Modhi Vilayadu(Tamil,Hariharan-Leslie Lewis)

Shaan's atrocious pronunciation in Ottrai Varthaiyil is the sore point even as the tune is uninteresting,but the backgrounds offer some amount of excitement.Paathi Kathal is interesting-the structure of the tune along with the arrangements(Especially the Kuthu backgrounds that sneak in out of nowhere)is imaginative.Roping Deva to croon the title song is irksome-But definitely beyond all the predictable arrangements,some catchy layers and interesting rendition by Hariharan does the trick for this song.Leslie and Surmukhi's Chikki Mukki is catchy in a standard way,but Leslie Lewis' quirky vocals is strangely adictive.Latcham Varthaiyil,just like Ottrai Varthaiyil has a tune that is alien to Tamil cinema,but it meanders midway and finally doesn't seem to get anywhere.Vellaikkari is the pick of the soundtrack-The lively and the catchy tune is impressive and Leslie's added hooks are rocking!..The new sound and the imaginative working wih the tunes is evident in all the tracks and Modhi Vilayadu just hangs in there because of this!..

Boni(Telugu,Ramana Gogula)

Ramana Gogula's Boni and the other version are addictive in a strange way and the composer's vocals actually suits this track but the same voice tortures in Modhati Choope Naalona,which otherwise is an ambient melody with excellent vocals by Pranavi.Nammaleni Kalaye is a vintage melody from Ramana Gogula-Even though the track has some shades from his earlier tracks(Which is Evident in the interludes),that doesn't make this song any less charming.Arere Chejarindhe has backgrounds ripped from Yuvan's Natpukkullae but the fabulous tune and some good interludes more than make up for it-Beautifully rendered by Sriram Chandra and Sudha Jeevan.Maa Jatha Kadithe is terribly annoying while the final track,Kadantana works for the interesting arrangements and some addictive hooks.4 good melodies-Decent comeback,Ramana Gogula!

Kick(Telugu,SS Thaman)

Dil Kalaase has the same age-old tune,but with some catchy backgrounds(for example,the first trumpet interlude)while I dont Want Love starts well but gets predictable as it progresses and Karthik sounds kinda different in this track.Dhim Thana again has a hackneyed tune but has catchy backgrounds..thats about it.Its weird to see the composer roping in Chitra to croon this track.Vardhini's Manase Thadisela is a pure surprise-The pleasant tune and eerie backgrounds work hugely in favour of the song.Boss Memory Loss is completely orthogonal to the previous track-The corny lyrics and the pure mindless fun that the song evokes suits Ravi Teja immensely.The final track,Gore Gore has a mundane tune with stock rhythm which doesn't work at all.After an abysmal start in Malli Malli(Sindhanai Sei),Thaman still seems to be in the learning curve,but his OST in Kick is much more nuanced than his debut.

Thoranai(Tamil,Mani Sharma)

Naveen and Ranjith add so much flavour even to the outdated but strangely addictive intro song,Vedi Vedi Saravedi while the composer desperately tries to make Vijay Yesudas' Pattucha Pattucha interesting by his catchy western infusions but his effort goes in vain.Pelican Paravaigal has a predictable chorus but has interesting backgounds along with some effortless singing by Ranjith.Manjasela Mandakini,with its manic pace and the tuneless tune(!)is straight out of Srikanth Deva's repertoire and only manages to annoy.Ranjith's version of Vaa Chellam is much better than Udit Narayan(He is getting worse by the day!)and the tune itself is reminiscent of many earlier songs tuned by the composer.Mani Sharma's OST in Thoranai is perhaps a shade more likeable than his earlier Padikkathavan but Mani should seriously consider divorcing Tamil films and should restrict himself to Telugu.

Pokkisham(Tamil,Sabesh-Murali)

Aaj Monee starts and progresses with pit stops at regular intervals which definitely adds to the tedium but the tune and the rendition by Vijay Yesudas make it really worth a listen.Azhagu Mugam,with infectious tune and pulsating backgrounds is awesome.And the 3 other versions of the song-Siru Punnagai,Kanavu Sila Samayam and Ulagam Ninaivil Illai are really endearing and u just warm up to all the 4 versions rather than wondering why there are actually 4 versions for a song.Ohh Ohh has minimal variations and imagination in terms of the tune but is neatly arranged.Anjal Petti is almost like a Vidyasagar style melody and is sprightly with awesome vocals by Karthik.Karthik also sings wonderfully well in the equally delightful Moondru Naal Aagume and there is some lovely use of sax in this track.Madhu Balakrishnan's heartfelt rendition in Mozhi Illamalae is perhaps more visible than Ranjani's vocals in Varum Vali Yengum.But the haunting backgrounds in the former and the punchy orchestration in the latter,both add incredibly to the feel of the song.Sabesh-Murali evolve out of their usual amateur stuff to come up with one confident soundtrack in Pokkisham.

Bhagyadevatha(Malayalam,Ilaiyaraja)

Allipoove Allipoove has Ilaiyaraja at his supreme best-The interludes and backgrounds stand testimony to the fact and Vijay Yesudas and Shwetha rock this melody.Despite the weird combination,Rahul Nambiyar and Chitra's Swapnangal Kannezhuthiya has neat rhythm flowing throughout and the paragraphs are mind-blowing,reminiscent of Ilaiyaraja's peak days as a composer.Karthik's Thira Thallipoyalum is the pick of this short soundtrack!..The tune is not all that creative,definitely heard before from Raja-But the ever-attractive orchestration and Karthik's vocals along with the beautiful tune make it a pleasant nostalgia trip!..For the past 2 years,Raja's work has been abysmal and had synth dominating largely in the tracks,except for some OSTs like Naan Kadavul and Malleppuvvu.This time,Raja goes back to his trademark style to come up with something that is almost like his work in 80s!..

Ho Jaane De(Assorted Artists)

The short title song is full of life and is sung pretty well by Raghav(And i loved this song video!) while the nostalgic Woh Woh Chali is given a new dimension by the composer and is sung with verve by Neeraj Shridhar but the song just cannot match the original version.The chorus is the only thing that works in Jia Re Jia Re and the tune is uninteresting and simplistic.The usage of Violin is clearly the highlight in the interesting Jaane Kya Dhoondta Hai Dil,composed and sung pretty well by Lucky Ali and is supported ably by very good Orchestration.Kunal Ganjawala's Channa Vey,with age-old hooks and stock-rhythm is boring while Raghav Sachar's other track,Anjaane Chehre(Doesn't the sound in the beginning of the track resemble the beginning sound in Subramanyapuram theme?)has a catchy tune and is neatly arranged.Band Of Boys' Nain Katari,with the stock tune rubs in more ennui into the album while the final track,Maula by Ustad Sultan Khan is silly and laughable.Ho Jaane De is middling and is only selectively interesting.

Inteha(Jagjit Singh)

The endearing interludes along with Jagjit's vocals in Inteha Kya Ishq Kar di makes for a pleasant listen even though large part of the tune is predictable.Door Talak Veerana Hai,for the casual elegance and the lilting Khoob Nibhegi are listen-worthy while Din Dooba and Aapke Dil ne are annoyingly slow like all other Jagjit Singh's Ghazals but the former has a tinge of surprise in terms of the infusion of the Whistle-prelude for a few fleeting seconds.Rajinder Rahbar's Aaina Saamne is sung well by Jagjit but the song as such is only passable.Kuch Khona Kuch Paana offers some excitement in terms of the backgrounds but the tune is outdated.Ditto to Manzile Kya Hai-starts pretty well but meanders mid-way.Inteha,like all the other Jagjit Singh's Ghazals is jaded and boring.

Vaamanan(Tamil,Yuvan Shankar Raja)

Javed Ali's Yedho Seigiraai has nothing to rave about-Is a normal melody but the tune is neat and so are the arrangements.Getting Roop Kumar Rathod to mouth Oru Devathai is pleasantly surprising-The slow tune and the arrangements along with Rathod's vocals blend well to give us something alluring and innovative at the same time(The structure of the tune is imaginatively arranged!).Money Money is largely westernized and is annoyingly stuffed with noisy backgrounds while Vijay Yesudas' soulful rendition in the breezy Enga Povathu is lilting.Blaaze and Suvi rock the mighty impressive and innovative Lucky star which is infused with very interesting backgrounds(The chorus is amazing!).Barring that one noisy track,Yuvan's soundtrack in Vaamanan is top-notch.

Alone,Loved and Lost(Malayalam Pop,Rashee)

Vineeth Sreenivasan simply rocks in Ekanaay and the immensely catchy paragraphs and interludes are beautifully arranged by Rashee to come up with one heck of an addictive track.Rashee croons the soulful melody in Akalukayano with a lot of confidence and he sounds equally good in the interestingly arranged En Ormakal.Gayathri sounds awesome in the nuanced melody,Iniyethu Janmam which also has very good orchestration.Karthik enters into the scheme of things with Orkkunnu Njan and he croons this slow track with consummate ease.The breezy backgrounds and the simple tune in Ormakale Ormakale is complete with good vocals by Benny Dayal and Rashee while Franco's Innen Nenjile has an interesting tune along with catchy hooks to give something very addictive.Rashee undoubtedly has a triumphant soundtrack in Alone,Loved and Lost!..

Housefull(Telugu,Anoop Rubens)

Anoop and Sahithi croon the ambient melody in Emaiuntundhi with elan even as the tune is pleasant and alluring.Gicchi Gicchi is boring right from the start and the composer adds all the mundane elements to make it even more uninteresting.The title track,Housefull with retro-styled infusions is quirky but is undone by a predictable tune while Jham Jham Jham is bouncy right from the start and the chorus is absolutely cheesy.But the composer truly has a winner in Yeh Kaali-The pick of the soundtrack!..The catchy tune and the endearing paragraphs makes for a very listenable track and Anoop sings this one with so much confidence!..Anoop Rubens' soundtrack in Housefull is interesting and is much better than his previous OST,Drona!..

Recent Picks(February and March 2009)

Saanson Ka rukna (Sagar Desai,Straight):
Saanson Ka Rukna is one of the most vivacious tracks in the recent times.The really addictive chorus along with the mind-blowing tune really makes you give multiple listens to it each and every time u give it a listen.


Kaatrukkullae and Neethane(Yuvan Shankar Raja,Sarvam):
From Sarvam,these are the two songs i dig the most.Kaatrukkullae could've been a stunner if it had been sung by a proper singer but the song has one of the best backgrounds ever for a Yuvan's track.Neethane is in one word,sensational-The way Yuvan sings the track,especially in "Nee Theda theda" line in the beginning of the second paragraph drives me crazy everytime!..


Thaalam and Thanaro Thanaro(Job Kurian,Charan and Yakzan,Thaalam):
I just cannot avoid listening to these two tracks everyday(Like it is one of the daily chores!:P).This album is so well made and is so damn impressive that it is just a pity that No one even knows about this album!


Nada Nada,Sancharam,Ettam Paatu,Adu(Tony,Rex,Jack,Anand,Naresh:Avial):
Of the two malayalam albums Thaalam and Avial that i've heard recently,It is really hard to decide which is the best track.Of all the tracks,Nada Nada and Sancharam are just jaw-dropping!..


Aasma Odh Kar and Bade Se Shehar Mein(Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy,13B):
These two songs from 13B should NOT be missed!..Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy are at their best in these two songs.And I get this Happy feeling all of a sudden when i listen to Bade Se Shehar Mein everytime!:)


Agochore,Didha,Theme 1(Topu,Third Person Singular number):
Of all the songs in this bangladeshi OST,I loved the Theme 1 the most.Just cant stop listening to it-Really owe it to Karthik (I2FS and Milliblog) for letting me know about this album!..


Chaal Apni and Dhoop Ke Sikke(Justin-Uday,Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy,Sikandar):
Chaal Apni is another vivacious number that i completely enjoy listening to-Has me singing along everytime!..As for Dhoop Ke Sikke,it works due to Shreya Ghoshal's vocals and the immensely catchy tune!..


Yaara Maula(Piyush Mishra,Gulaal):
Gulaal is dark and is one mighty interesting soundtrack!..My favourite is Yaara Maula-The powerful lyrics along with thumping vocals make it work big time!..

Nazara Hai and Haafiz Khuda(Salim-Sulaiman,8X10 Tasveer):
Really love the dead-catchy orchestration in Nazara Hai and Vishal Dadlani's vocals is the highlight of the song.And Mohit Chauhan takes Haafiz Khuda to greater heights with his damn cool vocals!..