Neethaane En Ponvasantham music review

Neethane Enthan Ponvasantham 

Release date: 2012 (initial release)

Director: Gautham Menon

Language: Tamil

Editor: Anthony Gonsalves

Genre: Romance Film

Cast : Jiiva, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Santhaanam

Music : Ilayaraja 

There’s always a buzz surrounding a Raja album. This time even more so owing to the fact 

that he’s teaming up with Gautham Menon, who is historically known to have great taste in 

music. So its intriguing what he could extract from The Maestro. The promos have been 

very promising. Lets check out how the songs have fared.

1. Saaindhu Saaindhu:

This is a simple melody with delicate instrumentation. A guitar strumming forms the base 

of the tune. It is Instantly likeable. The song’s effectiveness could have been further been 

accentuated had it not been sung by Yuvan. He sounds quirky and unstable at places. 

Ramya NSK has done a great job. 

2. Mudhal Murai:

Daddy’s back! Great orchestration. The string and brass layers are interwoven beautifully. 

They build up some sort of tension and anguish. And when the song reaches a crescendo 

and breaks into choired “Neethane En Ponvasantham” phrase , I felt goosebumps. The first 

interlude is dominated by a violin piece which flows through a tortuous path and segues 

back into the main melody. Sunidhi breathes life into this classic composition. Impressive.

3. Vaanam Mella:

Starts off with harmonized choral vocals. Again, great live orchestration. The interludes 

could form a melody of their own. Raja plays to his strength, i.e orchestration. Typical IR 

number though. Has an old school feel to it. Good but feels slightly outdated.

4. Kaatrai Konjam:

The prelude is awesome with harmonized vocals. The lyrics me reminded me of a 

yesteryear Raja classic “Idhu oru ponmalai pozhudu’. But this is such a pure melody. Karthik

 just glides through this song with consummate ease. The chord progressions are great with

 a mix of jazz elements.

5. Pudikala Mamu:

Romba pudichirukku maamu! Wow.. This is fresh. The song starts off with a guitar solo 

with power chords. The song is so peppy. Peppy, Ilayaraja style. That is, inspite of being 

such a fun song, it does not compromise on the musicality. Special word has to be put in 

for the mixing. Top notch stuff. Starts off as some kind of Tamil rock number then takes the

 folk route. Filled with naughtiness, this one is sure to rule the hearts of teenagers and the 

youth. The tempo, mood-change midway through the song is inventive. Wild and 

Delightful, really. Suraj Jagan and Karthik have scorched this one. Hats off Maestro. My pick.

6. Ennodu Vava:

First when the promos came out, I was not impressed with 

this one. The tune had an 80-ish feel . Now after listening 

to the full song, I’m very impressed but this still is a typical 

80′s melody. Karthik’s mellow vocals sound great. Orchestration meets synth in this grand 

new-age Raja melody which still retains that old earthiness. Beautiful melody.

7. Pengal Endral:

A song with a lot of angst. The tune itself is kind of haunting and oozes tension and anger. 

The drums and guitars keep pounding with a furious energy indicating the underlying 

 mood of the song. But it doesnt work for me.

8. Sattru Munbu:

Haunting. Beautiful composition and very beautifully rendered. The symphonic interlude 

pieces are just magic. Extensively layered with string and brass, and so intricately arranged, 

that it reflects the genius of the man. As one string layer after another unfurls, we are just

 left dumstruck. Takes a genius to concieve a song like this. This is heaviest song in the 

album. An orchestral feast.

Album Verdict: A great musical from Raja after a long time. All hail the Maestro.

Download here.

King : Ilayaraja eppovume evergreen than. Seekiram padatha release pannunga...!!!

KONJAM KOFFEE KONJAM KAADHAL MUSIC REVIEW

Starring: Hridayaraaj, Aditi, Revathi Menon, Nassar
Direction: Venky
Music: Phani Kalyan
Production: Ganeswar Tripathy And VenkyVocals: Prasanna, Neha Nair, Suchit Suresan, Snigdha Chandra, Ranina Reddy, Nivas, Gayathri SG, Shakthishree Gopalan, Phani Kalyan, Abhay Jodhpurkar, Yazin Nazar, Pooja, Sathya Prakash, Sharanya Srinivasan, Swara Swami, Mann Taneja
Lyrics: Chitraa Venky, Palani Bharathi, Adithi Deborah

Kaadhalae…  
Prasanna, Neha Nair
This is a pleasant and lilting melody with mellifluous vocals by both the singers. Both the instrumental interludes are unique. While the first interlude has western opera touches the second one is classical. Neha Nair might be the new musical sensation.

 Konjam Koffee Konjam Kaadhal…  
Suchit Suresan, Snigdha Chandra, Ranina Reddy
Straightaway the energy levels are set with the rock and roll jazzy style of the song. The song has more than a slight resemblance to Sillunu Oru Kaadhal’s title song. This is an experimental genre of song that is not generally tried in Tamil cinema. The instrumentals are typical of other songs in the ‘Blues’ genre and a pat to all the energetic singers.

Uyir Thozha…  
Nivas, Gayathri SG, Shakthishree Gopalan, Phani Kalyan, Abhay Jodhpurkar
This song is reminiscent of rock songs with inspirational lyrics. The instrumentals are typically heavy with the guitar being very prominent. The vocals and instrumentals also have a slight classical touch at places giving the song a nice fusion touch. An innovative cocktail, this number is. 

Sakkarakatti…
Yazin Nazar, Pooja
The piano instrumentals at the start set the mood for the song. It turns out to be a decent melody with the vocals falling a bit short. We expected more after the beautiful opening instrumentals.

Sakkarakatti (Dance Mix)…
Phani Kalyan, Ranina Reddy
A remix of the earlier duet which has the general techno elements associated with other remixes. It is foot tapping and serves the purpose expected of a remix. 

Adi Thaahira…
Sathya Prakash, Sharanya Srinivasan, Swara Swami
This song doesn’t make much of an impact with just the chorus bits adding some mischief and fun elements to it. The lyrics of this passable number give friendship some brownie points. 

I Love You…
Mann Taneja
Such mushy songs are generally a part of candy floss Hindi rom-coms. This one is short and entirely in English. A feel-good one.

king:The songs are perfect for a movie in the romance genre. The focus has been on feel-good songs and Phani Kalyan is another promising newbie on the block. Worth a shot for the energetic title number, the innovative Uyir Thozha and the lilting Kaadhalae …

Kaliyugam music review

Kaliyugam MUSIC REVIEW

Review by : Kaushik L.M 

Starring: Vinoth Krishna, Ajay, Neethi Taylor Direction: Yuvraj AlagappanMusic: Siddharth Vipin, Taj Noor And S N ArunagiriProduction: A.V VikramVocals: Steve Vets, Malavika Manoj, Viji, Haricharan, Rahul Nambiyar, MukeshLyrics: Mohan Rajan, Manusyaputhran, Thamarai, Viji

Kaliyugam is another movie with predominantly newcomers at the helm. The music has been provided by 3 different composers and it was released recently by director Rajesh. On to the music review now.

Yeda Kuda…
Singers: Steve Vets - Malavika Manoj
Lyricist: Mohan Rajan

This number has hip hop touches and an unmistakable western influence. An average number on the whole with a few traces of one of Thaman’s previous numbers (‘ThikkiThiiki’) for the movie ‘Nagaram’. The instrumental bit towards the end lifts the song a notch higher.

Ajala Ujala…
Singer: Viji
Lyricist: Viji

This is a proper ‘sarakku gaana’ number with funny lyrics and foot tapping percussions running all along. Other essential elements of a ‘gaana’ song like the trumpet are also there. Will strike a chord with the youth for the easy charm that it has. Connoisseurs of music might have a different take on this though.

Sirapunji Salaiyilae…
Singer: Haricharan
Lyricist: Thamarai

This one is a gentle romantic number with nice guitar accompaniments. It will ensure a pleasant listening experience. Haricharan delivers as expected and the instrumentals before both the stanzas stand out. The song grows on you and ends up being more than a decent number. The way the guitar matches the verses is another standout element of this song.

Yeno Yeno…
Singer: Rahul Nambiyar
Lyricist: Manusyaputhran

Another passable song about the pain associated with love. There is a touch of melancholy associated with the instrumentals as well. On the whole, a composition with elaborate instrumentals and heartfelt vocals.

Vennaiyila...  
Singer: Mukesh
Lyricist: Mohan Rajan

A nice foot tapping number that is light hearted and enjoyable. The song never dips and maintains its level right through. There are a variety of instruments used tastefully and the lyrics talk about the hero’s lady love and how she has totally bowled him over. Might visit the charts.

Click here to download.

King: The 3 composers don’t disappoint.

Eppadi Manasukkul Vandhai music review

Eppadi Manasukkul Vandhai 
MUSIC REVIEW 
Review by : Kaushik L.M 

Starring: Tanvi Vyas, Vishwa, Irfan Direction: P.V.PrasadMusic: A J DanielProduction: G KichaVocals: Karthik, Benny Dayal, Priya Hemesh, Priya Hemesh, Harish RaghavendraLyrics: P.V.Prasad

'Kadhalil Vizhundhen' fame, director P.V. Prasad is back with a film titled 'Eppadi Manasukkul Vandhai', which has Vishwa, Irfan and Miss India 2008 Tanvi Vyas in lead roles. Music is by A J Daniel, a former associate of Harris Jeyaraj. Does this movie match up to the ‘Nakka Mukka’ sensation created by the director in his earlier film? Read on to find out.  

En Kadhal Neethane…
Singer: Karthik
Lyricist: P.V.PrasadThe song opens with striking string instrumentals and proceeds to be a soulful romance pathos number with steady beats. The instrumentals add to the mellow ‘feeling’ of the song and Karthik is consistent as always. A special mention for the ending of the song where the beats fade away beautifully. 

En Kadhal Neethane…
InstrumentalThis is the instrumental version of the previous song. The piano dominates with ample accompaniments from the violin. But when the instrumentals become a bit heavy, the serene mood that was created at first is lost and a heroic mood spills over. A nice attempt for sure. 

En Thottathu Apple…
Singers: Benny Dayal & Priya Hemesh
Lyricist: P.V.PrasadBenny Dayal is generally given cheerful songs that have Western influences and this song is no different. There are foot tapping beats and the mood of the song is typically youthful. Priya Hemesh’s humming bits go with the mood of the song and there is a very small rap portion thrown in as well.

Malaipola…
Singer: Priya Hemesh
Lyricist: P.V.PrasadThis is a very short number with minimum instrumental accompaniments and just the refreshing voice of Priya carrying the number through. 

Oru Parvaiyile…
Singer: Harish Raghavendra
Lyricist: P.V.PrasadThis ‘love failure’ number takes off from where the previous number ended. This time it’s Harish Raghavendra doing the honors. We know his high pitched style of singing and this song stays true to his style. The instrumentals comprising nadaswaram and violin add value to the song which is a bit dramatic and old fashioned. A decent effort that is high on tempo, nevertheless.

Click here to download.

King: Just passable but the composer has an ear for melodies.

Cocktail music review

Cocktail MUSIC REVIEW 
Review by : Kaushik L.M


Starring: Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone, Diana Penty Direction: Homi AdajaniaMusic: PritamProduction: Saif Ali Khan, Illuminati FilmsVocals: Kavita Seth, Neeraj Shridhar, Shalmali Kholgade, Benny Dayal, Mohan Kanan, Shilpa Rao, Miss Pooja, Neha Kakkar, Nakkash Aziz, Javed Bashir, Nikhil D'Souza, Shefali Alvaris, Masuma Anwar, Anupam Amod, Sahir Ali Bagga, Arif Lohar, Harshdeep Kaur

Saif is back to doing a light entertainer after ‘Love Aaj Kal’. For ‘Cocktail’, he joins hands with the people who complemented him in ‘Love Aaj Kal’, Imtiaz Ali, Deepika Padukone and composer Pritam. This Illuminati Films’ presentation hits the screens on July 13^th. On to the music review now.

Tumhi Ho Bandhu...  
Kavita Seth & Neeraj Shridhar

A rocking number to kick start the album.  There is a slight touch of pathos in Kavita Seth’s voice which absolutely complements Neeraj Shridhar’s ‘Tumhi Ho Bandhu’ refrain. The beats are racy and it is sure to rock the dance floors in the country. Pritam is becoming an expert at such pacy numbers. The trailer has already made this song hugely popular.

Daaru Desi...
Shalmali Kholgade & Benny Dayal

This song has a classy guitar presence and moves at a good pace. Very relaxing number with the 2 singers perfectly complementing each other. The female singer’s voice (of ‘Pareshaan’ from ‘Ishaqzaade’ fame) in particular is sexy.The musical arrangements are also trendy.

Yaariyan...  
Mohan Kanan & Shilpa Rao

This is a beautiful soft rock number with soulful vocals by Mohan Kanan. A totally poignant number that is high on feeling. Mohan shifts pitches very easily. This is one song where the vocals are a bit Hindustani while the arrangement of the song is totally western. A superb attempt at fusion with Shilpa Rao making a nice little contribution as well. The ending is terrific as well.

There is a reprise of the same song which is mellow and mushy with the piano taking over. Sunidhi Chauhan and Arijit Singh do the honors. Sunidhi’s versatility comes to the fore yet again. Arijit sounds like A.R.Rahman at parts and his range is wonderful. This one is a winner as well.

Second Hand Jawaani...
Miss Pooja, Neha Kakkar & Nakkash Aziz

This one sticks out from the rest of the songs in that it is totally desi and local. An item number with prominent use of the magudi / punji (used by snake charmers). Like other item numbers, this will make you groove and shake your head. But the tune is nothing great.

Tera Naam Japd iPhiran...  
Javed Bashir, Nikhil D'Souza & Shefali Alvaris

This is a beautiful fusion between soulful Punjabi and ‘Aqua’ style bubblegum pop. Tastefully done, upmarket and experimental.

There is a version 2 of the same song which has been made for the dance floors. This one sounds better than other remixes going around. The fusion is just too good that even a remix can’t take the sheen away from it.

Luttna (Saif UlMalook)...  
Masuma Anwar, Anupam Amod & Sahir Ali Bagga

This is yet another delightful number which is highly indigenous. One of Pritam’s best efforts. The sound effects in this song are random, heavy and psychedelic. There is a small ‘sufi’ touch as well to this song. All said, it is the vocals that do the trick. It is pretty uplifting.

There is a version 2 for this song as well. The instrumentals for this one are much sober and pleasant with a slight rock touch. The vocals are terrific yet again.

Jugni...  
Arif Lohar and Harshdeep Kaur

This song featured in Coke Studio Pakistan is basically a Punjabi folk song. Pritam has reused it. It is addictive, foot tapping and will give you a high. Such is the passionate nature of the song. Both the singers are ‘A-Rate’. What a finish to the album.

Verdict: A smashing album from Pritam. After ‘Love Aaj Kal’, the Saif - Pritam combo has come up with another album that will rock the charts for some time to come. Scores high on variety and innovation.

Click here to download.

King : Refreshing music!