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Utterly pointless and dud of a soundtrack. Did this really deserve so many posters across Chennai city and leading Tamil publications? Bah!

Tamil selvi has a predictably pleasant tune while Yakka nillukka, with its routine rhythm and tune is plain boring. Even Yaaradhu and Aayiram thalaiyapaathu suffer from an acute sense of monotony and lethargy. Thankfully, the well laid out mellow phrases in Kaalgal munnale work quite well as does the relatively authentic rustic sound in Vaaraar ayya. Koodal nagar’s soundtrack lacks any kind of character or appeal and its really a pity considering the kind of work Sabesh Murali is capable of, at least going by what they achieved in Thavamaai Thavamirundhu! Perhaps they need to team up with better directors!

Keywords: Sabesh Murali, Bharath

While Himesh triumphs in the slow, rhythmic & very catchy Chakna, he is thoroughly annoying in Viraaniya. The composer tries ghazal-like sounds in Main jahaan and Yahi hota pyaar, but merely having Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and singing in a lower-than-usual pitch doesn’t ensure success in both the songs, since the base tunes themselves are rather trite. Rafta rafta is mildly entertaining thanks to UK-band R.D.B’s vocals, but Aanan faanan and Dilruba are plain banal. The remixes in the second, unnecessary CD, with an overdose of ‘Mehfil’ versions are repetitive and unimaginative. After a decent Red, Himesh disappoints big time!

Keywords: Himesh Reshammiya, Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Upen Patel

Sunidhi’s full-throated vocals do support the lively Sajnaji, but the composers may have as well used Shuba Mudgal herself, instead. And thanks to the overdose of techno sounds, this seems like the remix version! Jaane hai woh and Halke halke are standard Vishal Shekhar fare – lilting and easy-on-the-ears. Albela albela is a worthy experiment with Vishal and Shankar Mahadevan sharing vocals in a stage musical-like fun track. Pyaar ki yeh kahani takes a leaf from Anu Malik’s fetish for Latin music and the composers do manage to weave a catchy, alluring track here. Interesting soundtrack…among the composers’ more enjoyable ones.

Keywords: Reema Kagti, Kay Kay Menon, Amisha Patel, Raima Sen

The same ol’ rhythm. Same ol’ chorus. Same ol’ Bombay Jayashree. Same ‘ol instantly likeable pop sound! That sums up Unakkul naan. Add a Madhushree version for some mild variety and that completes the pattern. Un sirippinil has a pleasant, seductive flow reminiscent of Vettayadu’s Uyirile! Karu karu apes the quintessential East 17 rock/ pop sound and makes for a pretty neat track. Kaadhal konjam has an easy, country’ish sound ably aided by Naresh Iyer delectable vocals. This is a simple, enjoyable soundtrack. Just what one has come to expect from a Harris Jeyaraj – Gautam combo. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Keywords: Patchai Kili Muthu charam, Harris Jeyaraj, Gautam Menon, Sarath Kumar, Jyotika, Milind Soman

Oh, how we missed Himesh Reshammiya! To make up for the absence, he gives us Red, where except Jayesh Gandhi, there’s no other male singer in sight! Aafreen, with his brand of rock and Aamin with his trademark sufi base - both of which he used very well in Ahista Ahista – are right on track. Ek tum hi and Loneliness is killing everyone (really!) are monotonous with clichéd sound patterns. But, along with Harshdeep, Himesh reclaims the album in the soulful, ghazal-like Dil ne ye na jaana. The three good tracks in the soundtrack open Himesh’s 2007 innings quite well!

Keywords: Celina Jaitley, Amrita Arora, Aftab Shivsadani, Vikram Bhatt

Alfonso Cuarón gets back to top form, after a brief sojourn into fantasy with Master Potter. Unlike his earlier Y Tu Mamá También or Sólo Con Tu Pareja, where he has comedy as base to create movies that affect viewers, he chooses a bleak, futuristic story by P D James for Children of Men. Set just a couple of decades away, it portrays a world which has just lost its youngest resident, all of just years. And pregnancy is a thing of the past! Britain is going all out on illegal immigrants with Nazi-style actions. Amidst all this, Clive Owen must help a pregnant black woman reach the very illegal Human Project! It’s all handled as interestingly as it sounds! Even though the film has very Indian clichés like an obvious ending, the tone is intact with the dead pan Clive Owen reacting excellently to the spiraling chaos around him. The gut-wrenching action sequences and the scene where Kee and Theo walk amidst a gang of armed soldiers with only the baby’s cry as their guard are clearly the highlights. Besides that delightful cameo by Michael Caine as a hippie, of course! This gloomy, dystopian thriller is a must watch!

Keywords: Clive Owen, Alfonso Cuaron, Julianne Moore

Why do Pakistani artists cross the border and lose their identity? Money and a larger audience, I guess! The title track is more of a launch vehicle for model Urvashi Sharma, while the song is just passable. The rest is shockingly mediocre with only Mithoon’s Kuch is tarah and to some extent, three of Atif’s older tracks, Yakeen, Ehsaas & Mahi ve as exceptions. Atif bhai, the indipop scene is immature and nonexistent. So, please get your usual guys to compose music and release it in Pakistan. It’d catch on in India, faster than what TIPS has managed in Doorie.

Keywords: Atif Aslam, Tere Bin, Mithoon, Urvashi Sharma

Vishram Sawant’s Risk is a one horse race and has the same irreverence towards filmi music like his mentor Ram Gopal Varma. It has been conceived specifically as a low cost soundtrack by roping Akbar Sami to compose a guaranteed gyration-worthy track, Hitchki, which in fact does complete justice to the requirement what with that added ooomph by the ever-dependable Sonu Kakkar! The rest is a mish mash meant for the title/ end credits or somewhere in between for the background music. Perhaps Bapi-Tutul should go for a change of name to get out of this grade B composers’ image!

Keywords: Tanushree Dutta, Randeep Hooda, Vinod Khanna

Bharadwaj, much like his Northern namesake, has always given us genuinely different sounding music, even though quality-wise the comparison pales. Muni again sees him using unconventional tunes wrapped in familiar rhythm/ guitar patterns. Suru suru, styled on Gemini Gemini and Assah Pussah are catchy enough in conventional terms. The musical variations in Thalai suthuthey’s 2 versions are quite interesting. The title song is middling while Gulla dracula is, at best childish. With Lawrence around, I’m sure a lot of appeal for the soundtrack will be on screen. After an unexciting Vattaram, Bharadwaj strikes back with help from the choreographer-director’s vision!

Keywords: Raghavendra Lawrence, Vedhika, Vedika, Raj Kiran