Appealing music by Vidyasagar

Director Cheran dons his acting gear again with Moserbaer's Raman Thediya Seethai. This Tamil movie attracted a great deal of attention during a hunt for Cheran's heroines, and again during the explosive audio launch which saw the normally peaceable actor spout surprising words.

That aside, let's see what this six-track album by Vidyasagar has to offer.

A series of booms and staccato phrases start off DJ DJ Disca Podu, which is entirely appropriate, considering the lyrics which are penned by P Vijay. Benny Dhayal and Suchitra kick up the song, belting it out in club fashion. The music is loud complete with crashing synthesised beats interspersed with zany notes and rap. Still the Arabian music does its magic, making you sway to its rhythm.

Lilting piano notes begin this piece, which then mingles with the violin to a steady and slow rhythm. Vivega's romantic lyrics in Ippavae Ippavae are rendered by the mellow tones of Madhu Balakrishnan, with Harini joining in tandem. The music reminds you of Raja's work in the 80s, but as it progresses, it manages to retain its own flavour. A rather neat melodious number with all the signs of being a chartbuster.

Penned by Kabilan, Mazhai Nindra Pinnum begins with the soft strumming of a guitar and Kalyani's humming, before morphing into a shower of violin notes. In this introspective song, Vidyasagar has tried to infuse a note of originality by letting his imagination run riot with a plethora of sounds in the form of violins and guitars. Yes, certain sections of the song are familiar, but there's a sorrowful and angsty tone to it. The lyrics seem to indicate unrequited love. This number might start conventionally but it sure does give you one hell of a ride.

Enna Pulla Senje Nee begins straightway in Vidyasagar's rather nasal tone. This traditional folksy number combined with Jeyantha's lyrics, seem to speak of a man's sorrow at being abandoned by possibly his beloved. Once again a potpourri of melodies rushes through your ears, but this one is definitely a song of sorrow. A violin interlude certainly succeeds in melting your heart. And then it's an abrupt wrench to the lead singer, whose angsty tone continues right up to the end.

A staccato burst of rhythm begins Vanathai Vittu Vittu, written by Yugabharathi, as Tippu's voice takes over the song. Vidyasagar seems to be wondering about making this either a straight-out angst-fest or a sorrowful number, and accordingly, the tune meanders first one way and then the other. Still, a song worth listening.

Nanba Nanba, penned by Jeyantha, begins a lot like Putham Puthu Bhoomi and is a straight-out feel-good song, rendered by Karthik. The lyrics urge you to dump your worries and win life back, while true to the central theme of this album, there's a crescendo of violins that ebb away. The song reminds you a good deal of A R Rahman's earliest works, and is possibly the shortest track in the album.

Not much of Vidyasagar's recent work has been of the exemplary kind but this one seems to be making a definite attempt to veer away from stereotypical fare. The composer has tried to experiment with his own work, attempting variations on the same theme, and sometimes hitting a new, appealing note. Some of this album's numbers might be familiar, but on the whole, they do strike the right chord.

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