KajraareMusic: Himesh Reshammiya
Lyrics: Sameer
I wonder for how long Himesh Reshammiya was constipated, in preparation
for the songs of
Kajraare. If the singer-composer had managed to set a new low in singing with some of his previous albums; with this one, he has gone on a limb to make sure that no one would be able to usurp his position for many decades to come.
Take
Afreen, for example. Pleasant ethnic music to begin with, but just when you think the song may have potential, Reshammiya unleashes his vocals on to it. What could have been a great song, is spoilt forever because Reshammiya chose to sing it himself.
The case with
Tujhe dekh ke is similar. There is some interesting Rajasthani folk fusion happening, but Reshammiya sings as if he plans to use his vocal chords to destroy the world. If this is the result of his larynx surgery, he better claim millions in damages from his doctor.
Most other songs, be it
Teriyan meriyan,
Who lamha phir se or
Sanu guzra zamaaana, have beautiful melodies and fine arrangement, but are rendered unbearable because of the vocals. The title song too, could’ve been infectious, had Reshammiya not made Sunidhi Chauhan sing as nauseatingly as himself.
If, someday, Reshammiya decides to get another singer to be his voice, he may do his own music a very, very big favour. He’s clearly a good composer, but he needs a major reality check when it comes to singing.
What we like
The music
What we don’t like
The vocals
*1/2
Lamhaa
Music: Mithoon
Lyrics: Sayeed Qadri, Amitabh Varma
Composer Mithoon showed flashes of brilliance in his previous albums (Train, Aggar, Bas Ek Pal), most notably with Tose naina laage (Anwar), but this is his most consistent album so far.
Lamhaa has deliberate, lingering, haunting melodies, with eclectic talent on the vocals, and some really reflective lyrics. What also sets Lamhaa apart from recent albums is the sufi-ish, spiritual sound that Mithoon has effectively used in most of his albums.
Main kaun hoon immediately stands out. Euphoria’s Palash Sen renders the song about the loss of identity in the Kashmir conflict, in a restrained, intense way, which is quite unlike the Euphoria songs he’s popular for.
Mithoon uses minimal arrangements to symbolise the purity of Kashmir’s soul, in songs like Zameen-o-aasmaan and Salaam zindagi. The composer and both lyricists evidently familiarised themselves with the pathos of the Kashmir conflict before creating this soundtrack. They do well, that even a soft rock number like Rehmat doesn’t sound odd in the soundtrack.
Madna and Sajnaa, as romantic tracks, are similar to Mithoon’s earlier work, but manage to stand on their own too. Mika Something something Singh sounds unbelievably controlled in the latter — a rediscovery, as it were.
This soundtrack springs quite a pleasant surprise, and is well worth a buy.
What we like
Palash Sen’s vocals on Main kaun hoon
The fabulous lyrics, and intense music
What we don’t like
Some of the songs are way too long at eight minutes
***1/2