Songs at the end of the review (link via @7hariqcp
).
Thaarangal Paadunne starts off promisingly – the mandolin strains, accordion, violins et al – but once the vocal section kicks in the song doesn’t seem as appealing, owing mainly to a rather ordinary tune. Even the processing in the vocals (composer Rex Vijayan himself) takes the sheen off a bit. Kunni Mani too has a similar problem with the tune, but there is a lot happening in the backdrop to make up for that. Rex layers the arrangement with an assortment of string and percussion instruments that give the song a very world music-y feel, keeping with the movie’s apparent setting. And the singer Suchith Suresan carries out his part well.
Aayiram Kaalamaayi is also rich on the arrangement front, an engaging fusion building on the folk base, and featuring some delightful violin. The singing is also a sort of fusion of styles – Gowri Lekshmi’s polished rendition versus Mohammad Maqbool Mansoor’s (who recently became talk of the town for writing and singing that beauty called Mukkathe Penne in Ennu Ninte Moideen) sufi tinged singing, and it works nicely for most part. Dheera Charitha is the song that conforms most to the movie’s expansive visuals, elaborate Celtic-flavoured instrumental passages punctuated with the rousing lines written Engandiyoor Chandrasekharan and sung to perfection by Job Kurian.
Lord Livingstone 7000 Kandi. Not as impressive as Rex Vijayan’s previous outing with director Anil Radhakrishnan Menon (Sapthamashree Thaskaraha), but engaging all the same; mainly for its opulent, eclectic orchestration.
Music Aloud Rating: 7/10
Top Recos: Dheera Charitha, Aayiram Kaalamaayi, Kunni Mani
