Songs and full credits at the end.

The man who was composer for director Rajeev Ravi’s debut film Annayalum Rasoolum, Tamil composer K gets one song in Kammatipaadam, the very likeable Kaathirunna Pakshi Njaan that Karthik nails with his singing and whistling. The man has excellent support from John P Varkey in the backdrop with his guitar play. John P Varkey gets onto the driving seat with Chingamaasathile. Confession at this point: I have not listened to any of John’s past works (he has done two other movies), but the man is ace with his arrangement! In Chingamaasathile the man produces an ambient, folk-flavoured backing to Anoop Mohandas’ fab rendition of Dileep KG’s nostalgia-inducing verse. Composer does even better with his second track Para Para – what starts off with a traditional folk tune quickly develops into a heady, haunting choral chant, before ending the way it began. The soundtrack’s surprise entry however is Puzhu Pulikal where Vinayakan, a man known thus far to Malayalis as a competent actor, reveals his hitherto hidden musical skills. The dark and intense (and again quite folk-infused) sound provided by the composer is perfect fit for the bleak father-son conversation penned by Anwar Ali that is carried off neatly by the singers Sunil Mathai and Savio Laz. John Varkey plays guitar for this song too, though it is Francis Xavier’s folk-style violin that rules the arrangement.

Kammatipaadam. A multi-composer soundtrack where every composer delivers exceptionally well! Don’t see that happen often!

Music Aloud Rating: 8.5/10

Full Credits
Para Para
Singer: Anoop Mohandas
Chorus: Sharath Aalaps, Shyam Aalaps, Sunil Mathai,Greeshma, Sonu, Anju, Shinil Joseph, AnoopG, Krishnan, Abin Peter, Gagul Joseph, Kannan, Ayyappan, Jithin, Yassin Nissar, Ranjith, Nikhil
Additional Programming​: Dawn Vincent
Lyricist: Anwar Ali
Music Director: John P. Varkey

Chingamaasathile
Singer: Anoop Mohandas
Lyricist: Dileep K.G
Programming & Guitar: ​John P. Varkey
Music Director: John P. Varkey

Kaathirunna Pakshi Njan
Singer: Karthik
Lyricist: Anwar Ali
Guitar​: John P. Varkey
Whistle: ​Karthik
Music Director: K

Puzhu Pulikal
Singer: Sunil Mathai, Savio Laz
Additional Voice: Vinayakan, G. Sethu Savithri
Additional Programming: Dawn Vincent
Guitar​: John P. Varkey
Violin​: Francis Xavier
Lyricist: Anwar Ali
Pulluvar Kudam & Udukku​ : Janardanan Puthussery
Music Director: Vinayakan

Chief Music Recording Supervisor​ : Shashikumar Nair
Music Recording & Mixing Engineer​: Dawn Vincent
Song Mastering: Kiran Lal
Music Recording Studios: ​Collective, Kochi; River Records, Chennai
Mastering Studio: NHQ, Kochi
​​Song & Music Research Team: ​Subramanian K. V., Nithin Lukose, Sonu K. P., ​Vijayakumar Prabhakaran, ​Sajitha K. R.

Songs and full credits at the end.

Composer Prashant Pillai brings together the father-son pair from Thaikkudam Bridge Peethaambaran Menon and Govind Menon together in a movie song for the first time with Anuraga Karikkin Vellam. That novelty aside, not a great vocal effort here from the duo. Govind does however make up for that with some fabulous Carnatic flavoured violin throughout the song. Rest of the arrangement is quite well-done too, especially loved that gabgubi-type sound that comes across like water sloshing about, I am guessing in reference to the title (wonder if that was created on dotara by Prakash Hariharan). It is the energy level that makes Neeyo Njaano work, Vaikom Vijayalakshmi, Niranj, Sreerag Saji and lyricist Shabareesh Varma do the honours behind the mic while composer provides them an ebullient setting to deliver to, both of which mitigate the ordinary tune.

It is the other half of the soundtrack that Prashant totally nails though. Poyi Maranju has a haunting tune that is delivered to a tee by Preeti Pillai and Arun Kamath, even as composer gradually populates the ambient backdrop with rousing violins; wish the song was longer than two minutes, and that the vocals weren’t processed (especially Arun’s humming). Manogatham Bhavan starts off with a pop-ish prelude before the Carnatic-flavoured melody kicks in (shades of the delightful arabhi raga), sung splendidly by Haricharan and Mathangi Jagadish; the latter especially pulling off both classical and Western flavoured renditions with commendable ease. B K Harinarayanan’s lyrics sound almost like that of a padham, and the breezy arrangement complements the tune wonderfully (special props to the employment of Josy’s saxophone). Odd that the naadaswaram based instrumental version (mentioned in credits) is not part of the jukebox.

For a movie that borrows its title from a classic Malayalam song, Prashant Pillai’s soundtrack for Anuraga Karikkin Vellam does not disappoint.

Music Aloud Rating: 7.5/10

Top Recos: Manogatham Bhavan, Poyi Maranju, Anuraga Karikkin Vellam

Songs and credits at the end.

There is something of a Chhota Mumbai evocation in the cheery and full-of-energy Ulakathin, delivered well by Arun Alat and composer Rahul Raj. Rahul does a fine job on the backdrop too, deftly infusing electronic elements into the percussion heavy folk arrangement (O K Gopi’s naadaswaram is a nice touch). Najim Arshad rules the sweet melody that is Medapoompattum Chutti even as Rahul adorns it with some gorgeous violins (Cochin Strings) especially in the interludes (lovely guitars from Sandeep Mohan too). Dhadakne De aims to be an inspirational piece but ends up sounding just loud, thanks mainly to the stereotypical orchestration. The composer leads the vocals on this one, Najeem Arshad chipping in with the occasional alaaps.

But for the last song, good soundtrack from Rahul Raj. He may not have produced a whopper like Hemanthamen, but 2016 has been good for the man. Also what’s with these under-15 minute Malayalam soundtracks (this one is just under 9!) of late?!

Music Aloud Rating: 6.5/10

Ulakathin
Singers: Rahul Raj & Arun Alat (Backing Vocals: Joju Sebastian)
Lyricist: Vinaayak Sasikumar
Music Director: Rahul Raj
Keyboard & Rythm Programming: Rahul Raj & Pradeep Tom
Nadaswaram: O. K. Gopi

Medapoompattum Chutti
Singers: Najim Arshad
Lyricist: Vinaayak Sasikumar
Music Director: Rahul Raj
Keyboard Programming: Rahul Raj
Acoustic & Bass Guitars: Sandeep Mohan
Strings Section: Cochin Strings

Dhadakne De
Singers: Rahul Raj (Aalaaps: Najim Arshad)
Lyricist: Vinaayak Sasikumar
Music Director: Rahul Raj
Keyboard & Rythm Programming: Rahul Raj
Acoustic, Electric & Bass Guitars, Mandolin, Ukulele: Sandeep Mohan
Nadaswaram: O. K. Gopi
Engineers:
Balamurali @ C S Digital
Jisto @ Samji Studios
Mixed & Mastered by: Balu Thankachan @ 20dbsoundstudios
Special Thanks: Sethu Thankachan & Michael Kottayam

Songs and full credits at the end (thanks to Soubin Nath for helping with the latter).

After years of playing guitar in movies and outside  Guitarist Sumesh Parameswar makes his debut as composer, scoring scores five of the seven songs of Kismath (not his debut, milliblog tells me; that was Idhu Thaanda Police). First of those five is an adaptation of 19^th century maappilappaattu exponent Moinkutty Vaidyar’s Aane Madanappoo. The original melody is retained, and the composer gives it a neat Middle-Eastern flavoured arrangement that is, staying to the composer’s primary trade, highlighted by some excellent guitars from the man himself (the bass!) and ethnic strings. Kabeer Nallalam leads the vocals in fitting fashion, with good support from Sandra Parameswaran and Ajay Sen. Sumesh employs his guitars in even better manner in the serene lullaby Vinnu Churanna that is Neesa M P’s solo act, one that she delivers well. Biju’s veena phrases add to the beauty of the piece in its second half. Another solo track is the short, humming-based piece called Loneliness. Melancholic as the title suggests, featuring some fab violins from Cochin Strings and Shreya Raghav behind the mic. Shreya’s singing isn’t as effective in her other track however, Nilamanal Tharikalil. Harishankar K S does a good job at the other end, though the song is largely defined by Sumesh’s melody and Rafeeq Ahammed’s lines.

Sumesh Parameswar’s final offering is the Kismath Theme, a short Middle-Eastern flavoured track that sort of draws from Aane Madanappoo’s arrangement, with the occasional reference to Nilamanal. Decent thematic piece. Chilathu Naam introduces another debutant composer, Shamej Sreedhar. A pleasant track, albeit with a familiar filmy qawwali disposition, and features some amazing singing particularly from Madhushree Narayan (supported by Anoop G Krishnan, Gakul Joseph, Nihil Mathew and Shamej himself). The man who delivers the Mukkathe Penne of this year though, is composer no. 3 – Sushin Shyam! Keyboardist/vocalist of metal band The Down Troddence is a familiar name in movies by now, having sung a bunch of songs, composed background scores, programmed songs, even acted (remember the “screw” scene from Thattathin Marayathu?), but this is the man’s debut as song composer. What a debut Kisa Paathiyil is! A gorgeously soulful tune (faint shades of charukeshi raga) that Sachin Balu delivers with such tenderness it makes your heart ache. Coming after his powerful lyrics in songs like Puzhu Pulikal from Kammattipaadam, Anwar Ali produces some fab lines here too (loved the use of kisa, which is essentially the urdu word kissa/qissa). Sushin’s ambient arrangement complements the song beautifully – from the rain sounds to Vishnu Vijay’s flute to the brief qawwali interlude led by Suchith Suresan and Sushin – leaving you wishing that the song had been longer as the instruments fade away.

Kismath. All three composers deliver well including the two debutants, but Sushin Shyam shines above the rest.

Music Aloud Rating: 8.5/10

Top Recos: Kisa Paathiyil, Vinnu Churanna, Aane Madanappoo

Full Credits

Aane Madanapoo

Music Tune – Traditional
Music Arranged– Sumesh Parameshwar
Lyrics – Mahakavi Moinkutty Vaidyar
Singer – Kabeer Nallalam
Female voice – Sandra Parameswaran
Male chorus – Ajay Sen , Joju Sebastian
Tabla & Dolak- Anand
Guitars & Bass – Sumesh Parameswar
Recording & Pre mix Engineer – Binil Eldhose (NHQ)
Mixing Engineer – Vijay V.V (NHQ)
Mastering Engineer – Kiran Lal  (NHQ)
Recorded , Mixed & Mastered at  NHQ STUDIOS

Nilamanaltharikalil

Music – Sumesh Parameshwar
Lyrics – Rafeek Ahammed
Male solo – Harishankar K.S
Female solo – Shreya Raghav
Flute – Josy Alleppey
Tabla & Dolak – Anand
Strings – Francis Xavier , Francis Sebastian , Herald, Jossukutty ( Cochin strings)
Guitars & Bass – Sumesh Parameswar
Recording & Pre mix Engineer – Binil Eldhose ( NHQ)
Mixing Engineer – Vijay V.V ( NHQ)
Mastering Engineer – Kiran Lal  ( NHQ)
Recorded , Mixed & Mastered at  NHQ Studios

Vinnu Churanna

Music – Sumesh Parameshwar
Lyrics – Anwar Ali
Female Solo – Neesa M.P
Veena – Biju
Guitars & Bass – Sumesh Parameswar
Recording & Pre mix Engineer – Binil Eldhose ( NHQ)
Mixing Engineer – Vijay V.V ( NHQ)
Mastering Engineer – Kiran Lal  ( NHQ)
Recorded , Mixed & Mastered at  NHQ STUDIOS

Loneliness

Music – Sumesh Parameshwar
Singer – Shreya Raghav
Strings – Francis Xavier, Francis Sebastian, Herald,Jussutty (Cochin strings)
Programmed – Sumesh Parameshwar
Recording & Pre mix Engineer – Binil Eldhose ( NHQ)
Mixing Engineer – Vijay V.V ( NHQ)
Mastering Engineer – Kiran Lal  ( NHQ)
Recorded , Mixed & Mastered at  NHQ STUDIOS

Title Theme Music– Kismath

Music – Sumesh Parameswar
Singer – Shreya Raghav
Chorus – Ajay Sen, Joju Sebastian
Guitar, Bass & Programmed – Sumesh Parameshwar
Recording & Pre mix Engineer – Binil Eldhose ( NHQ)
Mixing Engineer – Vijay V.V ( NHQ)
Mastering Engineer – Kiran Lal  ( NHQ)
Recorded , Mixed & Mastered at  NHQ STUDIOS

Chilathunaam

Music – Shamej Sreedhar
Lyrics – Anwar Ali
Singer – Madhushree
Additional Voice: Anoop G Krishnan And Shamej Sreedhar
Chorus-Gakul Joseph And Nihil Mathew
Keyboard-Nihil Mathew
Guitar And Bass Guitar-Sumesh Parameswar
Tabla-Anand
Recordist-Manu Vargheese
Premixing And Mastering Engineer-Dawn Vincent
Recorded, Mixed And Mastered At Collective Phase One

Kisa paathiyil

Music – Sushin Shyam
Lyrics – Anwar Ali
Singer – Sachin Balu
Backing vocals – Suchith Suresan / Sushin Shyam
Tabla/Dholak  – Ramakrishnan
Flute – Vishnu Vijay
Song mixing – Abin Paul
Song Mastering – Shadab Rayeen

Songs and full credits at the end.

That short sarangi bit in the first interlude aside, Parayuvanariyathe is pretty much a throwback to the 90s melancholia in Malayalam film music. Seems intentional too, given that Yesudas is the one singing the song. Either way, not a particularly imaginative track, though it serves its purpose. Thira Thira on the other hand starts off well – composer Mithun Eshwar sets up a fine prelude with guitars and darbuka and flute and a rousing chorus (Sreejith, Shyam, Sangeeth). It is where the composer’s own lead vocals kick in that the song stumbles, the processed (almost tinny) voice robs the song of half its entertainment value. The song does redeem itself a bit in the guitar-heavy interludes.

Mithun Eshwar is a promising musician, but his work in Koppayile Kodumkaattu comes across as half-baked. Which is a problem I have had with most of his works on Music Mojo as well. Then again, with just two songs, there is not much of a “soundtrack” here.

Music Aloud Rating: 5.5/10

Full Credits

Song: Parayuvanariyathe
Singer: K.J.Yesudas
Lyrics: Roy Puramadom
Music Director: Mithun Eshwar

Song: Thira Thira
Singer: Mithun Eshwar
Lyrics: Roy Puramadam
Music: Mithun Eshwar

Acoustic & Electric Guitars: Sudheesh Subramaniam (SuSu),
Sandeep.
Bass Guitar: Jerin
Acoustic Drums, Percussions, Darbuka: Bharath & Sharath
Flute: Abhijith
Chorus: Sreejith, Shyaam, Sangeeth
Sound Engineers: Balu Thankachan, Revanth Nanoth, Sreejith Edavana
Studios: AM Studios Chennai, 20dB Sound Studios, SA Studio, Plug ins
Mixed & Mastered: Balu Thankachan, Sreejith Edavana, Revanth Nanoth

Songs and full credits at the end.

Jagada Jagada begins with a short mimicry snippet of erstwhile villain actor K P Ummer and ends with that of another actor Jose Prakash; what happens in between is about 2.5 minutes of absolute randomness! Composer Rahul Raj sets assistant director Joseph Vijeesh’s lyrics – which don’t make much sense except for driving home the fight implication in the movie’s title acronym IDI ­– to a catchy folk-based arrangement and the result is some mindless fun! Curious bit in the credits section is lyricist Manu Manjith being credited alongside Rahul for “Additional hooks and mess”. That said, this trend of meaningless lyrics being set to a catchy tune is looking to soon turn into an annoying one. Despite similar intentions as song 1, IDI Theme Song isn’t as fun though, the techno-Arabic combination (with Joslee Lonely Doggy’s rap) sounds dated.

Suchith Sureshan sounds fab singing the melodic Ee Khalbitha, especially with the alaap towards the end. Rahul Raj has seldom disappointed with such tracks and doesn’t falter here either, providing a breezy guitar-led backdrop; loved the way the flute has been employed. Soundtrack’s best song is yet another wacky track titled Seythaante Cheytha. The protagonist’s troubled situation is presented by lyricist Manu Manjith in quirky verse that the composer sets to a brilliant retro-flavoured tune that is ensconced in an ambient electronic-infused arrangement. Vaikom Vijayalakshmi’s singing is a natural fit for the retro setting, and Pradeep Palluruthy matches her style exceptionally well.

In what has probably been Rahul Raj’s busiest year yet in Malayalam, the man presents his best work in Inspector Dawood Ibrahim aka IDI.

Music Aloud Rating: 7.5/10

Top Recos: Seythaante Cheytha, Ee Khalbitha, Jagada Jagada

Full Credits

1 – Jhagada Jhagada

Music Composed,Arranged & Produced by – Rahul Raj
Lyrics – Joseph Vijeesh
Addnl Hooks & Mess – Rahul Raj,Sajid Yahiya & Manu Manjith
Vocals – Rahul Raj & Sajid Yahiya
Keyboard & Rythm Programming – Rahul Raj

Engineers
————-
Joju Sebastian @ IndiaSoundZ
Balamurali @ C S Digital

2 – Dawood Dawood (IDI Theme Song)

Music Composed,Arranged & Produced by – Rahul Raj
Lyrics – Manu Manjith
Rap Lyrics – Joslee Lonely Doggy
Vocals – Rahul Raj Feat.Joslee Lonely Doggy (Rap)
Keyboard & Rythm Programming – Rahul Raj

Engineers
————-
Rahul Raj @ IndiaSoundZ
Balamurali @ C S Digital

3 – Ee Khalbitha…

Music Composed,Arranged & Produced by – Rahul Raj
Lyrics – Manu Manjith
Vocals – Suchith Sureshan
Keyboard sequencing – Rahul Raj
Rythm Programming – Pradeep Tom
Guitars & Bass – Sandeep Mohan
Flute – Josy Alleppey

Engineers
———–
Joju Sebastian @ Soundfactory
Balamurali @ C S Digital

4 – Seythaante Cheytha…

Music Composed,Arranged & Produced by – Rahul Raj
Lyrics – Manu Manjith
Vocals – Pradeep Palluruthy & Vaikom Vijayalakshmi
Keyboards & Rythm Programming – Rahul Raj
Saxophone – Josy Alappey

Engineers
———–
Rahul Raj @ IndiaSoundZ
Balamurali @ C S Digital
Harishankar @ Mystudio

Mixed by – Joju Sebastian @ IndiaSoundZ
Mastered by – Abin Paul @ Mixwithabin Studios
Special Thanks – Michael Kottayam

Songs and full credits at the end (thanks to Vino Varghese for song links).

A sprightly combination of guitars (Preeth P S, Wilson Isaac) and folksy percussion (Ganapathi, Venkat, Kiran) forms the backbone of the incredibly catchy Thira Thira, even as Madhuvanthi Narayanan (daughter of composer Ramesh Narayan, his other daughter Madhushree is also a playback singer, who won the state award last year) aces the vocal department, with support from Suchith Sureshan and Vijayan Ambalappuzha. The song gets even better during the interlude with S Balesh and Kishore Kumar’s fine solos on the shehnai and sitar respectively. Tamil singer Anthony Daasan is a perfect fit in his debut Malayalam song Gabriyelinte; a well-realised street style Christmas song that once again features excellent arrangement from composer Vishnu Vijay, combining brass elements with folk percussion. The song might take you back to the Christmas time fares and pappaani processions if you have grown up in Kerala!

Yesteryear singer Lathika becomes the next to join the ranks of Vani Jayaram, Minmini etc. ending her long hiatus with Athiraliyum, a song that carries a sound evocative of the singer’s heydays. Giving her company is Vijay Yesudas, a fitting choice as in all probability in the original time period the male counterpart might have been his father. Nice gesture, bringing the singer back, but the age clearly shows in her voice and that is the main factor going against this likeable melodic piece. Thaniye starts off almost like a prayer, gradually building up intensity to that central hook in a sprawling soundscape that features some lovely guitars (thought I sensed mandolin too, though no mention in credits) and sitar. But the song belongs to singer Sooraj Santhosh who does a spectacular job, negotiating the low and soaring notes with equal finesse.

After some exceptional work on the flute earlier this year (for the uninitiated, he recently played flute in Vaanam Paarthen from Kabali and Kisa Paathiyil from Kismath), flautist Vishnu Vijay makes a fabulous debut as composer with Guppy, which I hear is a fine movie as well.

Music Aloud Rating: 8/10

Top Recos: Thira Thira, Gabriyelinte, Thaniye

Full Credits

Song: Thira Thira

Singers: Madhuvanthi Narayan, Suchith Sureshan, Vijayan Ambalapuzha

Lyrics: Vinaayak Sasikumar

Music: Vishnu Vijay

Percussion: Ganapathi, Venkat, Kiran

Electric and acoustic guitar: Preeth P S, William issac

Shehnai: S Balesh

Sitar: Kishore Kumar

Programmed by Vishnu Vijay

Additional programming by Ishaan Dev

Mixed by Abin Paul

Mastered by Shatab Rayeen

Song: Thaniye

Singers: Sooraj Santhosh, Madhuvanthi Narayan

Lyrics: Vinaayak Sasikumar

Music: Vishnu Vijay

Guitar: Preeth P S

Sitar: Kishore Kumar

Arranged by Vishnu Vijay

Programmed by Sushin Shyam

Mixed by Abin Paul

Mastered by Shatab Rayeen

Song: Gabriyelinte

Singer: Anthony Daasan

Lyrics: Vinaayak Sasikumar

Music: Vishnu Vijay

Brass section: Jaison, Johnson, Jaimon

Trumpet: Ben Sam Jones

Saxophone: Varun Kumar

Percussion: Ganapathi, Venkat, Kiran

Additional percussion: Prashanth

Programmed and arranged by Vishnu Vijay

Mixed by Abin Paul

Mastered by Shatab Rayeen

Song: Athiraliyum

Singers: Vijay Yesudas, Lathika

Lyrics: Rafeeq Ahammed

Music: Vishnu Vijay

Acoustic guitar: Preeth P S

Saxophone: Varun Kumar

Percussion: Ganapathi

Flute: Vishnu Vijay

Sitar: Kishore Kumar

Programmed by Sushin Shyam

Arranged by Vishnu Vijay

Mixed by Abin Paul

Mastered by Shatab Rayeen

Songs and full credits at the end.

Guest composer Sooraj S Kurup’s Vaanam Mele comes with something of a Pularkaalam Pole hangover about it. Not as effective a song in comparison, but it is engaging; largely owing to Shankar Mahadevan behind the mic, supported by a well-employed chorus. Rest of the soundtrack is done by Shaan Rahman. And the man himself handles vocals for two of his tracks. His seemingly processed singing is the weak point of Doore Dooram, a song that otherwise features an engaging arrangement highlighted by Sumesh Parameshwaran’s guitars. In the other song the composer joined by Job Kurien and the singing is good here. Unfortunately the song as such doesn’t match the singing standards.

As the man has done multiple times in the past, it is in the melodic tracks that Shaan truly shines. Neelakkannulla Maanea has already been well-received, and quite deservedly so. The retro-flavoured melody is tastefully orchestrated by the composer and delivered well by Vijay Yesudas and Shweta Mohan. And the soundtrack’s best, Ethu Meghamaari comes in two fabulously sung versions. Hesham Abdul Wahab is at his soulful best rendering the pensive piece in its main version that features some nice flute from Josy Alappuzha, but the minimally arranged reprise version is the winner here. The unplugged setting allows for the lovely melody to come into full focus, and the singer Anne Amie absolutely rocks her debut! A fine debut this.

Kochavva Paulo Ayyappa Coelho. Soundtrack of the famed Udaya Studios’ return movie works largely for Shaan Rahman’s mastery over melodic compositions.

Music Aloud Rating: 3/5

Top Recos: Ethu Meghamaari (Reprise), Neelakkannulla Maane, Vaanam Mele

Full Credits

1: Neelakkannulla Maanea
Vocals – Vijay Yesudas | Swetha Mohan
Lyrics – Vayalar Sharath Chandra Varma

2: Mele Mukilodum
Vocals – Job Kurien | Shaan Rahman
Lyrics – Manu Manjith

3: Ethu Meghamaari
Vocals – Hesham Abdul Wahab
Lyrics – Vishal Johnson

4: Dooradooram
Vocals – Shaan Rahman
Lyrics – Harinarayanan B K

6. Ethu Meghamaari (Reprise)
Vocals – Anne Amie

Guitars : Sumesh Parameshwar ,Flute : Josy Alappuzha, Nadaswaram : O.K.Gopi ,Tabla : Anand
Grand Piano, Rythm and Electronic Programming by Shaan Rahman, All songs composed by Shaan Rahman..
All songs mixed and mastered at VGP STUDIOS CHENNAI by Biju James.

5. Vaanam Mele
Vocals – Shankar Mahadevan
Lyrics – Sooraj S Kurup
Harmony – Krishnapriya,Anurag & Anjana

Guitars – Sumesh Parameshwar,Flute – Rajesh Cherthala,
Composed,Programmed and Arranged by Sooraj S Kurup
Mixed and Mastered by KiranLal @NHQ Studios Cochin
Recording engineers -Rahul @ Purple Haze Studios , Mumbai
Binil Eldhose @ NHQ Studios ,Cochin

Songs at the end.

Kambhoji’s soundtrack features the final songs that veteran poet-lyricist O N V Kurup wrote before his passing. And composer M Jayachandran doesn’t waste those words, crafting three neat songs out of them. Shruthi Cherumo is composed in the raga the movie is named after (the soundtrack understandably has multiple songs based in kambhoji raga) and has Yesudas on vocals. The arrangement that takes one back to the 90s features some lovely veena and flute. Nadavaathil doesn’t have a particularly charming melody, but the arrangement and Chithra’s singing make the song work. Chenthar Nermukhi is best of the three songs, and indeed best of the soundtrack! A delightfully constructed ragamalika (surutti, kamas, saveri, shanmukhapriya, begada the ragas) that Chithra does a top notch rendition of along with an equally competent Sreevalsan J Menon (who incidentally composed a similarly themed dance musical Swapaanam two years back), while the backdrop is replete with kathakali sangeetham elements that add to the song’s charm. Movie’s director Vinod Mankara pens the song Anguli Sparsham, a song the composer largely bases on the raga ahiri, one that is rarely used in movies (the last one was again by MJ for the movie Rathi Nirvedham, the most famous song would be pazham thamizh/oru murai from Manichithrathaazhu). Composer gets Carnatic doyenne Bombay Jayashree for this one, and her singing is a perfect fit for the song’s mellow tone. Some excellent violins in the arrangement; the first interlude being a high point.

Rest of the songs are all set around traditional lyrics. M Jayachandran lets Bombay Jayashree deliver Gopalakrishna Bharathi’s behag-based Irakkam Varaamal with just a tanpura for backing, and it is a delight to hear the lady here. Similar treatment is given to the female version of Irayimman Thampi’s Harinakshi. Here it is young Carnatic singer N J Nandini who does a freeform rendition, and quite commendably so. The song works better in the male version however as it is orchestrated as a kathakali padham that the song is. Sopaana sangeetham exponent Kottakkal Madhu is the lead singer here and he has little difficulty delivering this with finesse. The tune remains largely same in both versions, based in the raga kambhoji. Nandini does a similar solo act with Unnayi Warrier’s Olivil Undo as well, the composer retaining the song’s original tune (bhairavi-based, as per the internet, but there seems to be some kharaharapriya as well). The final song which also comes from Unnayi Warrier’s Nalacharitham is sung by Kalanilayam Sinu and this is the only song that doesn’t really work. With no orchestration here either, the song depends entirely on the singing which isn’t effective.

Kaliyachan last year. Swapaanam the year before that (And Nadan and Ivan Megharoopan in the years before, though not strictly based on the similar themes). Good to see at least one movie focusing on Kerala’s traditional arts/music come out every year. After Sreevalsan J Menon and Bijibal, M Jayachandran delivers an excellent soundtrack in Kambhoji. So good to see the composer go all out with classical, not many remain in Malayalam who are capable of pulling that off.

Music Aloud Rating: 4/5

Top Recos: Chenthar Nermukhi, Anguli Sparsham, Shruthi Cherumo, Irakkam Varaamal

Thanks to @kitha_n for helping with figuring out the ragas and @soundtrackindia for introducing me to the soundtrack.

Songs and full credits at the end (song link via @rkartha).

Riding on a breezy melody and a fittingly ebullient arrangement, Dooreyo makes for a fine roadtrip song. Movie producer Vineeth Sreenivasan’s lyrics are delivered by Vishak Nair, Suchith Suresan, Ashwin Gopakumar and Sachin Warrier, not all of whom do a top job but manage to collectively make the vocals work. Vineeth gets behind the mic to relate the story of engineering students in Oru Naattil. Not a very well-written story (Manu Manjith, the lyricist here) but the happy vibes in the song (contributed largely by Sumesh Parameswar’s ukulele and the brass section by Laljimon-Bijumon-Abhilash Mohan) once again make it an engaging listen.

After North 24 Kaatham, indie musician Raghu Dixit makes his second appearance in a Malayalam movie with Aanandam, albeit with a Hindi song written by composer Sachin Warrier. A soothing melody that is given a slightly ghazal-like treatment; the song might have worked even better with a mellower voice I felt. Sachin’s sister Sneha Warrier joins When Chai Met Toast frontman Ashwin Gopakumar on the delightful melodic piece Payye Veesum Kaattil and both of them do their job commendably. Sumesh’s guitars form the backbone of the composition, Rajesh Cherthala’s flute (tin whistle perhaps) and Paulson’s sitar making their cameo appearances in the interludes – the former in especially fine form. The composer chooses to deliver the soundtrack’s finest himself and does so in his impeccable style. Sachin also plays the ukulele in the backdrop (sounds almost like a mandolin here!) that lends the song a dreamy quality. In fact everything in the arrangement fits just right – the strings section, double bass, harmonica – Nilaavil Ellaame is a total winner!

After making his mark as a playback singer, Sachin Warrier makes a competent debut in Aanandam with a bunch of jolly, youthful songs. And like the man who gave him his first break (Shaan Rahman), he too seems to have a flair for melody-oriented pieces!

Music Aloud Rating: 3.5/5

Top Recos: Nilaavil Ellaame, Payye Veesum Kaattil, Dooreyo

Full Credits

Aanandam Official Audio Jukebox | New Malayalm Film Songs | Sachin Warrier | Vineeth Sreenivasan – YouTube

Songs and full credits at the end.

Guest composer Vinu Thomas delivers the first track of Kavi Uddeshichathu, Innaleyum. The man has always done well with melodic pieces, and delivers here too. There is a mild familiarity in the tune and arrangement, but it works, aided by Arun Alat’s vocal efforts. Rest of the soundtrack is composed by Jakes Bejoy, and he too includes a melodic composition in his set. Kuyilin Paattu has a nice folk-tinged tune that goes splendidly with Jyotish T Kasi’s nostalgia-inducing lines, and the composer makes excellent use of Kamalakar’s flute and Derick’s folk percussion in the backdrop. The only weak link is P Jayachandran’s singing which seems to be a bit off-scale. He is supported well by the kids’ chorus (Baby Neha Chavara, Master Ryan Farooq) though.

The inspirational feel that the composer attempts to bring about in Nerunde Nerunde gains much from the chendamelam-led percussion. The arrangement is pretty well done overall – the other standout elements being violins (Chennai Strings) and mandolin (Seenu). Jakes does a fine job behind the mic as well, alongside Suchith Sureshan. The movie’s ode to money – Paisa Paisa – is a groovy melange of guitars (excellent bass line from Naveen Napier!), brass (Babu on horns) and folk percussion (Shruthi, Derick). Jakes does the singing here as well, along with Jaya Moorthy and T S Ayyappan.

Kavi Uddeshichathu. Engaging soundtrack from Jakes Bejoy and Vinu Thomas.

Music Aloud Rating: 3/5

Top Recos: Innaleyum, Paisa Paisa, Nerunde Nerunde

Full Credits

1. Innaleyum
Singer: Arun Alat
Lyricist: Rafeeq Ahammed
Music Director: Vinu Thomas
Flute: Alichan
Keys: William Francis

2. Nerunde Nerunde
Singer: Suchith Suresan, Jakes Bejoy
Backing Vocals: Sannidhanandhan
Lyricist: Jyothish T Kasi
Music Director: Jakes Bejoy
Electric Guitar: Josh Mark Raj
Mandolin: Cheenu
Strings: Chennai Strings
Percussions: Prithviraj, Derick
Keys and Synth: Jakes Bejoy

3. Kuyilin Paatinu
Singer: P. Jayachandran
Chorus: Baby Neha Chavara, Master Ryan Farooq
Lyricist: Jyothish T Kasi
Music Director: Jakes Bejoy
Flute: Kamlakar
Percussion: Derick
Keys: William

4. Paisa Paisa
Singer: Jakes Bejoy, Jaya Moorthy, TS Ayyappan
Lyricist: Jyothish T Kasi
Music Director: Jakes Bejoy
Electric Guitars: Josh Mark Raj
Bass: Napier Naveen Kumar
Horn: Babu
Percussion: Shruthi, Derick
Keys and Synth: Jakes Bejoy, Fazil

Track 1:
Recorded at My Studio by Sai Prakash
Mixed and Mastered by Stanley Alex (SMC Sound Studios, Thiruvalla)

Tracks 2,3 & 4:
Chennai Musicians Co-Ordinator: Aju Bhai
Studios –
Octaves Studios, Chennai | Engineers: Glady, Sujith
Raaga Studios, Cochin | Engineers: Vijeesh, Saraseej
Mindscore Music, Chennai
Mixed and Mastered by Sujith Hydher (Octaves)

Songs at the end.

The soundtrack of Ore Mukham goes steadily backwards in time as it progresses. The contemporary one, the title song, is sung by Yazin Nizar. Energetic singing aside, strictly a passable track where nothing really sticks. Aarum Ariyathoru takes you to the 90s, and composer Bijibal does a better job here with the arrangement, making particularly good use of the flute and guitars. On vocals is a man who seems to be gradually getting more and more active in the mainstream scene, Madhu Balakrishnan. And good to hear the man deliver well here too. For the final song Sadirumai the composer evokes 80s disco elements, and in fine fashion (those violins!). The melody isn’t as exceptional, but the grooviness of the arrangement and Vineeth Sreenivasan’s singing manage to prop it up adequately.

Ore Mukham. Average soundtrack from Bijibal. Which is surprising coming at a time when the man has been uncharacteristically MIA (the man did just two other soundtracks this year, one of which had just one song).

Music Aloud Rating: 2.5/5

Top Recos: Sadirumai, Aarum Ariyathoru

Songs and credits at the end.

Beneath all the synth based jazzing up that the composer at tempts, Nokki Nokki has at its heart an arrangement that followers of his music would instantly associate with Vidyasagar. In fact those contemporary elements sound jarring at times and dampen the song’s feel. Not as much as Abhay Jodhpurkar’s Malayalam diction does though! His vocal partner Merin Gregory does a fine job on her part. Neelaakaasham starts off beautifully; that flute refrain by Vishnu (Vijay?) overlaid with humming by Najeem Arshad and Sujatha Mohan is splendid. The main melody however does not live up to that promise, ends up a drab affair relying largely on the singers’ skills. The most interesting bit of the song post that happens in the second interlude when that flute appears again, this time accompanying a shehnai solo (Ramachander) and Tamil folk beats. Composer gives the soundtrack’s best, Poonkattey, to the singer who owes a respectable chunk of his portfolio to Vidyasagar – Balram, returning to Malayalam after a break. The man conveys the melancholy neatly, while the composer backs him up with an equally fine arrangement that once again makes good use of Vishnu’s flute.

Jomonte Suvisheshangal. Weak soundtrack, both by Vidyasagar’s and by Sathyan Anthikkad’s standards.

Music Aloud Rating: 2.5/5

Top Recos: Poonkaattey, Neelaakaasham

Musician Credits

Composer: Vidyasagar

Lyricist: Rafeeq Ahammed

1. Nokki Nokki
Singers: Abhay Jodhpurkar & Merin Gregory
2. Poonkaattey
Singer: Balram
3. Neelakasham
Singers: Sujatha Mohan & Najim Arshad

MUSICIANS
Keys – Raju,Vishnu Shyam
Rhythm -Ganesh
Flute – Vishnu
Shehnai – Ramachander
Conducted By R.Kannan, Mixed @ Varshaa Vallaki,
Mastered @lairflarestudios

The end of 2016 is almost here. A year that many look forward to seeing off, given the number of terrible incidents it brought with it. Among the many deaths this year were also some of the biggest legends in the world of music. Not a bad year for music otherwise though, especially in India. There were some really good songs and soundtracks – a lot of promising debutants, especially down South, and some of the seniors too delivering some fab soundtracks. And from the massive number of songs released this year, we have picked for you our favourites in this 8th annual roundup of ours. The lists remain the same as last year – Bollywood, Malayalam, Tamil, non-film and a miscellaneous set of other language film songs we liked but didn’t follow enough of the language to be able to make separate playlists of. We have only considered movies that released in 2016, as usual. The format too remains same as last year – Song Title (Movie) – Composer(s)|Singer(s)|Lyricist(s) for film songs and Song Title (Album) – Artist(s) for album songs. You can listen to each song by clicking on the title, and there is a YouTube playlist of the top 25 at the end of each list (except in case of the misc list). This year we have also included an Apple Music playlist for those using the service. The songs, then!

PS: The banner art was designed by the awesomely talented @cookydoh!

Bollywood Top 25

1. Aave Re Hichki (Mirzya) – Shankar Ehsaan Loy|Mame Khan, Shankar Mahadevan|Gulzar
2. Haminastu (Fitoor) – Amit Trivedi|Zeb Bangash|Swanand Kirkire
3. Haanikaarak Bapu (Dangal) – Pritam|Sarwar Khan & Sartaz Khan Barna|Amitabh Bhattacharya
4. Dugg Duggi Dugg (Jugni) – Clinton Cerejo|Vishal Bhardwaj|Shellee
5. Ud-daa Punjab (Udta Punjab) – Amit Trivedi|Amit Trivedi, Vishal Dadlani|Varun Grover
6. Tareefon Se (Dear Zindagi) – Amit Trivedi|Arijit Singh|Kausar Munir
7. Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (Ae Dil Hai Mushkil) – Pritam|Arijit Singh|Amitabh Bhattacharya
8. Doli Re Doli (Mirzya) – Shankar Ehsaan Loy|Mame Khan, Shankar Mahadevan|Gulzar
9. Behooda (Raman Raghav 2.0) – Ram Sampath|Nayantara Bhatkal|Varun Grover
10. Rootha (Te3n) – Clinton Cerejo|Benny Dayal, Divya Kumar, Bianca Gomes|Amitabh Bhattacharya
11. Jag Ghoomeya (Sultan) – Vishal Shekhar|Neha Bhasin|Irshad Kamil
12. Labon Ka Karobar (Befikre) – Vishal Shekhar|Papon|Jaideep Sahni
13. Kaala Chashma (Baar Baar Dekho) – Prem Hardeep, Badshah|Amrik Singh, Kumaar|Amar Arshi, Badshah, Neha Kakkar, Indeep Bakshi
14. Gilehriyaan (Dangal) – Pritam|Jonita Gandhi|Amitabh Bhattacharya
15. Maths Mein Dabba Gul (Nil Battey Sannata) – Rohan-Vinayak|Rohan Utpat,Aarti Shenai|Nitesh Tiwari
16. Mai Ri Mai (Parched) – Hitesh Sonik|Neeti Mohan, Harshdeep Kaur|Swanand Kirkire
17. Besabriyaan (M S Dhoni – The Untold Story) – Amaal Mallik|Armaan Malik|Manoj Muntashir
18. Dhanak (Dhanak) – Tapas Relia|Monali Thakur|Mir Ali Husain
19. Ikk Kudi (Udta Punjab) – Amit Trivedi|Shahid Mallya|Shiv Kumar Batalvi
20. Sarsariya (Mohenjo Daro) – A R Rahman|Shashaa Tirupati|Javed Akhtar
21. Hone Do Batiyaan (Fitoor) – Amit Trivedi|Nandini Srikar, Zeb Bangash|Swanand Kirkire
22. Chull (Kapoor & Sons) – Amaal Mallik, Badshah|Badshah, Kumaar|Badshah, Fazilpuria, Sukriti Kakar, Neha Kakkar
23. The Breakup Song (Ae Dil Hai Mushkil) – Pritam|Jonita Gandhi, Arijit Singh|Amitabh Bhattacharya
24. Hatt Mullah (Jugni) – Clinton Cerejo|Bianca Gomes, Clinton Cerejo|Baba Bulleh Shah, Shellee, Clinton Cerejo
25. Barsan Laagi (Sarbjit) – Shail-Pritesh|Shail Hada|A M Turaz

Honorary Mentions

1. Jabra Fan (Fan) – Vishal Shekhar|Nakash Aziz|Varun Grover
2. Piya Tu Piya (Dongri Ka Raja) – Asad Khan|Arijit Singh, Chinmayi|Vijay Vijawat
3. Tu Hai Toh (Waiting) – Mikey McCleary|Nikhil D’Souza, Anushka Manchanda|Manoj Muntashir
4. Rada (Banjo) – Vishal Shekhar|Vishal Dadlani, Nakash Aziz, Shalmali Kholgade|Amitabh Bhattacharya
5. Kho Gaye (Baar Baar Dekho) – Jasleen Royal|Jasleen Royal, Prateek Kuhad|Prateek Kuhad

The Apple Music playlist here.

Malayalam Top 25

1. Kisa Paathiyil (Kismath) – Sushin Shyam|Sachin Balu|Anwar Ali
2. Idukki (Maheshinte Prathikaram) – Bijibal|Bijibal|Rafeeq Ahammed
3. Kannukal (Valleem Thetti Pulleem Thetti) – Sooraj S Kurup|Sooraj S Kurup|Sooraj S Kurup
4. Manogatham (Anuraga Karikkin Vellam) – Prashant Pillai|Haricharan, Mathangi Jagdish|BK Harinarayanan
5. Nilavil Ellaame (Aanandam) – Sachin Warrier|Sachin Warrier|Anu Elizabeth Jose
6. Raavu Maayave (Vettah) – Shaan Rahman|Rinu Razak, Hesham Abdul Wahab|Manu Manjith
7. Puzhu Pulikal (Kammatipaadam) – Vinayakan|Sunil Mathai, Savio Laz|Anwar Ali
8. Dubai (Jacobinte Swargarajyam) – Shaan Rahman|Vineeth Sreenivasan, Suchith Suresan, Liya Varghese|Manu Manjith
9. Oru Vela (White) – Rahul Raj|Shweta Mohan|Rafeeq Ahammed
10. Ethu Meghamaari (Kochavva Paulo Ayyappa Coehlo) – Shaan Rahman|Hesham Abdul Wahab|Vishal Johnson
11. Pookkal Panineer (Action Hero Biju) – Jerry Amaldev|Yesudas, Vani Jayaram|Santhosh Varma
12. Seythaante (Inspector Dawood Ibrahim) – Rahul Raj|Vaikom Vijayalakshmi, Pradeep Palluruthy|Manu Manjith
13. Thaniye (Guppy) – Vishnu Vijay|Sooraj Santhosh, Madhuvanthi Narayan|Vinaayak Sasikumar
14. Chillu Raanthal (Kali) – Gopi Sunder|Job Kurian|BK Harinarayanan
15. Chingamaasathile (Kammatipaadam) – John P Varkey|Anoop Mohandas|Dileep K G
16. Pularkaalam Pole (Valleem Thetti Pulleem Thetti) – Sooraj S Kurup|Haricharan, Madonna Sebastian|BK Harinarayanan
17. Medappoompattum (Karinkunnam 6’s) – Rahul Raj|Najeem Arshad|Vinaayak Sasikumar
18. Para Para (Kammatipaadam) – John P Varkey|Anoop Mohandas & Chorus|Anwar Ali
19. Mounangal (Maheshinte Prathikaaram) – Bijibal|Vijay Yesudas, Aparna Balamurali|Rafeeq Ahammed
20. Vinnu Churanna (Kismath) – Sumesh Parameshwar|Neesa M P|Anwar Ali
21. Payye Veeshum (Aanandam) – Sachin Warrier|Ashwin Gopakumar, Sneha Warrier|Anu Elizabeth Jose
22. Mazhaye Mazhaye (James & Alice) – Gopi Sunder|Karthik, Abhaya Hiranmayi|BK Harinarayanan
23. Minungum Minnaminunge (Oppam) – 4 Musics|M G Sreekumar, Sreya Jayadeep|BK Harinarayanan
24. Pashyathi (Edavappathi) – Ramesh Narayan|Madhushree Narayan|Jayadeva
25. Ennilerinju (Jacobinte Swargaraajyam) – Shaan Rahman|Rzee, Sithara Krishnakumar|Rzee

Honorary Mentions  

26. Vaarthingale (Kali) – Gopi Sunder|Divya S Menon|BK Harinarayanan
27. Thira Thira (Guppy) – Vishnu Vijay|Madhuvanthi Narayan, Suchith Suresan, Vijayan Ambalappuzha|Vinaayak Sasikumar
28. Minni Chinnum (Kolu Mittayi) – Sreeraj Sahajan|Sreeraj Sahajan|Lakshmi Ennappaadam
29. Podimeesha (Pa Va) – Anand Madhusoodhanan|P Jayachandran|Santhosh Varma
30. Innaleyum (Kavi Uddeshichathu?) – Vinu Thomas|Arun Alat|Rafeeq Ahammed

Apple Music playlist here.

Tamil Top 25

1. Ey Sandakkaara (Irudhi Suttru) – Santhosh Narayanan|Dhee|Vivek
2. Raasali (Achcham Yenbadhu Madamaiyada) – A R Rahman|Sathya Prakash, Shashaa Tirupati|Thamarai
3. Vaanam Paarthen (Kabali) – Santhosh Narayanan|Pradeep Kumar|Kabilan
4. Paaruruvaaya (Thaarai Thappattai) – Ilayaraja|Surmukhi, Sathya Prakash|Manikkavasagar
5. Chellamma (Joker) – Sean Roldan|M Lalitha Sudha, K Perumal, Sean Roldan|Ramesh Vaidya
6. Elandha Pazham (Aandavan Kattalai) – K|Yogi Sekar|Gnanakaravel
7. Domer-u Lord-u (Jil Jung Juk) – Vishal Chandrashekhar|Anthony Daasan, Kavita Thomas|Vivek
8. Uyire En Uyirena (Zero) – Nivas K Prasanna|Anirudh Ravichander|Kabilan
9. Daavuya (Remo) – Anirudh Ravichander|Santhosh Narayanan|Ku Karthik
10. Ei Suzhali (Kodi) – Santhosh Narayanan|Vijaynarain Rangarajan|Vivek
11. Neruppu Da (Kabali) – Santhosh Narayanan|Arunraja Kamaraj|Arunraja Kamaraj
12. Thaimai (Theri) – G V Prakash Kumar|Bombay Jayashree|Pulavar Pulamaipithan
13. Avalum Naanum (Achcham Yenbadhu Madamaiyada) – A R Rahman|Vijay Yesudas|Pavendar Bharathidasan
14. Adiyae Azhage (Oru Naal Koothu) – Justin Prabhakaran|Sean Roldan, Padmalatha|Vivek
15. Red Road-u (Jil Jung Juk) – Vishal Chandrashekhar|Santhosh Narayanan, Sean Roldan, Vishal Chandrashekhar|Deeraj Vaidy
16. Nenjukkulla (Kidaari) – Darbuka Siva|Sanjana Kalamanje|Ekadesi
17. Imsai Rani (Aandavan Kattalai) – K|Karthik|Gnanakaravel
18. Rotora Paadhayile (Ammani) – K|Gana Bala|Na Muthukumar
19. Kannamma (Ko-2) – Leon James|Inno Genga, Chinmayi|Na Muthukumar
20. Pona Usuru (Thodari) – D Imman|Shreya Ghoshal, Haricharan|Yuga Bharathi
21. Konji Pesida Venaam (Sethupathi) – Nivas K Prasanna|Sriram Parthasarathy, Chithra|Na Muthukumar
22. Jasmine-u (Joker) – Sean Roldan|Sundarayyar|Yuga Bharathi
23. Maya Nadhi (Kabali) – Santhosh Narayanan| Ananthu, Pradeep Kumar, Swetha Mohan|Uma Devi
24. Thendral Varum (Oyee) – Ilayaraja|Karthik, Priya Hemesh|Vivekha
25. Naan Un (24) – A R Rahman|Arijit Singh, Chinmayi|Madhan Karky

Honorary Mentions 

26. Vaa Machaane (Irudhi Suttru) – Santhosh Narayanan|Sean Roldan|Muthamil
27. Sirikkaadhey (Remo) – Anirudh Ravichander|Arjun Kanungo & Srinidhi Venkatesh|Vignesh Shivan
28. Kannai Vittu (Iru Mugan) – Harris Jayaraj|Tipu, Pravin Saivi & Srimathumitha|Karky
29. Polla Paiyya (Rekka) – D Imman|Shweta Mohan, Haricharan|Yuga Bharathi
30. Endha Pakkam (Dharmadurai) – Yuvan Shankar Raja|Chinmayi, Rahul Nambiar|Vairamuthu

Apple Music playlist here.

Non film Top 25

1. Main Wohi Hoon (Gulzar in conversation with Tagore) – Shreya Ghoshal, Shantanu Moitra, Gulzar
2. Kahin Na Kahin (The Story Now) – Papon
3. I Love You Baby, I Love You Doll (Ocean) – Parekh & Singh
4. Aalaayaal Thara Venam – Masala Coffee
5. Latha (Suno) – Shilpa Rao
6. Dil Beparvah (Dewarists) – Ankur Tewari, Prateek Kuhad
7. Bairi Bindiya (Antarman) – Antarman
8. Pranayame (Music Mojo) – Everafter
9. Yehi Zindagi Hai (Sifar) – 3
10. Never Wanted You (Unbound) – Roshni Baptist
11. Land of Gold (Land of Gold) – Anoushka Shankar feat. Alev Lenz
12. Memories (Dewarists) – Papon, Nucleya
13. Vishweshwara (Music Mojo) – Santosh Chandran Indo Flamenco
14. Main Ghoomta Hoon (Gulzar in conversation with Tagore) – Shaan, Shantanu Moitra, Gulzar
15. Ayyo Vayye (Music Mojo) – Oorali
16. Junkeri (Maya) – Bipul Chhetri
17. Tune Kaha – Prateek Kuhad
18. Happy Place – Vasuda Sharma feat. Nicolette Gore
19. Jhoom (Side A) – Ankur Tewari feat. Zoe Viccaji & Sandunes
20. Sundown (Shadowlines) – Flux feat. Sabiyha
21. Snowflake (Up) – Karsh Kale feat. Ranjit Arapurakal & Papon
22. Call (Sanjay Divecha and Secret) – Sanjay Divecha
23. Moovandan (Music Mojo) – Amrutam Gamaya
24. Hori Hori (Classical Unwind) – Sniti Mishra
25. Zero Hour (Dreamcatcher) – Dualist Inquiry feat. Kavya Trehan

Apple Music Playlist here.

Miscellaneous

1. Yad Lagla (Sairat – Marathi) – Ajay Atul|Ajay Gogavale|Ajay Atul
2. Sairat Zaala Ji (Sairat – Marathi) – Ajay Atul|Ajay Gogavale, Chinmayi|Ajay Atul, Nagraj Manjule
3. Naa Ee Sanjege (Godhi Banna Sadharna Mykattu – Kannada) – Charan Raj|Siddhanth|Rakshit Shetty
4. Katheyondu (Godhi Banna Sadharna Mykattu – Kannada) – Charan Raj|Arun Kamath, Sparsha R K|Sharath Bhagavan
5. Vaat Disu De (Jaundya Na Balasaheb – Marathi) – Ajay Atul|Ajay Gogavale, Yogita Godbole|Rooh
6. Tomake Chuye Dilam (Bastu Shaap – Bengali) – Indradeep Dasgupta|Arijit Singh|Srijato
7. Raja Ranir (Bastu Shaap – Bengali) – Indradeep Dasgupta|Shreya Ghoshal|Srijato
8. Tomar Shawhorey (Shaheb Bibi Golaam – Bengali) – Anupam Roy|Anjan Dutt|Anupam Roy
9. Mugilu Matte Matte (Putta Tirugisi Nodi – Kannada) – Dheerendra Doss|Joel Dubba|Jayanth Kalkini
10. Yaarige and all that Jazz (Putta Tirugisi Nodi – Kannada) – Dheerendra Doss|Adithi Kalkunte|Da Ra Bendre
11. Kolkata (Praktan – Bengali) – Anupam Roy|Anupam Roy, Shreya Ghoshal|Anupam Roy
12. Tumi Jake (Praktan – Bengali) – Anupam Roy|Iman Chakrabarti|Anupam Roy
13. Yedha Loyallo (Guppedantha Prema – Telugu) – Navneeth Sundar|Shashaa Tirupati, Karthik|Ganesh Salaadi
14. Sakhiya Sakhiya (Guppedantha Prema – Telugu) – Navneeth Sundar|Vandana Srinivas|Vanamali
15. Kasa Jeev Guntala (Phuntroo – Marathi) – Hrishikesh-Saurabh-Jasraj|Ketaki Mategaonkar|Mandar Cholkar
16. Pakka Local (Janatha Garage – Telugu) – Devi Sri Prasad|Geetha Madhuri, Sagar|Ramajogayya Shastry

Merry Christmas, and a Happy 2017 to all!

Songs and partial credits at the end.

The fact that Lailakame sounds like a made-up portmanteau still annoys me every time I listen to the song (what does it mean anyway? someone just helpfully pointed me to this article that says lailakam means lilac. Still find the word annoying though!). The song is otherwise a nice listen – albeit reminiscent of composer Rahul Raj’s past songs of the genre – led of course by Haricharan’s ace rendition; the alaap towards the close of the song is splendid. Like he did in his debut movie earlier this year, it is Sushin Shyam who steals the show in this soundtrack as well with his two songs that perfectly capture Ezra’s dominant horror theme. Anwar Ali (who wrote Kisa Paathiyil) pens the words for Thambiraan that debutant singer Vipin Raveendran delivers brilliantly, with the right folksy nuances. Composer builds the song on a haunting piano refrain, one that he tops with a lot of ambient sounds – strings mainly, and also other neat touches like the duduk(?). The singer who debuted with Sushin in Kisa, Sachin Balu, sings Irulu Neelum Raave. A song that once again rides on an eerie synth-based refrain that lends it an almost sarppappaattu-like flavour at times. Instead of violins it is the horns that rule the arrangement this time, taking the song to a crescendo-esque high in the interludes. And amidst all the spookiness the song has a melody that is soulful, one that Sachin renders very well.

Ezra’s soundtrack is understandably short, but very much an entertaining fare from Sushin Shyam and Rahul Raj; Sushin emerging the better of the two.

Music Aloud Rating: 3/5

Musician Credits

Thambiran
Singer: Vipin Raveendran
Music Director: Sushin Shyam
Lyricist: Anwar Ali
Mixed by Abin Paul
Mastered by Shadab Rayeen

Irulu Neelum Raave
Singer: Sachin Balu
Music Director: Sushin Shyam
Lyricist: Vinayak Sasikumar
Mixed by Abin Paul
Mastered by Shadab Rayeen

Lailakame
Singer: Haricharan
Music Director: Rahul Raj
Lyricist: Harinarayanan B K
Backing Vocals – Rahul Raj
Engineers: Rahul Raj @ IndiaSoundZ, Ajay Joseph @ Muzik Lounge
Mixed and Mastered by Balu Thankachan @ 20dbsoundstudios, Chennai

Songs at the end.

The four song soundtrack of Munthirivallikal Thalirkkumbol is divided equally between two composers who had a fairly quiet 2016 (but in which they did deliver one ace soundtrack each) – Bijibal and M Jayachandran. Bijibal himself sings his first song, a sprightly little ditty called Maarivillu Mannil Neytha that goes through some interesting twists and turns on its way. Oru Puzhayarikil is even better, a melody that takes one back to Malayalam music of the 80s/90s that is aced by Swetha Mohan. Bijibal on his part does a fine job with the arrangement as well, the song especially takes off during the interludes in a lush combination of violins, tabla, flute and sitar.

M Jayachandran’s first song Punnamada Kaayal comes across as something of an analogue to Chinnamma Adi from Oppam (which I find overrated), with its video shot in the backwaters and of course the presence of Lal. And I find this song a way more entertaining affair, lyrically (Madhu Vasudevan) and musically, except for that Spanish inclusion towards the end. Jithin Raj’s doesn’t quite seem to fit the actor’s persona though. Jayachandran gets his favourite singer for his best song of the soundtrack, and as expected Shreya Ghoshal sounds fab in Athimara Kombile, singing alongside Vijay Yesudas. Lovely melody once again, and the composer gives it a wonderful treatment.

They may have had a lean period last year (actually M Jayachandran has had a generally lean period for a while now) but Bijibal and M Jayachandran have a lot more to offer, as adequately proven by Munthirivallikal Thalirkkumbol’s soundtrack.

Music Aloud Rating: 3.5/5

Top Recos: Oru Puzhayarikil, Athimara Kombile, Maarivillu Mannil

Songs at the end.

Penne Penne would have greatly benefited from more solid vocals. Composer Vishnu Mohan Sithara has an engaging tune and an even better arrangement (nice touch, the ghatam amidst the percussion) in place. But he lets himself down by handling the singing, limitations of which are particularly evident in the soaring central hook. Vishnu’s singing makes a better fit for the wacky Sumbharani however. Once again the arrangement is the star with its finely incorporated jazz elements and folksy (mildly evocative of Endi Ippadi) percussion. Composer gets behind mic for the maappilappaattu-flavoured Pranayamanithu as well, but alongside Sachin Raj and Joyesh Chakraborty. Engaging song that the Vishnu spruces up with electric guitars et al, but there are multiple points when one is bound to get reminded of the under-rated Cham Cham from Striker. TV follows the kuthu route and Anwar Sadath is sprightly on his part. It is the lyrics with the confused mix of dialects that I find jarring. Rounding off the soundtrack is another melodic piece, Laila Laila, which again has a neat tune and a simple yet appealing arrangement led by guitars and clarinet(?), but is again lacking on the vocal front; this time it’s Salih Haneef.

Basheerinte Premalekhanam. Vishnu Mohan Sithara definitely shows promise, but needs to improve his choice of vocalists.

Music Aloud Rating: 3/5

Top Recos: Sumbharani, Pranayamanithu, Penne Penne

Songs and credits at the end.

Given the political theme of Oru Mexican Aparatha, it isn’t surprising that most songs follow the inspirational/revolutionary route. First of those, Emaanmaare Emaanmaare, comes from guest composer (and lyricist) Renjith Chittade. The song happens to be an adaptation of the song he created in support of Oorali frontman Martin John when he was allegedly arrested for his long-haired appearance (even the song’s video seems to pay a tribute to the band’s general attiring). Good song, particularly for the scathing lyrics that Shebin Mathew delivers well. Rest of the soundtrack comes debutant composer Manikandan Ayyappa. His opening number Akasha Kuda is engagingly upbeat with an interesting shift halfway through. Nithin Raj and chorus handle the vocals well, and Sulfiq’s narrative interjections add a nice touch.

Kalippu Katta Kalippu has Arunraja Kamaraj who seems to have a knack of making everything he raps sound the same. The general energy makes the song work, nevertheless. Munneraan Samayamai has a more imaginative and impactful arrangement (that first interlude featuring Nijil’s trumpet and Francis Xavier’s violin is my favourite), but is bogged down by Franco’s average singing. Manikandan delivers the soundtrack’s best in the one song that digresses from the political theme. Ivalaro has a beautiful folksy melody (shades of madhyamavathi raga perhaps) that the composer complements with a fine arrangement that sees some excellent violin and an array of ethnic percussion (Sunil Kumar). Vijay Yesudas is in top form behind the mic, with able support from the chorus.

Oru Mexican Aparatha. First of the multiple revolutionary-themed movies that are lined up for release in Malayalam this year, and a promising composing debut for Manikandan Ayyappa.

Music Aloud Rating: 3/5

Top Recos: Ivalaro, Emaanmaare, Akasha Kuda


Musician credits

1. Aakasha Kuda
Singer: Nithin Raj, Sulfiq
Lyricist: Rafeeq Ahammed
Music Director: Manikandan Ayyappa

2. Ivalaro
Singer: Vijay Yesudas
Lyricist: Rafeeq Ahammed
Music Director: Manikandan Ayyappa

3. Emanmaraii
Singer: Shebin Mathew
Lyricist: Renjith Chittade
Music Director: Renjith Chittade

4. Munneraan Samayamai
Singer: Franco
Lyricist: Anil Panachooran
Music Director: Manikandan Ayyappa

5. Kalippu Katta Kalippu
Singer: Arunraja Kamaraj & Manikandan Ayyappa
Lyricist: Tom Emmatty
Music Director: Manikandan Ayyappa
Keys: Mohammed Ali
Violin: Francis Xavier
Guitar: Sangeeth Pavithran
Sax: Rison
Trumpet: Nijil
Percussion: Sunil kumar

Backing Vocals:
Anil Panachooran, Dhines Menon,
Arshid Sreedhar, Sanandan, Sobhu, Sreerag, Bidhun, Indrajith, Pranav, Krishnaprasad, Sudhamani, Anugraha, Krishna, Varsha Raj, Revathy, Jaggu

Songs Edited by: Abhijith Sreedhar @ Songmakers Studio Thrissur

Mixed & Mastered by:
Renjith Rajan @ Muzik Lounge Studios, Chennai.
S. Sivakumar @ A M Studios, Chennai
Saji R @ Chetana Studios, Thrissur

Songs and credits at the end.

Five of the nine tracks in Angamaly Diaries’ soundtrack are essentially the same song. It’s a bummer that the song lasts just over a minute and a quarter in each of those versions. The waltzy piece feels almost like composer Prashant Pillai and director Lijo Jose Pellissery carried on with their European flavour brief from Amen. And it sounds as beautiful too with its minimal arrangement (piano and Sandeep’s mandolin/uke: beautiful combo), but for the length. Prashant himself pens the trailer version of Do Naina that is sung by his frequent collaborator Shreekumar Vakkiyil. Shreekumar sings two other male versions titled Do Naina and La Vettam while Preeti Pillai (who writes the lyrics for the alternate Do Naina) sings the respective female versions. Rafeeque PS writes the Malayalam lyrics.

The fourth song that Shreekumar sings is the soundtrack’s most imaginatively arranged Ayalathe. While the singer goes about delivering a nice melody in his usual reliable fashion, things are much crazier in the backdrop with the flute (Rajesh Cherthala) and harmonium (Prakash Ulleri) playing a sprightly Celtic-ish hook and the percussion made up of an assortment of everyday sounds like door knocks and riffling of pages and bus bells. Remaining three songs of the soundtrack – Angamaly, Theeyame, Thana Dhina – are traditional folk pieces related to Angamaly, and sung by a 70-year old folk singer from the area named Angamaly Pranchi. And while his earthy singing (alongside an able chorus formed of Febin Paulose and Joy Chirakal) is the highlight of all the songs, Prashant and Shreekumar (moonlighting as additional rhythm arranger for the soundtrack) keep the arrangement very street, dominated by brass percussion (Sunil) and horns (Rajesh). All three tracks are high on energy and engaging as a result.

After that blip in the form of Double Barrel, Prashant Pillai and Lijo Jose Pellissery are back to producing kick-ass music!

Music Aloud Rating: 4/5

Top Recos: All of them! On second thoughts, one of the five Do Naina variants and all the other songs.

Musician credits

1. Angamaly
Singers: Angamaly Pranchi (Chorus : Febin Paulose, Joy Chirakal)
Lyrics: Traditional

2. Ayalathe
Singers: Shreekumar Vakkiyil
Lyrics: P. S. Rafeeque

3. Theeyame
Singers: Angamaly Pranchi, Shreekumar Vakkiyil
Lyrics: Traditional

4. Thana Dhina
Singers: Angamaly Pranchi (Chorus : Febin Paulose, Joy Chirakal)
Lyrics: Traditional

5. Do Naina (Trailer Version)
Singers: Shreekumar Vakkiyil
Lyrics: Prashant Pillai

6. Do Naina (Male)
Singers: Shreekumar Vakkiyil
Lyrics: Preeti Pillai

7. Do Naina (Female)
Singers: Preeti Pillai
Lyrics: Preeti Pillai

8. La Vettam (Male)
Singers: Shreekumar Vakkiyil
Lyrics: P. S. Rafeeque

9. La Vettam (Female)
Singers: Preeti Pillai
Lyrics: P. S. Rafeeque

All songs Arranged and Programmed by: Prashant Pillai
Chief Assistant and Additional Programmer: Sreerag Saji
All songs Mixed and Mastered by: Hari Shankar
Vocal Supervisor for songs 1, 3 & 4 and Additional Programming for song 4: Shankar Sharma
Additional Rhythm Arranger: Shreekumar Vakkiyil
Musicians Co-ordinator (Angamaly Pranchi): Anson Antony
Musicians:-
Saxophone, Clarinet, Pan Flutes: Rajesh Cherthala Drums, Percussions: Sunil
Harmonium: Prakash Ulleri
Ukelele, Mandolin: Sandeep
Recording Engineers: Sai Prakash Praveen Iyer Robin Raphael Denson Davis
Studio: My Studio, Kochi; Praveen Iyer’s Home Studio, Thrissur; Tunes Recording Digital, Chalakudy

The waltz-like rhythm, the violins and the fact that Sangeetha Sreekanth is handling the vocals impart Paaripparakkum Kili something of a Theliveyil (Maheshinte Prathikaram) hangover. Wouldn’t take anything away from this song though, the melody is imaginative (one that Sangeetha delivers with finesse) and composer Bijibal does an exceptional job on the arrangement, particularly the interludes. Aby’s leading man Vineeth Sreenivasan and Saritha Ram sing Onnurangi. It’s one of those cheery ditties we tend to associate with Vineeth and turns out as likeable, even if Vineeth sounds a tad repetitive. Once again the composer’s fine job in the backdrop lends the song a lot of its charm – the accordion (melodica?) and flute are brilliantly employed in the two interludes.

The bluesy guitar and kuthu beats that kick off Leysa Aleysa evoke memories of Vaa Machaaney (Irudhi Suttru) but the song quickly moves past that. Engaging song, largely owing to that kuthu base, and a confident singing debut (I think) by Kochi prog rock band Blank Planet’s frontman Niranj Suresh. The anthemic Puthen Sooryan is passable fare; the grand orchestration is effective but the melody not so. Good singing by Arun Alat nevertheless. Guest composer Jaison J Nair contributes a poignant devotional piece Parudeesayile that is beautifully handled by Soumya. The composer matches Bijibal’s adeptness at arrangement, making particularly good use of sitar and violins.

With two good (albeit multi-composer) soundtracks under his belt, the year is already looking good for Bijibal. In Aby he also has a little help from Jaison J Nair.

Music Aloud Rating: 3.5/5

Top Recos: Paaripparakkum Kili, Parudeesayile, Onnurangi

Lyrics for Leysa Aleysa and Puthen Sooryan by Santhosh Varma. Rest of the songs by Rafeeque Ahammed.