'Yennai Arindhaal' audio review
Cast: Ajit Kumar,Trisha,Anushka,Vivek,Arun Vijay,Parvathy Nair
Music: Harris Jayaraj
Lyrics: Thamarai
Direction: Gautham Menon
Yennai Arindhaal stars Ajith, Anushka, Trisha, Vivek and many others and is being directed by Gautham Menon while Harris Jayaraj reunites with Gautham after ‘Varanam Aayiram’ as the music composer. The movie has been the cynosure among the announced Pongal releases and carries huge expectations. Let us check out whether Harris has opened 2015 with a bang or not:
Yaen Ennai
Singers: Sunitha Sarathy,Kharesma Ravichandran
Lyrics: Thamarai
‘Yaen Ennai’ is Harris trying to experiment with the vocals of Sunitha Sarathy who sounds completely western here which works totally in synch with the tune. This number which will be picturized on Anushka has traces of ‘Thoodhu Varuma’ in the charanam portions and the samples from ‘Google Google’ do make an appearance here and there. The song has a tinge of auto-tune but at no point, it spoils the pep of the track. A slow poison!
Mazhai Vara Pogudhae
Singers: Karthik,Emcee Jezz
Lyrics: Thamarai
To begin with, ‘Mazhai Vara Pogudhae’ is an absolute rocking song much on the lines of Harris’s usual numbers but Karthik simply elevates the song with his rendition. The song has a catchy hook, foot tapping beats and the lyrics by Thamarai deserve special praise too. The synthesizer woven interlude adds a new layer of freshness to the track. Instantly likeable number!
Unakenna Venum Sollu
Singers: Benny Dayal, Mahathi
Lyrics: Thamarai
‘Unakenna Venum Sollu’ is a pretty soothing melody backed mainly by the guitar strumming & light percusssions. The tune is free flowing and Thamarai’s lyrics are certainly uplifting. Benny Dayal shoulders the tune effectively while Mahathi makes a welcome comeback. ‘Unakenna Venum Sollu’ is a perfect example for why simple tunes work more spontaneously than the loud and jarring ones.
Yennai Arindhaal
Singers: Devan Ekambaram,Mark Thomas,Abhishek
Lyrics: Thamarai
The much awaited title track! ‘Yennai Arindhaal’ is a dubstep feast where Harris has mixed Devan’s base vocals effectively along with several EDM pieces and dubstep arrangements. The music portion which was heard in the teaser features as an interlude here. The bassline in the track is a delight for people who listen to this in headphones. A uber cool heroic number!
Adhaaru Adhaaru
Singers: Vijay Prakash,Gaana Bala
Lyrics: Vignesh Shivan
Probably the weakest track in the album! ‘Adhaaru Adhaaru’ is Harris trying his hand at folkish kuthu & the results are pretty underwhelming. The tune looks dated and the instant catchiness one would associate with a Harris number is missing. Aimed at the masses, this track is expected to get a rousing reception for the dance & visuals.
Maya Bazaar
Singers: Aalap Raju,Priya Subramanian,Velmurugan,Krishna Iyer
Lyrics: Thamarai
‘Maya Bazaar’ is basically the culmination of several mini tracks of three separate genres and in all probabilities, would be the track to feature Trisha in the movie. The first segment which is similar to the Title track is enriched with dubstep and catchy lyrics while the second & fourth segments are classical ones reminiscent of the 60’s with Aalap Raaju & Priya Subramanian’s vocals. The small ode to ‘Kalyana Samayal Saadham’ in the second interlude is a clever addition. The best part of the song is when the track goes into folk mode where Velmurugan dominates the show. A total surprise package!
Idhayathai Yedho Ondru
Singers: Chinmayi
Lyrics:Thamarai
‘Idhayathai Yedho Ondru’ is the female solo version of ‘Unakena Venum Sollu’ with Chinmayi’s vocals taking the honors. The tune works one more time and the pan flute interlude adds lot of depth to the track. ‘Heartwarming’ is the word!
On the whole, ‘Yennai Arindhaal’ is a solid album having tracks in a variety of genres like dubstep, melody, western, fusion, folk, etc. Except his attempt with ‘Adhaaru Adhaaru’, the remaining songs work instantly and would add great value to the movie. Although the longevity of these songs is there to be tested, Harris Jayaraj-Gautham Menon’s combination proves once again to be fruitful and shows how Harris can deliver when he works with his favorite director. Yennai Arindhaal is among Harris Jayaraj’s better work in recent times.