Originally published in The Hindu.
Oru vidha aasai – Maari (Tamil – Anirudh)
The Anirudh-Dhanush combo is hot, particularly after Velayilla Pattathaari. And in Maari, they try to extend another composer’s sound – Harris Jeyaraj’s chartbuster from Dhanush’s Anegan, Danga Maari. While that extension is middling at best, where Anirudh does score is in Oru vidha aasai! He ropes in Vineeth Srinivasan, after a string of successful songs in Malayalam, to sing the song that articulates the 80s swagger wonderfully well.
Old School Girl (Haryanvi) – Tanu Weds Manu Returns (Hindi – Krsna)
More than the heavily stylised version of the same song by Anmol Malik, it’s the ‘Haryanvi’ version sung by Kalpana Gandharv that remains in your memory long after seeing a superbly in-form Kangana Ranaut as Datto. It’s the season of jazz in Bollywood, what with scores like Bombay Velvet, but this song stands out with its unique attempt to layer bizarrely accented lyrics over the quintessential jazz sound.
Mutham kodutha – Trisha Illana Nayanthara (Tamil – G.V.Prakash Kumar)
G.V.Prakash Kumar, fresh from a spate of my-mojo-is-back soundtracks like Kakka Muttai and Kaaval, gets Yuvan Shankar Raja – thus bridging the famous Ilayaraja-Rahman factions – for the soundtrack’s best, Mutham Kodutha. Prakash layers the thavil consistently well in the street-smart tune that seems tailor-made for Yuvan’s trademark off-key singing style.
Flight IC-408 – State of Bengal (Album: Visual Audio)
State of Bengal was Bangladeshi born DJ Sam Zaman. ‘Was’ because he died late last month. Sam was one of the prominent voices of the Asian Underground sound from UK and his songs from his pathbreaking 2001 album Visual Audio has found a place in many globally popular compilations. Flight IC-408 starts with the typical in-flight announcement of the Indian Airlines flight to Kolkata and moves on to a frenetic mix of beat box and sitar loops. You’d be completely on target if you recall a smattering of A R Rahman’s Mudhalvan number, Shakalaka Baby, in this song! R.I.P. Sam!
Nenjamae nenjamae – 54321 (Tamil – Joshua Sridhar)
The under-rated Joshua Sridhar, after a knockout debut in Kaadhal, hasn’t found much success in Tamil and in fact had a better run in Kannada! He tries again in Tamil in the curiously titled film 54321. Nenjamae Nenjamae is very typical of Joshua’s sound – an immersive melody that he hands over the Haricharan to embellish even as he loads the faux semi-classical interludes to add charm. Easily likeable tune!