You can listen to the soundtrack here.
The title song works far better in the Unplugged version, helped majorly by the soulfulness with which Apeksha Dandekar and Vinnie Hutton sing the song, complementing each other splendidly. The original version sung by Apeksha, Bhavin Dhanak and Sanah Moidutty gets marred by too much high school pop elements. With that one song, Aashish Rego and Shree D hand over the dais to lead composer Pritam. And he starts with a dance track, Antenna, something we have heard in a hajaar avatars already, and STILL manages to have the feet tapping. There is a new set of singers this time though – Benny Dayal, Apeksha Dandekar and Roshan Abbas. The SRK Mix sounds pretty much the same, the male vocals taken over by KK and Anupam Amod. The next track School Ke Din follows a super-stereotyped school life template and hence wears you out almost as soon as it starts. Suhail Kaul and Ishq Bector waste their collective breaths in vain.
Things improve marginally in the next song called Better Not Mess With Me sung by Sunidhi Chauhan. The operative word here is “marginally”, the song does have some interesting guitar riffs and all, but overall it falls prey to the same trap as its predecessor. The Club Mix surprisingly turns out to be a much interesting affair with a spunky arrangement and Shefali Alvaris’ singing which better suits the song. With an annoying-sounding title, Undi The Condi was doomed from the word go in any case, and the composer doesn’t disappoint, dishing out another done-to-death school template. Shaan and Aditi Singh Sharma’s energy do little to mitigate the effect. Nevertheless, Pritam makes amend while leaving with Jaane Kyon, the soul version of which is spectacular with its breezy arrangement and Naresh Iyer’s equally commendable rendition. The orchestral strings segment is especially brilliant. The sufi version doesn’t have anything much sufi about it except for the fact that Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan who sings it has sung sufi songs also.
Unplugged version of the first song, soul version of the last song. And the one standard Pritam number in between. That’s all there is to listen to in Always Kabhi Kabhi.
Music Aloud Rating — 6/10
Recommended Listens — As I said in conclusion.
