The first month of 2016 has come to an end and Tunes Weekly is happy that there is so much good music around we can dedicate our senses to. It sure is a high note to start the year with. Many more promising albums are coming our way, to keep us musically busy.
This edition of Tunes Weekly is a heady mix; it has a Malayalam song (could not include tracks from two albums released in the weekend), two fun Tamil songs, one number each from Hindi and Telugu.
Here they are:
Pookkal Panineer Pookkal (Action Hero Biju)
Music director Jerry Amaldev, who made some evergreen Malayalam songs, is back after a long hiatus; rendering music to Nivin Pauly's much awaited movie Action Hero Biju. For 'Pookkal Panineer Pookkal', he brings together two legendary singers - Yesudas and Vani Jayaram. It's been a while since we heard from Yesudas too.
'Pookkal' brings back the memories of the 1980s and early 90s that saw some of the finest tracks from a league of legendary musicians, a group this composer belongs to. The song moves back and forth from being an intense duet to a pleasant romantic song in its 4 minutes 23 seconds time. The instruments don't stand out but stick with the flow of the song, making it classy.
Kaantha (Uriyadi)
Masala Coffee is on a high with songs from their Malayalam and Tamil debut films releasing back to back. The band has done a Tamil version of their hit number 'Kaantha' for Uriyadi and it sounds so good, just like the original. An intoxicating tune they know in and out, it would be a tough task for them to make it sound wrong. Sooraj Santhosh and Varun Sunil are on the vocals and the nuances they blend in are first-class. The unique instruments the band has - esraj played by Arshad Khan and kazoo by Sooraj - add to the quality of classical funkiness this song has. The fine drums are worth a mention as well. 'Kaantha' is fun all the way.
Pashmina (Fitoor)
This Amit Trivedi song makes you melt. It builds on slowly, and every sound we hear en route is captivating. The composer has picked himself to render the song and he makes it sound as light as a feather with the grand orchestra for company. The violin family has prominence here – the violins, cello, viola and double bass playing their parts to perfection. The flute is endearing. Like we said, the track gets better and better as we cruise along. You'd love to go back to this song.
Hey Mama (Sethupathi)
Nivas Prasanna won applause from critics and fans alike for the soundtrack of Thegidi, his debut film as a composer. In Sethupathi, actor Vijay Sethupathi's upcoming cop film, the musician hands over the microphone to another composer Anirudh Ravichander to sing a hero-praising number. Anirudh owns the song from the beginning, calling for 'the beat' paving the way for a power-packed track. Blaaze joins in with his trademark rap and is a delight. The loop featuring mandolin and the brass is fun to listen to. 'Hey Mama', like the title of the song suggests, is wacky and highly entertaining.
Okko Nakshatram (Seethamma Andalu Ramayya Sitralu)
Gopi Sunder again. He is only three films old in Telugu, but all of them have been chart-busters, the latest being the soundtrack of _ Seethamma Andalu Ramayya Sitralu_. 'Okko Nakshatram' is a breezy duet sung by Karthik and Divya S. Menon, a pleasant number that is tailor-made for these singers. While Karthik sounds very confident and fresh, as he always does, Divya adds sweetness to it with her soothing rendition. A melody that can easily be identified with the current brilliant form of Gopi Sunder.
Bonus track
'Hymn for the Weekend' - The song and the music video India is celebrating now. We're no experts to comment on Coldplay's musical abilities, but thought would add it here in case someone missed it. Please stop saying the West is sticking to cliches while portraying India. We, Indians, are diverse and that's our beauty. Let's celebrate India.