Latest Music Reviews from BollywoodHungama.com http://www.bollywoodhungama.com Hungama Feed Creator http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/templates/default/images/bollywoodhungamalogo.gif http://www.bollywoodhungama.com http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movies/musicreview/13822/index.html EXPECTATIONS Soham Shah's last film Kaal had boasted of chartbuster music. So much so, that it is selling even till date while the songs continue to play across satellite channels. Now with a bigger star cast and much bigger budget in hands, Soham returns with Luck which is easily one of the most anticipated films of the season. Its thriller promo has done the trick and one expects that the music too will follow the high adrenalin mode and get the right thump in place; something which is much needed for the movie belonging to this genre. MUSIC Salim-Sulaiman and lyricist Shabbir Ahmed had created 'dhoom' with the soundtrack of Kaal and with Luck they come back to the scene once more. As expected, the title song ' Luck Aazma ' arrives first and goes on to find a place throughout the album with two more versions to follow. Sukhvinder Singh sounds ordinary in the original version but things get seriously zany once the 'remix version' of the song arrives a little later. A number about trying one's luck and taking risks that could be the now or never moment for the protagonists, ' Luck Aazma ' with supporting vocals by Satya Hinduja is a kind of number that should find a place throughout the film's narrative as a background score. Write your own music review of Luck For the first time in the album a female voice is heard and it's a pleasant surprise indeed since the person making her debut behind the mike is none other than Shruti Haasan herself. Though it's a slow start for her version of the title track (named 'Aazma - Luck Is The Key'), one looks forward to what Shruti has to offer as she gets into the pop mode. She is well supported by Clinton Cerejo who gives her company with her English portions. Arrangements are a little different for this version as Salim-Sulaiman gives it an entirely Western touch unlike the Sukhwinder version that had an Indian feel to it. Shruti does well with her debut and it would be interesting to see if she manages to get a music video all for herself for this very number! default-300x250.tpl Things get a little sombre with 'Khudaya Ve' that does remind of 'Yaar Mangyasi' [Kaante] but doesn't quite come close to it. A sad number about a protagonist missing the ones he loved most, this Salim Merchant sung number doesn't grow on you in spite of repeated hearing and at maximum turns out to be a passable inclusion in the album. Entry of it's 'remix version' is another surprise since a slow moving number like this which didn't have much appeal to begin with itself didn't quite warrant another version. This is not all as there is third version of the song as well, what with both Salim and Sulaiman coming together behind the mike for the version that is titled 'Radio Mix'! Anvita Dutt Guptan is the guest lyricist in Luck as she contributes with 'Jee Le'. A number that comes with loads of attitude, 'Jee Le' is a Shruti Pathak number with Naresh Kamath giving her good support. A catchy track with a slight Middle-East flavour to it, it has a faint resemblance to 'Halla Re' [Neil N Nikki] that again was a Salim-Sulaiman composition. No, we are not really looking at a chartbuster track here but it has enough fodder to warrant a flashy picturisation and some glitzy choreography. Add to that a bevy of beauties and 'Jee Le' should be a good treat for eyes. And yes, this time around, presence of a 'remix version' does make sense! However, there is a surprise dampener in the form of 'Laaga Le'. Why a dampener? Because the singer at the helm of affairs is Anushka Manchanda who is known for being choosy about her assignments. However, 'Lagaa Le' is nothing more than being plain and simple pedestrian as it is straight out of 80s and doesn't have a fresh appeal to it. Expect the song to play primarily in the background as characters continue to be engaged into something far more interesting on the fore front. With Robert'Bob'Omulo as the supporting voice, 'Lagaa Re' is as forgettable as it gets. OVERALL It would be just so wrong to compare Luck with Kaal as it doesn't even come remotely close to it. The album had so much potential in it and could well have been the Dus moment for the composer duo here. However, in spite of all the technology and free space for experimentation available to them, Salim-Sulaiman don't come up with anything better than a merely average soundtrack. OUR PICK(S) 'Luck Aazma', 'Jee Le'  [Play Songs]]]> Joginder Tuteja Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:44:44 EDT http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movies/musicreview/14019/index.html EXPECTATIONS Huge. Very huge in fact are the expectations from the soundtrack of Love Aaj Kal. And why not? First and foremost it's the return of Jab We Met team of director Imtiaz Ali, composer Pritam and lyricist Irshad Kamil. Now that's a reason huge enough. Moreover, with Saif Ali Khan playing the twin role of an actor and producer, one can be rest assured that Love Aaj Kal would be a zero compromise project both from the film and music front. No wonder, Love Aaj Kal is not just the hottest film of the season but also has listeners waiting to lay their hands on yet another blockbuster musical score. Write your own music review of Love Aaj Kal MUSIC What a kick start! That's an immediate reaction the moment you are through listening to the opening number 'Aahun Aahun' for the first 100 seconds. A true blue fusion piece that has various flavours of Punjabi, Hindi as well as English coming together not just lyrically but also musically, 'Aahun Aahun' has a HIT written all over it. Whether it's the way Pritam puts together his entire composition in place (a difficult one at that), Irshad brings the young flavour on or singers Neeraj Sridhar, Master Saleem and Suzanne set the perfect mood, 'Aahun Aahun' is a winner. One can't wait to see what director Imtiaz Ali and his choreographer have done to this number that is all set to be a rage, especially in it's 'remix version'. Watch out for those guitar strings that open and close the song. default-300x250.tpl Just as you are completely overwhelmed by 'Aahun Aahun' comes the 'naagin' tune that has made Love Aaj Kal the much noticeable project that it is today. The moment you hear Pritam getting his rearrangement in place for this half-a-century old tune, you know that he is a master when it comes to getting an age old tune a new age sound. Soon after Neeraj Shridhar gets into action and from there it's time for 'Twist' which is a chart topper in the very first listening. Colleges, discothèques, autos, marriage celebrations, youth night outs - expect the song to be played all over in its complete glory. Whether it's the original or its racy 'remix version', 'Twist' is going to stay alive for many more weeks to come! After a couple of 'come-on-hit-the-dance-floors' numbers comes 'Chor Bazari' which brings in a certain feel of relaxation to the album. If one hears closely, the number belongs to the kind of setting that Vishal-Shekhar have been known for. There is a R.D. Burman influence in 'Chor Bazari', especially the 'antara' portion. Though with Neeraj Shridhar at the helm of affairs, there is a definite Pritam touch to the proceedings as well; however at heart, this number carries an innocent yet mischievous feel to it. Sunidhi Chauhan joins the fun as well in 'Chor Bazari' (also appearing in the remix version) that boasts of good lyricial quality to it. Expect a 'dilli darshan' with 'Chor Bazari' which is set in the streets of the city! It's time to reprise the mood of 'Tum Se Hi' [Jab We Met] and 'Is This Love (Kahin Na Laage) ' [Kismat Konnection] with the arrival of 'Yeh Dooriyan'. Mohit Chauhan is the common factor again in this melodious romantic number that has as much chances of being popular as the three songs preceding it, hence making it four in a row for the team of Love Aaj Kal. A song that has slight hint of sadness to it, 'Yeh Dooriyan', as the title suggests, questions the relevance of distance and separation of two hearts. With a touch of melancholy to it, the number is a must for the two hearts that could perhaps be on the verge of separation but may well be coming together again. Love Aaj Kal continues to be unstoppable as it comes up with yet another gem - 'Ajj Din Chadheya'. With Rahat Fateh Ali Khan at the helm of affairs and Irshad Kamil spinning his words well yet again, the song has melody as its forte and doesn't bear any Western influence whatsoever. Bringing on further variety in the album, 'Ajj Din Chadheya' has an old world charm to it that makes it difficult to put the album down. A number that is bound to work quite well in aiding the narrative of Love Aaj Kal while being played in the background, the song is about the protagonist asking God for getting the love of his life. It's time to enter a Punjabi household with 'Thoda Thoda Pyar' that has a 'sangeet' ceremony kick starting the proceedings. The sound of 'shaava' and 'aahas' coupled with a bunch of women setting the 'shaadi-byaah-ka-mahaul' with a 'desi' touch is what makes 'Thoda Thoda' different from the rest of it's ilk. Sunidhi Chauhan gets her first solo number in the album and she does well in getting the nuances right for 'Thoda Thoda Pyaar' that could easily have fell into the trap of being one of those dozen odd marriage celebration songs with a Punjabi setting that are unleashed every year. However, it is credit to Pritam and his arrangements that give a hint of a 70s setting to 'Thoda Thoda Pyaar', hence making it sound different from what one has heard in the past. The man for all seasons, K.K., is last to come with 'Main Kya Hoon'. Typically in most of the albums, the order of song placement is with the best coming at the top. However, such is the beauty of Love Aaj Kal that even 'Main Kya Hoon' could well have been the first song of the album. It's return to modern times with this solo track that has a happy feel to it with a definite Pritam touch. Whether it's the interlude musical pieces or the overall pace of the song, 'Main Kya Hoon' scores and ensures that the music of Love Aaj Kal doesn't have a wrong foot set throughout it's 50 odd minute duration. OVERALL It sounds too good to be true but Pritam seems to have kept all his brilliant compositions on hold between Jab We Met and Love Aaj Kal. Yes, he has had quite a few good albums in the form of Race, Jannat, Singh Is Kinng and Kismat Konnection in the interim as well but his attachment of Imtiaz and his film is visible in the compositions of Love Aaj Kal. It is not everyday that each and every song turns out to be extremely good in an album but that's indeed the case with Love Aaj Kal. This one is going to be unstoppable once it hits the stands! OUR PICK(S) 'Twist', 'Aahun Aahun', 'Main Kya Hoon, Chor Bazari', 'Ye Dooriyan, Ajj Din Chadheya', 'Thoda Thoda Pyar']]> Joginder Tuteja Fri, 26 Jun 2009 06:33:49 EDT http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movies/musicreview/14070/index.html EXPECTATIONS When the name of a film is Let's Dance, it is but natural to expect the album to be comprising of quite a few dance numbers. Well, there is that and a lot more to offer if one looks at the album cover since Let's Dance boasts of as many as 16 tracks (including a couple of remixes and extended versions). The film primarily features newcomers but one does expect a surprise or two in store from this album that has music by Vipin Mishra and lyrics by Prateek Bhardwaj, Ashish Khazanchi, Vipin Dhyani and Vipin Mishra. MUSIC First to arrive is the title song 'Let's Dance' which is written by Prateek Bharadwaj and has an early 80s disco feel to it (remember songs from films like Star etc.?) A Sunidhi Chauhan number that has Kirti Sagathia joining her towards the end (and change the dimension of the song with his rustic singing); 'Let's Dance' is a stage/rehearsal number that marks a good beginning to the album. Since it is the flagship song of the album, 'Let's Dance' appears in two more remix versions by Suzie Q and DJ Kunaal Sharma. Write your own music review of Let's Dance There is a pleasant surprise in store with Sunidhi coming up with 'Taare Todh Ke La'. An Ashish Khazanchi written number with melody at the heart of affairs, the song is escalated with Western arrangements that add to the flow rather than hampering it. A slow moving track which has composer Vipin Mishra also coming along with Sunidhi behind the mike, 'Taare Todh Ke La' reminds of the kind of tracks that were once rendered by Falguni Pathak in dozens. Sunidhi Chauhan makes it three in a row with 'Sansanati' that comes with loads of attitude to it. An out and out Western track, it would have scaled the charts by now had it been picturised for a big banner film. Written by Vipin Dhyani, 'Sansanati' goes with the mood of the album and just like the songs preceding it doesn't break the flow of songs at all. Written by Vipin Dhyani with Pervez Quadir as the supporting vocalist, 'Sansanati' is yet another situational number that should add value to the film. For the first time in the album, a male voice holds prominence in a track. Kirti Sagathia is the man in question who comes up with a love song 'Tumse Iqraar', which in spite of having a Western setting to it, has Indian melody at its heart. Written by Vipin Mishra, 'Tumse Iqraar' is the one for a coffee with your loved one on a rainy evening! Mohit Chauhan arrives on the scene with 'Jaana Hai' that is written by Vipin Dhyani. One of the longest songs (lasting over 6 minutes) in the album, 'Jaana Hai' is a number for a situation where the protagonists are looking at breaking all barriers and reaching up to the skies. A slow moving number which yet again has a situational appeal to it, it surprisingly has sad undertones to it (in its music and the way of rendition) for a number that looks at better things in life. Clearly, the choice of singer should have been different in case of 'Jaana Hai'. default-300x250.tpl Last to come is Virag Mishra written 'Koshish Koshish' that has Krishna coming up with full throated 'sufi' rendition. One of the better tracks in the album that could well be placed around the film's pre-climax, 'Koshish Koshish' should do well as a part of the film's background score as the protagonists pull themselves up for the big occasion. Lastly, there are 8 background pieces (lasting close to 15 minutes in total) which form a part of the album. 'Dance Class' is the one for the namesake situation and makes an instant impression. It should set the feet tapping as it plays during the film. 'Audition' is a fusion of Indian classical and Western base and should be interesting to watch. There is an extended version of the same track which appears later in the album. 'Aftab-Suhani Competition' makes for a better listening which is an engaging 100 seconds piece. It would be interesting though to see how 'Suhani Madness' (which appears in two parts) is brought on screen. One expected a 'maddening' outing here but surprisingly that's not really the case. The pace picks up after a minute though and does justify the title of the track. Rap-n-reggae is followed by Indian classical for 'Kids' Audition' and 'Kids Performance' which, just like all the background pieces, is only 100 seconds duration each. OVERALL Let's Dance is a kind of album that works mainly if the film works. While none of the tracks in Let's Dance is a bad hear per se, there isn't any number that has in it to become a chartbuster on it's own. Makers would have to keep their fingers crossed for the film to do well so that the music is noticed as well. OUR PICK(S) Taare Todh Ke La, Sansanati, Let's Dance]]> Joginder Tuteja Fri, 19 Jun 2009 04:25:47 EDT