Faya – Joe Driscoll & Sekou Kouyate
Joe is a rapper, beatboxer and guitarist. Sekou Kouyate is a Guinean multi-awarded kora player. Together, they produce wonderfully eclectic music that has kora as a ming-boggling backdrop enveloped in Joe’s delightfully imaginative package. The lead song Tanama is a great example of the duo’s sound, but the rest of the album is equally good too!
Hey aarum kaanathe – Money Ratnam (Malayalam – Prashant Pillai)
More than Paisa paisa, this song is more representative of Prashanth’s eclectic musical style!
Ase koni – Ishq Wala Love (Marathi – SJ Suryah)
Even before director SJ Suryah’s composing debut releases in Tamil – a film titled Isai – the man has composed two songs in a
Dildara – Tamanchey (Hindi – Arko Pravo Mukherjee)
I find it disappointing that an album featuring Krsna of Tanu Weds Manu fame has the best song by Arko Pravo Mukherjee. Thankfully, in a recent interview, Krsna mentions that he’s doing the sequel to Tanu Weds Manu – really hoping we get to hear that form again!
Title song, Sweeta, Baawra & Sajde – Kill Dil (Hindi – Shankar Ehsaan Loy)
A loaded soundtrack; would expect nothing less from the trio anyway! If the title song is a riot, Sajde and Baawra breeze through in style!
Ghunghat, Champakali, Megh & Sindhi – Andholan (Indipop – Mekaal Hasan Band)
The best band from the subcontinent has a new vocalist and you will – surely – need some time adjusting yourself to her. But the sound remains intact – as good as it always was!
Listen to the album on Gaana.
Maane & Raave – Iyobinte Pusthakam (Malayalam – Neha S Nair & Yakzan Gary Pereira)
One of the best Malayalam film soundtyracks in recent times… as if there was a dearth of good music from Malayalam films! But this duo is a welcome addition, given their composition – a singer (a woman at that, in a male-dominated composing industry) and a composer.
G phaad ke, Khamma ghani, Jaise mera tu & Mileya mileya – Happy Ending (Hindi – Sachin-Jigar)
Sachin Jigar going from strength to strength – this is one of the few albums that I play fully, without skipping even one track. Khamma ghaani is a particular favorite!
Mutholam azhakilu – Namaste Bali Island (Malayalam – Gopi Sundar)
Typical Gopi Sundar fusion – makes a lovely mix of the traditional Malayalee sound (made pan-Indian by Rahman in Dil Se’s Jiya Jale) into something mod and funky!
Alcoholic, Manali trance & Meherbani – The Shaukeens (Yo Yo Honey Singh & Arko Pravo Mukherjee)
Trust Honey Singh to excel while composing with alcohol or other hallucinogens as lyrics. Catchy as hell! Arko seems to be getting a nice groove for himself too, with Meherbani – predictable but easy on the ears!
Chayunnouvo, Ee mizhikalin & Payye payye – Ormayundo Ee Mukham (Malayalam – Shaan Rahman)
Shaan’s trusty music… and since Vineeth’s also around, it is extra special. Not as extra special as say, Vineeth’s directorial ventures with Shaan’s music, but still wonderfully listenable!
Ello nan dove & Heegu irabahude – Dove (Kannada – Arjun Janya)
I still can’t stand Punith Rajkumar’s voice, but there’s no doubt he suits certain types of songs and actually sings well too. Ello nan dove is one such song; typical Arjun Janya-style breezy number! Heegu irabahude is Arjun channeling his inner Harris Jayaraj – as usual – and the male version, by Chandan is better than Vani Harikrishna’s other version.
Neeli neeli – Pilla Nuvvu Leni Jeevitham (Telugu – Anoop Rubens)
While the rest of the soundtrack just drones on, this song, sung by Rupam Islam stands out with some verve!
747, Bartender, Freestyle & She Is – 747 (Lady Antebellum)
The trio’s latest album seems a lot better handled than the past few albums – they don’t fully ditch their conventional sound, but it all sounds better sorted and somewhat instantly likeable too. There’s a hint of likeable pop sound too, amidts their usual country roots and that’s a darn good thing!
Manasa, Puvvulaku rangeyyala & Hawwai thuvvai – Joru (Telugu – Bheems)
With every soundtrack, Bheems is cementing his position in Telugu film music industry… not just as a competent composer, but also as a fantastic replacement of Manisharma! It’s just a matter of time
before he gets a film starring one of the A-listers in Telugu – I’m waiting for that day. This soundtrack is simple, rhythmic and very likeable – Hawwai thuvvai, by Hemachandra is a particular favorite!
Galagante & Shuruvayithu – Goa (Kannada – Arjun Janya)
You know what the irony is? There’s a composer who has imbibed the best of Harris Jayaraj and is composing like him/better than him, in that style… than Harris himself. That is Arjun Janya, the Kannada composer (though his music in Jai Hind 2 is hardly representative of his actual musical style). Goa’s music is perfectly in sync with what I’m talking about!
