Mariyaan Music Review

The wait starts when the announcement is made that A R Rahman would be scoring the music for the film. The excitement begins there for crores of his fans. The fact that he lives upto the expectations of almost all his fans in every album of his makes him the finest composer of our time. The wait isn't short. It is atleast a year after the announcement is made.
It has almost been a year. Mariyaan, is the latest offering from the Mozart of Madras. The movie directed by Bharatbala stars Dhanush and Parvathi Menon in lead roles. So what does the new album have to offer? Find out here!

The album consists of seven songs penned by Vaali, Kutti Revathi, Kabilan, Dhanush, Blaaze and Rahman himself.

The album begins with Nenje Ezhu. Crooned by the man himself, the song was released as a single track a week before the album's release. The song begins with simple drum beats, chords and chimes. Rahman takes  stage with Aayiram sooriyan suttalum.. The very first line of the album reminds one of melum melum urugi urugi  from Mannipaaya. But don't be deceived. The song is quick to charm the listener. The refrain Nenje Ezhu is definitely the phrase to hum for the fans. Rahman reaches high notes effortlessly even after the transpose is increased. His soft yet powerful rendition of the song makes him the best choice for it. The song gives a "I've heard something similar" feeling in some places, but when coupled with the visuals (reportedly shot in off coastal deserts), it is indeed going to be a treat!

Innum konja neram is the second track sung by Vijay Prakash and Swetha Mohan. The song opens with an Accordian piece backed with Ghatam beats. Vijay Prakash's voice is a delight to listen to as he goes Innum Konjam Neram... Swetha Mohan soon joins proceedings and performs beautifully, as expected. Her husky rendition is just what the song needs. Lyrically, it is a conversation between two lovers, sublimely composed. Rahman has a new favourite instrument in the Accordian. The hit from his previous album, Nenjukulle, had similar interludes. Rahman along with Kabilan has penned lyrics for this song. Close your eyes and listen to this track for it is sure to grow on you on repeated hearings. A thumbs up for this excellent track!

Vijay Prakash gets to sing another track in the album. Netru Aval is another 'pleasure to listen to' duet song. Rahman's find Chinmayee croons the female portions finely. Vijay Prakash gets you in the mood for a romantic treat right away. His voice deserves a mention again in this track. The phrase Aagayathil nuru gives goosebumps as high notes are reached. Vaali comes out with enchanting lyrics. Towards the end, going a transpose higher and touching the higher notes end the song on a high. The song has the Rahman stamp all over it. Close your eyes again for this song to find yourself in a different world! My pick of the album!

If you thought this album was taking to the romantic side a bit too much, you will be surprised. Haricharan and Javed Ali come together for Sonapareeya, a fast paced number. The first teaser of the film featured background music from this track. The singers deliver energitically as required. Nakash Aziz does well a small rap portion. It is hard not to enjoy this song. However the song doesn't offer anything new in terms of tune and feel. We don't want every song of Rahman's to be unique, do we?

Enga Pona Raasa, the next track is an unplugged track by itself. Backed by acoustic guitar, Shakthishree Gopalan (of Nenjukulle fame) does a neat job. Her husky rendition is similar to the other female singers' of the album. Rahman has written the lyrics for this song. The song depicts the heroine's longing for her guy. The song would probably have an added appeal on screen.

I love my Africa. Blaaze and Rahman have sung this song. But later did I hear the third voice. The chorus verses have been performed by the Madras Youth Choir (a popular choir group in the city which I had gotten into and later discontinued). Feel for that now! That apart, the African beats coupled with Blaaze's rap portions make this an interesting track!

Now, it came as a surprise when we were informed that Yuvan had been chosen to sing a song for Rahman's latest. Rahman pointed out he had opted for Yuvan for his rustic voice. It still didn't seem as a good option. But he surprises us. Yuvan surprisingly delivers well without pitching issues. He renders well but it isn't very obvious why he had to be the only choice. The beat sounds like a lift from Arjunuru villu (from Gilli). However, the Nadhaswaram interludes and the change in beats midway cover it. The song is fast paced but fails to deliver at a higher level. Listen to the track for its pace, the good interludes and the beats. The song is otherwise run of the mill and not what we want from Rahman.

That sums up Rahman's latest album. The fans (includes me) are going to love it. They were going to, anyway. The first three songs are excellent. None of the other tracks disappoint.
The album obviously isn't his finest. It is in fact similar to his recent album Kadal on some levels. Nevertheless, A R Rahman's latest lives upto the expectations, in style. He has delivered a fine album that is definitely going to top the charts for the next few months!