Kabali - Music Review

Disappointment over Rahman's absence aside, Santosh Narayanan's inclusion in the Kabali team did create an excitement in me. Could he pull off a mainstream album, yet retain his unique style of music?, I wondered. When the track-list was released a couple of days ago, I doubted it. Big names were absent and Santosh had chosen to stick to his group of musicians from his earlier outings. How well does he fare? Here's my opinion. 

Ulagam Oruvanukka - spot on! Its the kind of words we're used to associating with our superstar hero and his on screen persona. As Santosh goes "Ulagam Oruvanukka", I miss what would be the most memorable part of a Rahman-Rajini album, SPB's voice. The chorus portions work very well, ooze immense energy and are surprisingly reminiscent of Rahman's works. The song reaches a high in the verse "Vaanam unadhe, paadhi vazhiyil", again, kudos to the wonderful chorus track.  The percussion track is heavy and beautifully done. Now, Santosh's success lies in how the song comes across as an acceptable Rajini intro song and that, to me, was the biggest hurdle to cross. However, what's solely missing is the magical voice doing the honors, what we get is Santosh's rustic and highly strained vocals.

Maya Nadhi begins with an interesting guitar riff. Right away, I'm inclined to liken Pradeep Kumar's vocals to that of Ilayaraja as he goes "Nenjam ellam", exuberating pathos and love at the same time, 1980s style. The wonderfully intricate guitar work by Keba Jeremiah is delightful as we're treated to the refrain "Maya Nadhi Indru". Pradeep's soulful improvisations in the refrain stand out and the arrangement is minimal yet intricate, exhibiting a touch of class. Shwetha Mohan is equally effective with her mellifluous voice. Santosh's unpredicatable tune warrants multiple listens and rightly so. Maya Nadhi gets a thumbs up!

Veera Thurandara is that song of the album I wished it didn't have. If Santosh were to exhibit his versatility, why Gana Bala? Maybe he wasn't trying to exhibit any. The song begins with Jazz portions as Gana Bala takes over proceedings later. The rap verses, lyrically glorifying the protagonist are sure to offer "whistle moments" on screen. The Jazz portions give the song an "experimental" feel throughout, not something you would expect or even want in a Rajini album. Or wait, you could just see it as Santosh's album. Veera Thurandara - probably works better on screen.

Vaanam Parthen is the Unmai Orunaal Vellum of the album. The haunting tune, the vocal choir track and strings by the Macedonian Radio Symphony Orchestra arranged by Pradeep himself, all contribute to the sense of melancholy prevalent throughout the song. The percussion track kicks in subtly in the middle of the song and adds a much needed sense of familiarity and occasion to a song that could have otherwise easily fallen into the "experimental" zone. Santosh Naranayan deserves credit once again for creating an immersive and unpredictable tune. The best part about the song is how it makes you want to listen to it again and not form an opinion yet, a winning quality by itself for making the listener think.

Neruppu da - WHISTLE! That's what this theme song is meant for. Laced with heavy electric guitar portions and powerful vocals by Arunraja Kamaraj, this song is loud and heavy on the ear. As proceedings start getting familiar, Rajini goes "Naa vandhutennu sollu", the Rajini fan in the music director is as excited as he could be. The rap portions get stagnant beyond a certain point but the guitar portions in the background sustain the interest. One can picture this track aptly complimenting Rajini's commanding screen presence.

Kabali is a bold album. The fact that Santosh Narayanan (and Pradeep Kumar?) doesn't try to carry forward Rahman's legacy but create his own deserves an applause. I expected the album to be more "safe" and the album surprises in this aspect. Maya Nadhi, Ulagam Oruvanukku and Vaanam Parthen are winners. However, the overdose of rap and guitar portions is a disappointment and might not go down well with all fans. As listeners, we are left yearning for a bit more familiarity (in the good sense), bigger names and more magnificence celebrating our superstar hero. That said, the album also doesn't disappoint.

The album for Kabali is a bold and compelling listen.