Arindhum Ariyaamalum Audio

Out of the next generation(as in, after Ilaiyaraja and A.R.Rahman) of music directors in the Tamil cinefield today, there are three composers whose albums I download automatically - Harris Jayaraj, Yuvan Shankar Raja and Vidyasagar. Out of the three, YSR has so far impressed me with his slow, soft, melodious compositions for low-budget, moderately offbeat films like Kaadhal Konden, 7/G Rainbow Colony, Raam, etc. His style of music doesn't seem to fit bigger, star-focused, commercial ventures like Bose, Manmadhan, etc., where his music seems forced and very average.

I'm not sure exactly which category Arindhum Ariyaamalum falls into. It looks to be a low-budget love story with new faces. But that hasn't stopped YSR. Its songs are all upbeat, fast numbers with emphasis on beats rather than melody. But the album does boast of some very listenable numbers in his slowly-emerging distinctive style. I just wish he'd chosen better singers.

1. En Kannodu...
A middle-eastern sounding song clip starts off this number sung by YSR himself (Sting's Desert Rose anyone?!). Like ARR, YSR too has a husky voice that adds a new dimension to some songs. His voice does suit the song here and bring out the singer's yearning for his lover. At the same time, his faltering at high pitches(of which the song has some) and his lack of proper pronounciation(especially the L sound) affects some portions of the song.

2. Konjam Konjam...
The singer has a nice, rich voice that flows smoothly and almost makes us overlook the pronounciation issues(Konjam sounds like Konjum). The Ye Penne... interludes, which are sung by males and have some strong beats, come as a nice contrast to the melodious tune of the rest of the song and provide some variety inside the song.

3. Sil Sil Sil Sil...
The song, which is all about rain, is currently my favorite on the album. It has a certain joy and exuberance to it and one can almost picture people dancing in the rain and sloshing water around as they sing this one. The parts sung by the kids are especially spirited . My only complaint is about the lyrics, which are strictly pedestrian. A few catchy metaphors(a la Andhi Mazhai Pozhigirathu...) would have made the number more complete.

If you are stuck indoors and feeling down because of rain, just put this song on. You'll surely feel better...

4. Thee Pidikka...
An average number that catches our attention with the use of a small section of an old M.K.Thyagaraja Bhagavathar number. The remixed section fits in surprisingly well with the rest of the song. The song is sung spiritedly by both singers, especially the female.

5. Yele Yele Yele...
A fast and catchy group song that for some unknown reason, reminds me of the Collegeukku Povom... number from Kovil. The tune has a folksy touch to it while the instrumentation is all western, providing an interesting combination.