A new playlist, after a week’s break (because of the Shankar Ehsaan Loy playlist!). Milliblog Weeklies – India’s only multilingual, weekly new music playlist. Week 8:
On | On
A note on each song in the playlist.
Koova (Indipop, Tamil): Singer Karthik, as composer, nails the song’s delightful electro-swing structure! Madurai Chinna Ponnu, in a Queen Latifa’ish makeover, is simply superb! The , with fantastic dance moves by Sathish is a compelling watch!
Manavyalakinchara (Indipop): Agam’s sophomore album is turning out to be quite something! This familiar Nalinakanthi-raaga song by Thyagaraja gets a scintillating new mod in Harish’s incredible vocals and some awesome backgrounds, including that vocal chorus ending!
The Greatest Show (Film OST): The title song of the film’s OST is as grand as a P.T.Barnum spectacle! The build-up is slow and steady, with thumping crescendo! To hear stars like Jackman and Efron sing so well compares so poorly with Indian films’ ‘playback’ singing style!
Yaenadi (Nimir, Tamil): This is Darbuka Siva basking in the post-Gautham Menon glow, away from his La Pongal days! The song could easily fit in the director’s film too! Breezy melody, phenomenally sung by Haricharan and a particularly lovely anupallavi-to-pallavi bridge!
Geedhaara kiliye (Nimir, Tamil): This song is the pièce de résistance of the soundtrack! Sathyaprakash is superb with the wonderfully affecting melody that has an instantly-recognizable homage to Ilayaraja’s Poomaalai (Sindhu Bhairavi), in the anupallavi! Don’t miss this song!
Mizhi (Eeda, Malayalam): My pick of the 3-song soundtrack of Eeda, composed by John P Varkey. The melody is often pensive and haunting, but is undeniably affecting! Roshni Suresh and Amal Antony handle it in a sedate way that makes it a great listen!
Mazha (Shikkari Shambu, Malayalam): Mazha‘s melody is wonderfully dreamy, worth soaking in, with the sound carried from the composer Sreejith Edavana’s earlier combo with Sachin (Yuvvh and Madura Naranga). Haricharan and Roshni Suresh pull it off brilliantly.
Ninnila (Tholi Prema, Telugu): The best from this latest soundtrack by Thaman. Armaan Malik is finding himself getting the best of Telugu and Kannada soundtracks recently. Thaman hands him a sweeping melody, with a brilliant effort from the Chennai Strings section.
Dhaari Choodu (Krishnarjuna Yudham, Telugu): Nothing much has changed in Hiphop Tamizha’s music in Telugu. The same style continues, with its focus on repetitive structures & catchy music with a generous nadaswaram-base. Penchal Das croons the song well, Anthony Daasan-style.
Iskoot zhala (Chitthi, Marathi): The energy in this song is fantastic, particularly the ‘Peremacha Mazya’ hook! Composer Onkarswaroop Bagde leads the vocals enthusiastically, while the chorus, Umesh Joshi, Vijay Dhuri, Swapnil Godbole & Varun Likhate offer excellent support.
Jeevana kali (Idam Premam Jeevanam, Kannada): Judah Sandhy’s tune is really good, nuanced and highly melodious. What transforms the song beyond that likeable tune is Shashank Seshagiri’s highly involved vocals! The use of sitar (sounded like sitar to me) is a great touch too!
Preethi Endarenu (Jayamahal, Kannada): In a tune that could fit within Judah Sandhy’s Chamak body of work, he gets Sanjith Hegde and Eesha Suchi for this pleasant song that does more with the lush tune, while the strings in the background offer a classy, sweeping sound!
Mazhamukile (Kalyanam, Malayalam): Najim Arshad reminded me of Karthik, while Prakash Alex’s tune reminded me of Maragadhamani’s Marakka mudiyavilla from K.Balachander’s Jadhi Malli! Similar raaga, perhaps. The sound eventually goes very Gopi Sundar’ish, and is quite catchy!
Pande Nee (Kalyanam, Malayalam): There’s a lot of early Rahman and of course Gopi Sundar in this song too. Given Prakash has worked as a keyboard player with Gopi, among other composers, this is expected. Lovely tune with a neat veena-layer, very well sung by Siddharth Menon.
Kalyanam (Kalyanam, Malayalam): The title song is easily a milder version of Bangalore Days’ Thudakkam maangalyam! It’s not as lively, but is no less likeable, with a catchy hook, a neatly modded nadaswaram sound and excellent singing by Suchith Suresan and Joju Sebastian.
Dhrithangapulakithan (Kalyanam, Malayalam): What Dulquer Salmaan, the singer, lacks, composer Prakash Alex makes up with a super lively tune! Dulquer is barely functional in this song, as a singer, but I do understand the value in roping him in as a star attraction!
