Vidyasagar is back on the musical scene with Jeyam Kondaan (The Victor), a Tamil film produced by Sathyajyothi Films. With six tracks, here's what this romantic collection has to offer.

First up is Naan Varaindhu Vaitha...sung by Hariharan [Images] and Madhusri. Written by Yugabharathi, this song is composed of simplistic musical phrases with classic touches. The beautiful raga of Suddha Dhanyasi flows, reminding you in places of the Madhurey song, Kanden, Kanden but you relish this raga that lends itself so well to romantic interpretation. The lyrics describe the emotions of the lovers, presumably upon falling in love, and the joy it brings to their lives. Melodious and catchy, this number is easily the pick of the album.

Up next we have Orei Or Naal rendered by Benni Dayal and penned by Vaali. The song begins on a promising note with synthesised music which speaks about the vagaries of man and some wholesome advice about how to be The Victor. It is also idealistic with lyrics advising you to listen to a child's words, instead of random noise. With club-dance fare interspersed with politically correct lyrics, this is probably a song with a message.

Then we have Ullasa Ulagam sung by Tippu. The song begins with whining noises, morphs into rap phrases and a dashing rhythm which then finally bursts into a remix of the old Marudha Kasi classic from Alibabavum 40 Thirudargalum -- a rather unpleasant and unexpected segueing. There is an Arabian interlude with sections from the original. The way it has been remixed fits the bill perfectly for a dance number. This short piece ends just before it begins to get repetitive.

Following this we have Adai Mazhaikkaalam, which is penned by Vaali. The song begins with peppy harmonica notes, but soon connects with romantic fare, which consists of mostly soft tones, accompanied by strains of the flute. The sax interlude reminds you a little of Duet's Anjali... and visions of beautiful sunsets and sunrises flit across your vision as Karthik's voice rises and ebbs along familiar musical phrases. Abruptly, the soft romance shifts into heavy-duty emotional angst-ridden music, before settling to its former mild tune.

We are then introduced to Athaik koodava, which is sung by Sriram Parthasarathy. The song's majestic opening notes remind you of an operatic symphony, which then gently lulls before waking you with the sudden shift to a fast-paced rhythm. The brief flute interlude rings well.

This seems to be a nostalgic number with Kapilan's words talking about long-lost memories, favourite incidents and idlis. It seems, though, that Vidyasagar has been torn between presenting an outright song, and a feet-tapping number, so the song is a mish-mash of both.

And finally we have Sutri Varum Bhoomi written by Na Muthukumar. The song lists the characteristics of the girl, who possesses Coimbatore's quirkiness, and who commands the earth to revolve around her orders, harking back to the child-chorus days of Kuchi Kuchi Rakkamma. With a steady beat, it carries shades of the previous two compositions. You've heard songs like these a dozen times in every alternate romantic flick, with the heroine probably jiggling about in a pavadai dhavani. Sure, it's dance-worthy, but nothing to write home about.

And that seems to be the general tone of the whole album. Barring the first number, the rest all seem to follow the same established romantic/pacing patterns -- notes you've heard many, many times before.

The final verdict? Its pleasant, and a few parts are catchy: but it could have been better.

Rediff Rating: