the end is a particularly nice touch. Bola Baron too is built around a similar ditty, but with a rock flavor. And some excellent employment of the veena. Anindya Chattopadhyay does his job well behind the mic, with the composer playing chorus.  Brishti Biday, thanks to the sweet rendition by Shreya Ghoshal and the breezy metropolitan feel, is also quite soothing – even as the said feel evokes faint memories of songs from Life In A Metro in places.

Moitra smartly ensconces Shreya’s classical-based rendition (raag bihag-based?) in the predominantly rock-flavored Take Me Home, the rock part of the vocals being handled by Bonnie Chakraborty. Chhaya Bhitu Chhaya sounds like something Moitra might have made for his epic work Parineeta. Even here the charm is intact, Hamsika Iyer only adding to it with her spotless singing. And finally there is Shadow Tales, the composer making controlled use of Suraj Jagan’s voice to splendid effect, accompanied commendably by Monali Thakur. Lovely listen again, acoustic guitars never fail.

A fine piece of work from Shantanu Moitra, Aparajita Tumi. Even if you don’t understand Bengali, this soundtrack is a must-listen! First the Dewarists song and now this, Moitra is in sparkling form right now. Waiting for him to end his Bollywood break with more such brilliance.

Music Aloud Rating: 8.5/10

Top Recos: Roopkathara, Chhaya Bhitu Chhaya, Bola Baron, Shadow Tales

Mild flashback elements apart, Kunwara is a catchy dance-y piece that makes smart use of the shehnai wedding motif. The Kolaveri Di-inspired video featuring Salim Merchant on vocals has already been making its rounds on the web. Bipasha has a distinct “Pritam in Dhoom” flavour with Hinglish lyrics that remind of Sheila, at least the English part. And I wonder why the reference to Bipasha, the actress isn’t even called that in the movie as per wiki. Anyways, I have never been a fan of Pritam’s music in Dhoom, this didn’t work much either. The vocals are mention-worthy though, Shraddha Pandit sounds fabulous, with good support from Shadab Faridi. The remix surprisingly sounds slightly better than the original, albeit by a small margin. Jab Main Tumhare Saath Hun is a beauty though, Shilpa Rao’s mild classical-laced sequences suddenly giving way to breezy take-offs by Benny Dayal and Salim Merchant.

Darmiyaan is sweet and soulful – Salim Sulaiman take care of the former and Shafqat Amanat Ali the latter, with backing from Clinton Cerejo. But thanks to SEL and subsequently other composers’ dholak-based escapades this song too is riddled by an overwhelming heard-beforeness. And in the absence of the said template, the Reprise version fares much better, the composers letting Shreya Ghoshal take the lead, and she does that superbly. Mujhko Teri Zaroorat has only Salim credited as the male vocalist, but there seems to be a second voice, apart from Shraddha Pandit’s backing. Good song btw. The remix has Rahat Fateh Ali Khan taking on the lead vocals, but by then the tune starts getting slightly tedious.

Definitely better music than Ladies vs Ricky Bahl this, but Salim Sulaiman’s score for the Jodi Breakers still is below expectations. The reusal habits have just got to go.

Music Aloud Rating: 6.5/10

Top Recos: Jab Main Tumhare Saath Hoon, Kunwara, Darmiyaan (Reprise)

The title song provides a sparkling start to Rangeele, the highlight of course being Kailash Kher’s singing and the lyrics, the title hook especially lilting. The arrangement is primarily acoustic guitar with other elements like sax and flute and some other exotic-sounding touches in places. Tu Kya Jaane follows up nicely, a smartly done breezy arrangement mitigating to quite an extent the heard-beforeness in Kailash’s singing. The minute-long stretch towards the end where Naresh & Paresh’s chorus is juxtaposed with Kailash’s vocals to an overdrive of strings in the background is the high point of the song. The déjà vu factor seems to get stronger with each song, Albeliya a notch up on that front, even as Kailash’s voice and guitars (is there something like an oud involved?) form a truly intoxicating combo good enough to have you hooked. With an orchestration that slightly reminds one of Bhatt flicks, Yadaan Teriyaan has an effect quite like the previously said Bhatt flick songs have, the haunting kind. The hauntingness is quite reduced in the acoustic version. Daaro Na Rang piques the attention more for the contrast between the orchestration and the vocals than for the song as such, which starts to get tedious after a bit.

Kathagaan provides another fresh burst to the proceedings, Kailash getting into a super-exuberant story rendition backed by an immensely engaging arrangement (guess the lead instrument is a banjo). And the song is rounded off with some brilliant kanjira+konnakol. Babbaji is the exact opposite though, having pretty much nothing new to offer. The attempt at comedy in Hudkaan Maan Bitti falls flat. And the only thing that is fresh about Dharti Pe Jannat is the fact that there is Amitabh Bachchan doing a cameo towards the end – overwhelmingly repetitive otherwise. Ujaale Baant Lo that closes the soundtrack is relatively better, but even that isn’t without an overall Kailasa-ness about it.

An album that has some excellent music but is largely evocative of the band’s past. At least some of those songs work this time, but once more shall be cutting it too fine. Which would be rather unfortunate for a band of Kailasa’s proficiency.

Music Aloud Rating: 6.5/10

Top Recos: Kathagaan, Rangeele, Tu Kya Jaane, Albeliya

So here is what you do. Click here or go to the widget below, and click on the download button. And soon, before the download limit has reached (if they have set such a thing). Enjoy the music! The important question now is whether Dewarists have more such unreleased tracks. If yes, hoping that we will soon get to hear those too.
Silent Screams – Punditz, Shaair and Humble The Poet (Free Download!) by Midival Punditz

The title song appears as Zohra Jabeen here, with Javed Ali replacing Karthik. Another commendable replacement, the man renders it beautifully, and the orchestration is the same guitar-led awesomeness that adorned the original. In Dost Hai Hum To Rahman goes for an almost complete makeover, making it a complete hip hop track but retains the violin hook that I had so loved in the original. Naresh Iyer leads the vocals with Jaspreet Jasz and Arya doing the rap. Interesting revamp, but not quite up to the original. And the last vocal track is the only original song specifically for the Hindi edition, Kya Hai Mohabbat, sung by the composer himself. Philosophical lyrics, melancholic tune, Rahman’s singing.
Works. And finally there are 4 instrumental tracks. Broken Promises is where Shreya Ghoshal builds on the Aaromale hook and delivers an ethereal Bageshri-based humming. Then there are two songs that, though they imply a Malayaliness in the title – Moments In Kerala and Jessie’s Land, don’t have anything Malayali about them. That said both are lovely listens – Moments In Kerala for its simplicity and the soulfulness in Prabhakar’s short violin solo; and Jessie’s Land for the breezy improv over the Hosanna lead hook, which is
rendered quite well by Megha. The final piece Jessie’s Driving Me Crazy by Sanjeev Thomas and Timmy is a regular rock song, nothing particularly memorable about it.

A soundtrack that will take much getting used to for people who are crazy about Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaaya, due mainly to Javed Akhtar. With a couple of songs which might
not work even then.

Music Aloud Rating – 7.25/10

Top Recos – Broken Promises, Zohra Jabeen, Moments In Kerala, Kya Hai Mohabbat

ARR

So Rockstar didn’t have much rock in it. True. But to those who saw the movie it would by now be clear why it didn’t have as much rock as it name might have signified to many people. And even if the movie was a letdown for many, one cannot dispute the fact that most of what Rahman created in the soundtrack was spot on with regard to the different situations (with the exception of Naadaan Parindey for me, I would have preferred something more passionate and climactic, something like an Aaromale). So with a lone soundtrack which made up for a whole year’s absence both in terms of numbers and quality, ARR deserves to lead the pack this year.

Krsna

In my interview with Krsna he had told me that he used this pseudonym coz he wanted his music to do the talking. And it was quite a talking his music did in Tanu Weds Manu, one
of the best debuts in recent times. Just one soundtrack even he had for the year, but that one is enough to propel him to the top of the list. Here is hoping to hear much more of him in 2012 and ahead.

Sachin Jigar

The duo has been consistent from the time they started, just unfortunate to get the projects they did. This year they outdid their previous works with some spectacular works specifically in Shor In The City and F.A.L.T.U. Even Hum Tum Shabana had a couple of good songs. Again not the best of movies to have worked for, I just hope things get better in the coming year. These guys really deserve it.

Vishal Shekhar

Contrary to their past track record Vishal Shekhar had quite a mixed year this time. While they gave some excellent tracks in Ra One (no, not Chhammak Chhallo. I hated it the first time, I still do) and some decent songs in Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap and The Dirty Picture, they also produced one horrendous score for the abomination called Rascals. I am not shocked that the movie had such music, it didn’t deserve any better. The shock is only that V-S did that project. Hope they don’t do such mistakes in 2012.

Hitesh Sonik

After a long stint as music producer/arranger, 2011 was the year Hitesh Sonik finally got to don the composer role, making the most of that debut with a fab score in Stanley Ka Dabba. Apart from that he played guest composer roles in a couple of movies where too he created some nice music, especially in My Friend Pinto where his Tu outshone Ajay Atul’s lead score. Hope he carries his good form into the new year.

Shankar Ehsaan Loy

The trio had a better year than last time, giving some good music in Patiala House, Game, Aarakshan and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, the topper of the lot. Not entire soundtracks of course, but each had its share of decent songs. Don 2 however, was quite a disappointment, given the hype that surrounded it, and that it was Farhan Akhtar. Nevertheless, the composers have quite a few lined up for 2012, so looking forward.

Pritam

It was things as usual for the man, though not with as many soundtracks. His music in Mausam, Dil To Bachcha Hai Ji and Dum Maaro Dum sort of made up for the remaining tripe he did in the year.

The rest

Apart from Krsna and Hitesh there were also a couple of other sparkling debuts, the most prominent among them being Raghu Dixit with a super fun Mujhse Fraandship Karoge and Gulraj Singh doing an entry late into the year with Tutiya Dil but since it is releasing only next year the songs shall not feature in my top 25 list. Nevertheless, watch out for the soundtrack, it is one hell of a score! There were other one soundtrack wonders too – Vishal Bhardwaj (7 Khoon Maaf), Ram Sampath (Delhi Belly), Midival Punditz & Karsh Kale (Soundtrack), Sohail Sen (Mere Brother Ki Dulhan) et al.

The year was not without its share of disappointments. One of the major letdowns was Amit Trivedi who had had such a brilliant streak in 2010. Since No One Killed Jessica released in 2011 the songs would feature on my list, but his compositions that actually happened in 2011, Chillar Party and I AM¸ weren’t upto the high standards he has set for himself. Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu that released towards the end of the year was marginally better, but there too the Amit Trivedi factor was largely missing. The usually reliable Salim Sulaiman too weren’t in the best of form this year, with one of their better works happening in the flop movie Love Breakups Zindagi. Himesh Reshammiya’s year too was at best patchy, his obsession with singing his songs spoiling it for me in Damadamm. Bodyguard was better in fact, and Teri Meri would have been part of my top 25 if not for the plagiarism. Ajay Atul were another set of composers I had high hopes on, but their initial two works – Singham and My Friend Pinto, didn’t impress much. They did make up for all that with a stellar soundtrack in Agneepath, but that hasn’t been considered for my list due to the 2012 release. In any case, going by Agneepath I have renewed hopes in the composer brothers!

..and the roundup for 2011 is done. Keeping with the tradition begun last year, I shall be having the top 25 of 2011 list as a separate post. Which shall be up in a few minutes.