SEL Deliver Yet Again!

After a big hiatus Shankar Ehsaan Loy come up with another trump card with the score of Karan Johar's Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna. For those who crave for quality music this album is a boon. (Not to mention it is a welcome relief from Himesh Reshammiya's nasal cacophonics* which are all over around us these days). Of course a 70+ crore film like KANK does deserve such good music! Here is my track-by-track review of the album.

Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna

Beginning with a lilting piano piece the title track gains mass in the quintessential SEL way as it proceeds. Thank God Sonu Nigam happened to Indian music. After Udit Narayan the coffers were seeming totally dry. But not with Sonu. He delivers yet again for Karan Johar after the title song in Kal Ho Na Ho. This 8+ minutes track also bears the Karan Johar stamp. The orchestrations remind you of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Alka Yagnik shares the duet with Sonu. Piano, Dholak, Ghatam, Flute (Naveen!) & Strings figure prominently.

Mitwa

This is a true breath of fresh air. Guitars open this track with some female English chorus. Fuzon lead singer Shafqat Amanat Ali infuses life almost instantly into it. Ali appears very comfortable even at the high pitches. A very Indian instrumentation using tabla and dholak with slices of bass guitars form the background. SEL are one of the few music directors who can deliver original melody consistently. This track proves it. Shankar Mahadevan delivers some alaaps for background. The Sarod appears two minutes into the track and continues to be one fresh sounding instrument.

Where's The Party Tonight

Radio edit voices being this track with some electronic instrumentation. Clinton Cerejo orchestrated English chorus follows. 'Its a Time To Disco' singers Shaan and Vasundhara Das handle affairs here too. It feels as if they are doing a Part 2. And they deliver once again! Make no mistake: Where's The Party Tonight is totally different from Its The Time To Disco. This track has the 70-80s English pop feel to it. Shankar Mahadevan alaaps for this one too. SEL fuse a lot of Rajasthani folk with disco here. Wow.

Tumhi Dekho Naa

A haunting piano piece and choirs open this song. A slightly altered title theme is applied to this track. Its uncannily similar. Sonu Nigam and Alka Yagnik again at the helm of affairs. Flutes and guitars accompany dholaks for instrumentation along with the omnipresent piano. Caralisa's vocals appear in between though she is not credited for this track.

Mitwa Revisited

This is a remixed version of Mitwa. Indrajit Sharma joins SEL for the mix. A dance feel is added to the original. Westernized instrumentation replaces the Indian one from the original. Ali's voice is crucial to the success of the track nonetheless. This one is made for the dance floors. The DJs job is reduced a lot actually. Revisited Alright!

Rock n Roll Soniye

Shaan starts this neo-Punjabi track with some English vocals and Shankar Mahadevan joins in. Acoustic Guitars are all over. A piano piece with a "Mera Naam Chin Chin Choo" kind of a feel comes in midway. Some famous lines from old Punjabi numbers are used for the track. Mahalaxmi Iyer forms the female part but comes in near the last minute of the track. During the last minute a lot of high gear shifts happen with alternating Punjabi and English choirs.

Farewell Trance

DJ Shane does the final track of the album. As the name says its the KANK theme in a Trance flavour. Its amazing how a melodious tune survives no matter what instrumentation or mixing its enclosed in. Flutes and piano handle the core theme for most duration. Caralisa's English vocals start 2/3rds into the track followed by Shweta Pandit's alaaps.

All in all this album proves what talented people are capable of. The unusal trio of music directors (solos and duos are aplenty in history of Bollywood) Shankar Ehsaan Loy serve an absolute smashit album with Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna. 9 out of 10 points from me for KANK.

* Himesh Reshammiya is not necessarily a bad composer. Rather he is a very nice composer. But once he begins singing all hell breaks loose (His nose remains intact though!). Some of his numbers sung by Udit Narayan and Sonu Nigam are really good.