Love Express Review {2.0/5} & Review Rating
EXPECTATIONS
One is clueless about what to expect from the music of Love Express. Reason being that except for the fact that the film is backed by Subhash Ghai, there is absolutely nothing known about the film. Now this can be pretty challenging for an album which is arriving on stands just a few days before the film's release which is merely 10 days away. Though Jaidev Kumar has composed some good music in Punjabi films and Kumaar too has been doing good work as a lyricist, one is apprehensive about how the album would fare due to no buzz.
MUSIC
Love Express begins on a good note though with an immensely catchy 'Dance Like A Punjabi'. Don't expect a full-on 'bhangra' number here as the song has been set as a hardcore dance number but sans many Punjabi elements to it. Instead it stays on to be a contemporary 'masti' and 'dhamaal' number that has an Indian appeal to it with Western arrangements ensuring that there is not a single dull moment. Neeraj Sridhar takes charge of this song that also arrives later in a 'karaoke' version while Sumitra Iyer gets a good opportunity for herself as she sings this as well as two more tracks in the album.
Next song in the album though has far more Punjabi appeal to it with a bunch of singers - Simran/Tripat, Sumitra Iyer, Kamal Khan and Ryan Dias - coming together for 'Rocking Shocking Family'. A family celebration number with elements of 'sha ra ra ra' and stuff alike that goes with quintessential Punjabi tracks, 'Rocking Shocking.... ' (also arriving in a 'remix version') doesn't quite turn out to be 'Thoda Thoda Pyar' [Love Aaj Kal] but ensures that there would be enough exuberance on screen when supported by eye catchy visuals.
Now this is a song that Rahat Fateh Ali Khan would have been happy to grab if at all it would have come his way. A 'desi' track all the way with an Indian melody at the core of it, 'Tere Bin Jiya Na Jaye' is a love song with a hint of sadness to it. New find Gulshan does well along with Sumitra Iyer who actually surprises by doing well with her Punjabi rendition despite being a South Indian. Now this is the kind of song that one searches for in a Subhash Ghai film and though it comes a little late in the day, thankfully it does arrive after all.
The album ends with a devotional track 'Mohe Machli Tum Neer', a 'shabad' by Narinder Singh Lucky. Expectedly, it has a definite purity to it and sounds quite peaceful to ears as well. One wonders though how would it be used in the film.
OVERALL
Love Express has a decent soundtrack even though it doesn't really boast of any massive chartbusters. For a small budget film that has been made at a restricted scale, Love Express does well in not having any song that could prove to be a turn off. Instead one can comfortably sit through them at least with 'Dance Like A Punjabi' proving to be foot tapping and 'Tere Bin Jiya Na Jaye' easy on ears. However the fact that there hasn't been much promotion around the album as well as the film would reflect on the sales figures. A pat on the back for the effort of the first time youngsters though who have come together to make this film.
OUR PICK(S)
Dance Like A Punjabi, Tere Bin Jiya Na Jaye
