Milliblog Weeklies – India’s only multilingual, weekly new music playlist. Week 28:
On | On | On
A packed week, with 26 songs! Apple Music is missing 3 – Bhuvan Bam’s Safar, and 2 Tamil songs – from Traffic Ramaswamy and Raja Ranguski. Saavn is missing 2 – songs from Traffic Ramaswamy and Raja Ranguski. And YouTube is missing just one – Koode’s Vaanaville.
A note on the songs in the playlist.
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Orey Oru (Kolamaavu Kokila, Tamil): A sparsely orchestrated song with a highly engaging melody, and Keba’s guitar is a legitimate 3rd voice. Anirudh scores in the way he layers Jonita’s singing in a different pitch besides his own, and then reverses it. Imaginative nuance.
The entire soundtrack (Katheyondu Shuruvagide, Kannada): Fantastic Kannada composing debut by Sachin Warrier. My music review of the soundtrack: http://bit.ly/2JPgyJZ
Anhad Naad (Sona Mohapatra, Ram Sampath): Ram first explored this song by Munna Dhiman in Coke Studio Season 4, featuring Sona and Shadab Faridi. This solo version by Sona is decidedly more earthy in comparison, with a folksy percussion to add to the joie de vivre.
Bodhai Kodhai (Indipop, Tamil): The Gautham Menon, Karthik & Madhan Karky trio gets it right the 3rd time! The tune is enticing, lyrics meaningful, and a scintillating music video, featuring Atharvaa & Aishwarya Rajesh. Glad to hear Sanjith Hegde again in Tamil, after Kalakalappu 2.
Kanulalo Thadiga (Sammohanam, Telugu): The last single from Vivek Sagar’s soundtrack. Chaitra Ambadipudi is stupendously good. Full soundtrack review here: http://bit.ly/2sMIuEP
Aararo, Vaanaville (Koode, Malayalam): Anne Amie is fantastic with her vocals in Aararo’s intimate, guitar-led melody, reminiscent of Raghu Dixit’s own Kannada song from Happy New Year, Preetiya Hesare Neenu. (His other song, Paranne is a hat-tip to the same film’s Adda Bidde Madesaa, btw). Jayachandran’s Vaanaville is Karthik’s show all the way, with him lifting the gentle breezy tune significantly.
TV In The Morning (DNCE): The best song from the ‘Cake By The Ocean’ band’s surprise new 4-song EP (People to People).
Kar Har Maidaan Fateh (Sanju, Hindi): Composer Vikram Montrose’s biggest outing, after some decent, but little-heard work in films like Bhay, in Marathi. Sukhwinder’s familiar voice, as also Shreya Ghoshal’s, powers this energetic track, along with Ishaan Das’s spirited guitar work.
Safar (Bhuvan Bam, Indipop): There’s steady progress in YouTuber Bhuvan Bam’s quality of music, from Teri Meri Kahaani to Sang Hoon Tere, and now Safar that’s the most accomplished of the 3. Energetic tune and music, well sung, and a lovely video shot in Kerala, as well.
Thandora Kannaala (Kadaikutty Singam, Tamil): Kadaikutty Singam’s soundtrack is largely on predictable lines of what one expects from Imman, with one standout, in singer V.V.Prassanna’s Thandora. The jaunty rhythm and gorgeous melody is intact, in true Imman style.
Orasaadha (Indipop, Tamil): The 2nd single from Sony Music’s 7UP Madras Gig, after the first one featuring Imman. Vivek-Mervin brand of electro-pop is like their usual arsenal of film music – catchy, with a simple, likeable and persistent hook that lifts the overall package.
Nigara Than Nigara (Aan Dhevathai, Tamil): Haunting melody by Ghibran that immediately took me to Raja’s Karpoora Bommai Ondru (KeLadi KaNmaNi) and Dheere Se Aaja, from Albela. Raaga similar? Sung by Vineeth Srinivasan who I’d love to hear more in Tamil.
Dope track (Pyaar Prema Kaadhal, Tamil): A very, very typical Yuvan Shankar Raja track! His singing is, as usual, middling; his Tamil diction, even more so. But the tune is vintage Yuvan, beautifully lush and thoroughly involving. The music, with an EDM explosion, is fantastic.
Pattukutty Neethan (Raja Ranguski, Tamil): More Yuvan. Similar electronic glitz on top of his uncomfortable Tamil diction and often bad singing. If only he roped in better singers, his fantastic tunes could be infinitely better.
Aayiram Pournamigal (Traffic Ramasamy, Tamil): A somewhat too obvious and too familiar use of Reetigowlai raaga by composer Balamurali Balu. But the raaga’s inherent beauty carries it through, along with Aishwarya Ravichandran and Srinidhi’s vocals.
Arey Arey (Pedavi Datani Matokatundhi, Telugu): Zenith Reddy is definitely a unique name 🙂 The composer’s song is not bad at all – I hear strains of Joshua Sridhar style music in it. Pleasant and nice, as Sathyaprakash carries it well with his singing.
Marayatholi Kannal (Ente Mezhuthiri Athazhangal, Malayalam): This is one soundtrack that has only one singer – Vijay Yesudas! Quite a feat in these days of multiple composers and singers. Like Neela Neela Mizhikalo, this song too, by composer M.Jayachandran, is a lush melody, with a profusion of violins.
Aagi Aagi (Ee Nagaraniki Emaindi): Trademark Vivek, with a breezy, guitar-led sound, and a melody that is so easy on the ear. Anurag Kulkarni holds fort till the anupallavi when Manisha Eerabathini saunters in, amidst Vivek’s favorite soft, jazzy sound.
Calypso (Luis Fonsi, Stefflon Don): The Despacito star’s latest mixes reggaeton and Caribbean, within his usual stock of incredibly foot-tapping sound. And he has British rapper Stefflon Don for company. Excellent summer pool party material.
Talk Fast, Better Man (5 Seconds Of Summer, Youngblood): The Australian pop band is older and wiser, and their new album goes—older—back to the 80s sound! Talk Fast is a good example, with its lively 80s R&B vibe, while Better Man’s groove is snappy 80s too.
Born To Be Yours (Kygo, Imagine Dragons): Typically Kygo-style tropical house synth, combined with Imagine Dragons’ brand of lush pop.
