On one side, we have
Director Vijay and Vikram coming together once again, and on another you have
GV Prakash Kumar's 25th film. Things are looking rather good for 'Thandavam'.
The film has 8 tracks for the audiences ranging from a folk song, to a wanna-be
western almost-English song, and with them comes a lot of exciting music and
unanswered questions. So, just like every new album, we will do some insightful
digging and see if we have any musical gems waiting for us.
1.Oru Paadhi Kadhavu - Haricharan, Vandana Srinivasan
Oru Paadhi Kadhavu
brings out some of the familiar melodies like Akkam Pakkam and almost like
Hosanna. Haricharan and Vandana perform aptly, and are more impressive with the
hums. The string interludes and the score, which precedes the second stanza,
are promising. Beats are prominent and just soft enough to keep this one from
turning into a more pacey number.
Haricharan and Vandana
complement each other well with their renditions and the songs comes out pretty
well, no matter how you categorize it. Romance duets are numerous these days,
especially ones where the guy and the girl are delivering poetry about each
other. But some interesting metaphors from Na Muthukumar, and some more than
average lyrics make this song pleasing to ears.
2.Yaaardi Mohini - Rahul Nambiar, Megha
Ever heard of one of
those songs that packs a lot of punch but makes you wonder if you have listened
to it elsewhere? Yaaradi Mohini is 'Thandavam' leaf out of modern day techno
pop music that's raging hit abroad. It is full of catchy and impulsive beats
and keeps you attached throughout, but you can't shake the feeling that it's
been inspired from something. But, other than that, it is quite fabulous.
Rahul Nambiar's lines
lie right on the tunes and sounds marvelous, when paired up with the straight
forward but club like beats. Megha meanwhile raps, hums and does everything in
her power to keep the techno aspects of the song going. It almost sounds too
modern, but a closer look at the lyrics tells you how things are still very
much Indian at heart. Britney Spears and Justin Bieber may not turn a lot of
heads in Tamil Nadu, but this number certainly will.
3.Anicham Poovazhagi - GV Prakash Kumar, Chinnaponnu, Velmurugan
After two traditional
GV, like tracks, the album suddenly takes a turn and goes folk. Just when you
begin to wonder if you are up against another 'Venaam Machchan', the songs
become very positive. Percussions are reminiscent of 90s, and the style reminds
of Pongal songs. With the beats taking the driver's seat, the chords, flute
backing and chorus contribute to the village-side of the song without making it
boring.
GV Prakash Kumar, sounds
very casual and subtle, unlike Yaathe Yaathe or Unnai Kann Theduthe and not
sure if it works well for him. Chinnaponnu, however is super apt and has come
all out with her own style. The lyrics seem a bit outdated, and don't hide the
fact that it is a celebration song, just like it was around 10 years back. The
song might have worked in 1998 for Vijaykanth, but for Vikram? Audiences will
only decide.
4.Adhikaalai Pookal - GV Prakash Kumar
This one is probably a
small piece for introducting the heroine or when the hero decides to fall in
love. GV lends his voice for the few lines, which speak about the dream-girl in
the movie. Vocals standout on purpose and the percussions are highly subtle.
Could have developed into a full size song, but looks like the Director has
different plans.
5.A Poem for You - Instrumental by GV Prakash Kumar
This one's short piano
version of 'Adhikaalai Pookal', that almost sounds like its unplugged, but has
a few effects added in order to make it more soulful. Would probably appear several
times in the movie as a background score.
6.Uyirin Uyirae - Saidhavi, Sathya Prakash, GV Prakash Kumar
Melodious and almost
masterful from GV, this will probably end up becoming favourite song in the
album, for one simple reason, it's classy. Carnatic music, paired with some
enjoyable chorus from Sathya Prakash and GV, sounds similar Kanaa Kaangiren of
'Aanandha Thandavam'. Modern beats coupled with some traditional percussion
used throughout the song attribute to the composer's resourcefulness.
Saindhavi gets one of the best tracks in the album, no surprises
there. GV seems to take things a notch up when composing for her and it's very
clear in Uyirin Uyirae. The way she reaches the low notes and still manages to
stick with the tune is impressive. While the rest of the songs have commercial
touches to it, this one focuses a lot on the music. Sounds great, as a result.
7.Will you be there? - Alyssa and Marie
Will you be there has
some of the most refreshing vocals in the soundtrack. GV differentiates a normal
track from an Anglicized one well, for the sake of Amy Jackson. Even the Tamil
lyrics in the song sounds a lot like 'English-ey' and give listeners an unique
experience and even manages to make you smile on a few occasions. However, the
overall tune seems to be too similar to the Hindi song 'Ajab Lehar Hai'.
Exclaiming your love in
both English and Tamil is fine, and the song does promise very interesting
visuals, but the rhymes that fall with the lyrics are too flimsy, even for a
very dreamy song. After getting two very foreign singers, and trying to make
the song western, this is quite a letdown. But one has another decent track on
the cards.
8.Shiva Thaandavam - SP Balasubramaniam
Very vociferous and
outward, Shiva Thandavam resembles the dance of Lord Shiva, and also possibly
Vikram's action in the movie. The composition stands out, but it is clearly not
intended to be a chartbuster. The percussions involving the mirudangam and the
kanjeera have been rendered beautifully. Musically, you don't really have to
find faults with this one. It seems to have a greater purpose than selling
audio CDs.
Who else but SP Balasubramaniam, you can ask to sing a song like
this? The way he brings in so much expression into what is probably a vital
song, the high and low tones that appear with the lyrics and the final high
pitch lines are significant high points. It will be interesting to see what the
film holds for this particular track.
In the end, 'Thandavam' is a fairly good compilation of songs.
Uyirin Uyirae, Will you be there, Yaaradi Mohini and even Shiva Thaandavam will
make a lot of heads turn. But, the kind of intensity we saw from GV in
Aadukalam and Mayakkam Enna are missing. It won't be a surprise if any of these
numbers don't become cult classics. However, the progress this man has shown
over 25 movies is remarkable and deserves applause.
Rating - 3.5/5, for coming up with another set of prominent tracks
that are certain to get some attention.
