From Sydney With Love Review {2.5/5} & Review Rating
EXPECTATIONS
There is a fair deal of apprehension that one always has with films that come with an entirely new setup. A new cast, new technical crew and a banner that is being re-launched - there are quite a few factors that are attached to From Sydney With Love that make one wonder what really would be in the offering here. Add to that the fact that the film hasn't been promoted to the fullest further adds on to the apprehension. Thankfully though one can't have similar complains for the music since the makers have done reasonably well to ensure that tunes by Sohail Sen (with lyrics by Anvita Dutt Gupta and Kumaar) are played on music channels.
MUSIC
There is a touch of melody that one can evidence from the very beginning of the album with 'Feelin' Love In Sydney' as the opening number. There is a definite theme to Sohail Sen's tunes (that have been evidenced right from What's Your Raashee to Ek Tha Tiger) and this is apparent once again in 'Feelin' Love In Sydney' as well. Moreover the way Sohail sings the song (with a hint of sonic sound to it) makes it all the more melodious, hence making one hopeful about the ones that would follow. In fact the 'remix version', titled 'Ekdum Oscarr Mix', is interesting too and makes one all the more positive about the album.
This is pretty much reaffirmed with 'Ho Jaayegaa' which actually qualifies as one of the better romantic tracks that one has heard this year. Fresh sounding vocals of Mohit Chauhan and Monali Thakur lead the charge here and they more than just justify the confidence shown in them by the composer by giving their best. A beautiful song with the kind of lyrics that would make two hearts in love pine for more, 'Ho Jaayegaa' is a slow moving smooth number that has good variations which allow it to be played in a repeat mode. Thankfully it's 'Love In Paradise Mix' version isn't a hardcore remix either and actually goes well with the flow.
It is time for a dance outing with 'Khatkaa - Khatkaa' arriving next. Mika Singh is the man for the moment and he brings on his boisterous self behind the mike for this fun song which details the matters of heart when it is in love. With good beats supporting the song that has a good pace to it and is 'desi' to the core, 'Khatkaa - Khatkaa' is a fine number and could have been accentuated to greater heights had it been composed for a far established lead pair.
Romance returns with 'Pyaari Pyaari' which is again sung by Sohail Sen who gets good support from Brooklyn Shanti. Again, the song does have a Sohail Sen stamp to it. Also, melody forms the core of it as well. A decent outing which maintains the kind of feel that the album has carried so far, it has melody as its base. Still, if one had to choose, 'Ho Jaayegaa' is a much better bet and has in it to stay on for longer duration.
Meanwhile a love song is heard again in the form of 'Naino Ne', the start of which surprisingly reminds one of 'Sajde' [Khatta Meetha]. However this turns out to be just a brief inspiration as Palak takes the song forward with her sweet and balanced vocals. In fact she sounds so close to Shreya Ghoshal that one is tempted to check the credit details again! She gets very good support from Mohammad Salamat who gets into the Sonu Nigam/Javed Ali mode and together they ensure that the results are the kind that make you play the song again, even if not sing along.
The album concludes with Neeraj Shridhar's 'Item Hi-Fi'. Though the song's title may suggest an item number in play here, this is not the case as it is actually a fun number that comes with a situational appeal. Leave aside the lyrics that don't quite entice you much, the 80s feel to the composition doesn't really make you root for it much either. However as filler it does well and it would be interesting to see how it is placed in the film.
OVERALL
Overall From Sydney With Love is a far better album than the kind one had expected due to all the apprehensions. It has quite a few moments of its own, especially with songs like 'Ho Jaayegaa', 'Feelin' Love In Sydney' and 'Naino Ne' play the album repeatedly and not getting bored. However its eventual sales and popularity in ring-tones would entirely depend upon the film's run in theatres since as a standalone product its promotion has been just optimal.
OUR PICK(S)
Ho Jaayegaa, Feelin' Love In Sydney, Khatkaa - Khatkaa, Naino Ne