Pudhukottayilirundhu Saravanan Music Review

Pudhukottayilirundhu Saravanan

Yuvan Shankar Raja’s growth in Tamil film music is exponential. The youngest of all music
directors creates magic with fully westernized music and mesmerizes the youth nowadays. Also
the producers are more interested in bringing youth to the theatre by doing youthful subjects
and undoubtedly Yuvan is the right choice for scoring such films and he is doing a good job all
the time. The most important thing is he is capable to score any kind of song Melodies, Fast
numbers, Gana songs, Classical, Remixes etc., currently he is the minimum guarantee music
director of Tamil film music. After great hit albums like Kadhal konden and Kurumbu Yuvan has
come up with yet another youthful album “Pudhukottayilirundhu Saravanan”.

1) Naatu sarakku
Singers: Danush, Ranjith, Lavanya

This is usual College Gana song and a good dance number. This song is definitely going to
become hit like “Manmada Rasa”. But the lyrics are a bit Vulgar. Usually heroes like
Kamalhaasan,Vijay and Simbhu sing some songs for themselves and Danush gets added to the
list by this song. His voice is okay for a Gana song. Even his voice is good and fits the rhythm of
the song. The beats in the song is that of “sight adippom dum adipom” song. The “thaarare
thaarare” chorus bit is good. It has become a trend now to end such songs with some funny
dialogues and it is done in this song also.

2) Malargale
Singer: Bombay Jayshree

This is a classic soulful melody and the best song in this album. If the tune and the music make
50% impact the rest is the sweet voice of Bombay Jayshree. Apt voice chosen. The song starts
with a sound of disturbed water. In the pallavi he uses soft beats in the background and when it
comes to saranam you can listen only the voice and some sounds without any beats in the
background that elevates the feel. The song ends with the sound of vessel disturbed. He has
used some material sounds more than musical instruments in this song. The sound effects are
good, real and crystal clear.

3) Where do We Go
Singer: Yuvan Shankar Raja

Unfortunately, this song lasts only for 3.5 minutes. It sounds like a soft rock song. The guitar is
well used in this song. Yuvan himself has sung this song and proves that he is a good singer
too. He is becoming monotonous in singing and doesn’t try different but only this kind of songs
suits his voice let him better continue the same. I think Yuvan is fond of this chant “Who ho ho
ho” because often he uses this is many of his songs particualry the songs that he sing himself
and in this song too.

4) Pudhu Kaalam
Singer : Ranjith, Chinmayee

This is another melody song in this album but similar to “malargale” but it is duet and the voice
gives a complete fresh feel to the song. Ranjith who has sung additional tracks of the film
”Kadhal konden” has sung this song well. Chinmayee's voice is sweet,sweeter and sweetest and
her pronunciation is good. The lyrics are also good. The soft beats sounds for the whole song
and as like his father he has used group violin pieces at the end of each line in the first saranam
and it is well composed and good to listen. But later in the second saranam for the first line the
song ends with a flute bit but stops there then the song continues without any instrument piece
in the end of each line it would have been better if flute bit is used at the end all the lines in
second saranam.

5) Baby baby
Singers: Carla, Yuvan

It is a 100% westernised song. You could not believe that it is a Tamil song until you hear the
Tamil lyrics .The song starts with English lyrics sung by a foreign singer Carla and then Yuvan
continues and fills the rest of the song. Again the guitar is well used in this song. The
saxophone interlude is good. The lyrics are average. The song ends with sounds of different
percussions which is well organized and composed. You like at the moment you hear but easily
forgettable song. Again he has used “woh ho ho” chant in this song also.

6)Pudhukottai saravana
Singers:Kunal, Hema sardhesai, Nitish

This is a fast number and a western song again. The guitar interludes are good. The lyrics is
good first part goes like giving advice for a person how to manage and live in a strange foreign
place and the rest is like admiring the beauty of the places.

Punnagai Poove Music Review

Punnagai Poove

If we were to be asked who's the busiest music director in Tamil cinema today, then the answer is incredibly simple. The answer is Yuvan Shankar Raja, who now has an amazing six albums out at the same time in the market ("PopCarn," "Punnagai Poovae," "Mounam Paesiyathey," "April Maathathil," "Bala," and "Kaadhal Samraajiyam"). The best album out of all of those is still "Mounam Paesiyathey" but I'm hoping "PopCarn" -- released very soon -- will top that.

"Punnagai Poovae" -- an album for a new director who's working with new actors -- at least for now doesn't. It's still a very good album, and the music is actually, in several places, very fresh, very Western, and very innovative. It's, for the most part, the lyrics that bring this "Poovae" down. But still, there are some very good songs on this album.

I was listening to one of the "Punnagai Poovae" songs, and my father walked in and asked me what English song I was listening to. I told him it was a Tamil song. He was very surprised -- that's how Western some parts of "Poovae" are.

A good album with a strong innovative Eastern-Western fusion. Also, YSR usually has a very distinct paint-by-numbers song structure; he's broken free of that and has experimented with song structures as well. It's really interesting to watch this young man grow as a music director in this way.

Oh yes, in keeping with the Western style, this is an album of very short songs. Two of the songs are bit songs, and not a single one of the other songs is longer than four-and-a-half minutes. This leads to clean quick enjoyable listening.

Repeated listening might well make me change my opinion and upgrade the album to a 3.5 / 4, too. Keep posted.


1. Yen Kaadhal -- Yuvan Shankar Raja.

Very innovative. Very fresh. Hummable listenable song. I totally enjoyed this song until we get to the English rap interlude. I have nothing against rap, but the lyrics in the rap are hilarious -- "So why? You never know we rock up in the mother / Ooh-aah, I make 'em watch a twenty-four track, then I / Light your body, I know you got the body" and stuff like this. Still, considering most of the Tamil population isn't going to understand what those rappers are saying anyway... Okay. YSR sings fine, the music is innovative and sharp, and the lyrics -- for the Tamil sections -- are decent. A song I enjoy. A good start to the album. Very Nice.

2. Jogging Seiyum Caesar (Bit Song) -- Shalini.


And here comes possibly the weakest link in the "Punnagai Poovae" armor. The music is usual "faux-sexy," and the lyrics are flat-out dumb and hilarious ("Ziz-zag nadaiyil vanthu / Zoom-zoom paarvai thanthu / Lub-dub veettil nindru / Ivannthaan noottril ondru"). These dumb dumb lyrics and the really not that different from heard-before music mean I don't enjoy the song too much. It is a bit song, so I'm not minding the song too much, though. Between a Mediocre and a Nice.

3. Oru Poonkili -- Srinivas, Prasanna.

And then comes the required folk song. Since it's a folk song, once again the lyrics aren't that good. The beat is nice, but not as innovative and fresh-sounding as some of the other songs. Okay to listen to, but it's not going down in my list of favorites. Nice.

4. Siragaagi Ponathae (Bit Song) -- Susithra Ganga, Kovai Ranjani.

I listened to the first many lines of this song, and I was thoroughly enjoying the melodious beat, the nice lyrics, and the soft singing. And then all of a sudden, there's this whoosh sound, and the song gets much harder -- and much less pleasant to listen to. It's still a good song, but I would have preferred it if it had remained soft throughout. Nice.

5. Thilaakkaeni Gaanaa -- Karthik, Tippu.

Okay, and here comes the song that I know is going to be the biggest hit with the youth population out there. Great beat, nice music, and great singing by both Karthik and Tippu. The problem for me, once again, lies in the lyrics. The lyrics are very average, and at one point, Tippu begins singing, "Wakku wakku wakku." What is that? But the quality of the music and beat and the fun nature of the song are making me disregard the lyrics a little for this one. Very Nice.

6. Vaanam Thoovum -- Harish Ragavendra, Kovai Ranjani.

And boom, we get to the best song on the album. It's a melodious slow love song. Strong lyrics, strong music, and strong singing (of course) by Harish Ragavendra. Kovai Ranjani also does well. I like the lines, "Kaadhal tharum vaedham neethaan... / Naervili thanthathu, vaalkaiyin aarambam." Just a great song. Excellent.

7. Yaeno Uyirmaelae (Bit Song).

And we have another great song. This one's a bit song as well with some great lyrics, great singing, and some really nice music. It should go really well with picturization as well. Very Nice.

8. Venus Venus Pennae -- Devan, Harini.

The two songs that are going to be the biggest hit with the youth audience from this album are "Thilaakkaeni Gaanaa" and this "Venus Venus Pennae" -- another very Western, very modern, very fresh innovative youth song. But once again, despite the great music, the lyrics keep this song from achieving an excellent status. The English rap which comes in the middle of this song also comes complete with ridiculous lyrics, and even the Tamil lines aren't so great in this one. But still, the music is so fresh and innovative that I like this song a lot as well. Very Nice.

Winner Music Review

Winner

“Eye” by Devan

It is a catchy, western style, dance number with foot tapping refreshing beats. Pa. Vijay has written the song, targetting the youth, with words like ‘babes, SMS, internet’ etc. Devan’s carefree voice with U.S accent is the perfect choice for this song. It’s sure to hit the charts.

“Endhan Uyir” by Udit narayanan

It is an enchanting composition. Though Udit’s tamil is injurious to our ears, the beautiful BGM and percussions save the song. Though it is slow paced, it is sure to attract the younger generation by the catchy rhythm. This song would have been the pick of this album, if only someone other than Udit had sung it. “Mathaapoo” by Tippu, Premji, Sri Ranjani is a dance number to be picturised in a marriage function sequence with herds of people let loose their feet. And again, Yuvan has proved his wrong choice of female vocals in this song.

“Muthal murai” by Srinivas and Mahalakshmi Iyer

It is a wonderful melody and such a beautiful song features as an unexpected surprise gift to melody lovers. Though rhythm reminds us of “Thulli thulli” song from “Unakkagaa Ellam Unakkaaga”, the song is hauntingly composed with beautiful guitar pieces. Pa.Vijay has given wonderful lyrics with lot of love feelings.

“Engirundaai” by Harish Ragavendra

It is again a beautiful melody number which is highly addictive. Yuvan has concentrated on the BGM and the class compositions are the outcome. This song will hit the charts though Pa. Vijay’s lyrics are illogical at places, like the lover asking the lady love, where she was, when he was born?. Doesn’t it imply that she is elder to him? Lyrics in second charanam humiliates the males by depicting the lover to be totally dependent on her and disturbed by her smile, movement etc.

“Kozhi” by Udit and Prashanthi

It starts with the music which makes the listener think it’s going to be a melody and suddenly pucca ‘dappanguthu’ song sets in. It is for the front row occupants and Yuvan has used flute innovatively for a dappanguthu song.

Overall, it is an above average album with a mixture of western, folk, dappanguthu and melody numbers. Though it is released without any publicity, it is sure to create some ripples. The recording and tape quality is also notably good and Yuvan is fast becoming a commercial hit giving music director.

Bala Music Review

Bala

No doubt the busiest music director working in Tamil cinema these days is Yuvan Shankar Raja. Ilayaraja's younger son has so many releases these days; if you go to a cassette shop, there are four recent YSR releases available to buy ("Mounam Paesiyathey," "Bala," "April Maathatthil," "Kaadhal Samraajiyam") and "Punnagai Poovae" is coming up soon as well.

If you ask me whether the sheer number of YSR's projects is lowering the quality of his work, I would say no. He consistently produces good music.

But if you ask me whether he's making superb music like "Nandhaa" or "Thulluvatho Ilamai" or "Poovellaam Kaettupaar," I'd have to say no to that, too. His music recently is not as very-high-quality as some of his initial efforts; it's never bad, but the recent ones haven't been excellent, either.

"Bala" fits that mold as well. There are a few good songs, a few not-so-great songs, and overall, we have a nice-to-listen-to, but no-classic album.



1. Poo Poovai -- Unni Menon, Ganga.

A great way to begin the album. Strong lyrics, good singing, and melodious music. This is a wonderfully melodious song, and the lyricist should be praised for this one. My favorite lines are, "Malai vanthaal / Athil nanaivoam / Athai thuvattum sugam kidaikka." Yuvan Shankar Raja knows when he should underplay his music, and he does so to considerable effect here. This should have a nice picturization, I'm hoping.
Very Nice.
2. Theendi Theendi -- Unnikrishnan, Sujatha.

A very '80s-sounding but very nice melodious love song. Both Unnikrishnan and Sujatha have done nice jobs. The music is melodious and nice. The lyrics are good as well. Neatly done.
Very Nice.

3. Vannatthu Poocchi -- Karthik, Madhangi.

And releasing himself from the subtle melodies of the previous two songs, Yuvan Shankar Raja has the first louder more brash song in "Vanatthu Poochi." Both Karthik and Maadhangi sing well, and the lyrics -- surprisingly -- aren't bad. The music, though, is innovative and very new-sounding. I'm not saying this is a loud song; it's just louder than the rest of the album. I wonder what the picturization for this is going to look like. It's very "different" kind of music, both quick and difficult to dance to.
Between a Very Nice and an Excellent.

4. Bailamo -- Yuvan Shankar Raja.


All traces of subtlety gone, we have a "dappaanguthu"-sounding song with poor lyrics. The good news about this song is YSR is very definitely trying to vary the kind of songs he sings. The bad news is while this music tries to be innovative, it's only successful up to a certain extent. Perhaps I'll like this more after seeing the picturization, but I don't know -- this isn't my kind of song, and so far, it's my least favorite on the album. It's not a bad song, but it's for the front-benchers.
Nice.

5. Yen Kannai -- Shankar Mahadevan.

I love the intro to this song, with the haunting unidentified female voice vocalizing. The main part of the song is also very well done and has a haunting undercurrent to it, and Shankar Mahadevan does a great job with the song. It's a love song -- but in YSR's hands, there's more to it as well. It's a pleasant way to end the album. We're coming back to that melody now. The lyrics are also good.
Between a Very Nice and an Excellent.

Junior Senior Music Review

Junior Senior

For a long time (since maybe "Thalapathy"), I've been a Mammootty fan. Ever since "Nandhaa", I've been a die-hard Yuvan Shankar Raja fan and see him as the next upcoming big thing to hit Tamil cinema.

Does YSR keep up his solid reputation with "Junior Senior"? Well, yes, he does, and quite well. I could listen to three of these songs again and again -- and the other three aren't too bad, either. The only problem I have with the album is that a couple of these songs sound a bit like older YSR compositions, and repetition is a surefire killer of new music directors. I know that YSR has the talent to get past that repetition -- but he hasn't quite yet.

Good strong album. Just not YSR's best, or even close to it.

Don't worry, Yuvan Shankar Raja, I know you'll deliver with "Pop Carn."

SONG-BY-SONG REVIEW:

Aanandham -- Unnikrishnan.

YSR albums always begin with a bang. He often slams us with his best song early on in the album, and "Junior Senior" is no exception. "Aanandham Pennukkullae", beautifully and subtly sung by chameleon Unnikrishnan definitely qualifies as one of the best songs, if not the best song, on the album. Great lyrics, organized composition, beautiful subtle music, and great singing. Who could ask for more? "Junior Senior" is off to a hefty start. Excellent!.

Naan Oruvan -- Vijay Yesudas.

Initial listen, I thought this song rendered by Yesudas' son, Vijay Yesudas, was pretty bad. The gunshots sounded tacky, and the song didn't seem to have any rhythm. But I have since revised my opinion. "Naan Oruvan" grows on you, and the song is brilliantly composed, starting off softly and then getting more and more alive. Vijay Yesudas also does a perfectly capable job on the singing, and YSR keeps up his reputation of being able to find the perfect singer for each song. Excellent!

Pudhusaai Pudhusaai -- Srinivas, Tippu. "

Pudhusaai Pudhusaai," unlike "Naan Oruvan" is an instantly likeable very fun very exciting song. From the moment the first "Engae engae enthan ottrai roja devathai?" line first came up, I've been hooked ot it. Great song. No more needs to be said. Plus, I have to say it it: Tippu, who initially started out strained, is now showing much improvement. Excellent!

Srirungara Kannaa -- Uncredited Singer.

This is one of those YSR songs that sound like we've heard it before in a previous YSR composition -- this sounds like "Alagaana Suriyan" from "Manathai Thirudi Vittaay." But it's still a great song. The female singer who sings it does a magnificent job, and the beat is nice. Not the best song for repeated listening, but the lyrics are good, the singing is good, and the beat, while familiar, is good. Very Nice.

Thithippai -- SPB, Swarnalatha.

There's been a disturbing trend recently of handing SPB the worst song on the album in hopes that he will turn that song around and make it good. (This definitely was not the case in YSR's "Nandhaa," where YSR gave SPB arguably the best song on the album -- "Mun Paniya.") Unfortunately, SPB can't make an average song good; he can only make a great song perfect. That's the case with "Thithippai," the only really disappointing song on this album. Adequate singing, usual music, very average lyrics. Nice!

Oh Shalalala Jamai -- Yuvan Shankar Raja, Yugendran, Prem.

Another familiar sounding YSR ditty; this sounds like "All Day Jolly Day" from "Manathai Thirudi Vittaay." The song really aren't that similar; it's just that the average lyrics, YSR's voice, and the beat make them sound that way. Nice dance youth song, but not really my kind of thing. The album started off strong with three excellent songs, and then went downhill (but not too far downhill) from there. Nice.

April Madhathil Music Review

April Madhathil

Anyone entering a music shop is sure to raise the eyebrows seeing the number of albums in the stands that are scored by Yuvan Shankar Raja. Among them “April Mathathil” is the recent best seller.

The album opens with “Poi solla” sung by Yuvan himself with lyrics of Snegan. Yuvan has sung in many of his previous films, but in this song his voice sounds so mature and professional. The song begins with captivating BGM and with subsequent hearings it is extremely addictive. Right from his first film Yuvan is strong in composing soft melody numbers. He proves this in “Yeh Nenje” a beautiful duet by Harish Ragavendra and Sadhana Sargam. Thamarai has penned the lyrics very well.

Next comes “Manase Manase”,a farewell song by Karthik. Being a special occasion song, this will become immortal and played year after year in every farewell parties. But Yuvan could have concentrated more on the song. Though lyrics by Pa.Vijay is very sentimental and touching, Karthik’s voice expresses the emotion of the situation.should express.


“Kanavugal Pookum” by S.P.B. and Shalini is a toe-tapping number promptly spoiled by poor choice of female singer. The song has nice lyrics by Na.Muthukumar. The song is pretty catchy with refreshing beats and will be liked by people on initial hearing itself. Even S.P.B. finds it difficult to accommodate words like “February” into the tune.


“Site adippom” by T.R. Silambarasan and Karthik is sure to hit the charts. Lyrics by Pa. Vijay are so pedestrian and more or less like prose. Still the song escapes with the help of the tune and beats. Since it depicts the day to day life of teenagers and college goers it is sure to attract the younger generation.

During the 80’s and early 90’s, Raja ruled the film music with a long list of films in all regional languages. His speciality is his versatality that though 6 films get released on a day, all with his music, none of the songs will resemble one another. Yuvan Shankar Raja having proven his calibre in films like “Thulluvadho ilamai”, “Dheena” and “Nandha” now has 15 + films in hand. and he is consistent in giving quality music.

Mounam Pesiyadhe Music Review

Mounam Pesiyadhe

Only in our film albums, we get a masala mixture of all styles from Jazz, Rock, classical to folk in a single cassette. "Mounam Pesiyadhe" is one such album much hyped by wide publicity. In an interview Yuvan had pointed a particular song from this album to be his favourite song among his compositions. Being directed by Ameer who worked as an assistant director to Bala and from the producers of "Nandhaa" the film has high expectations.

The album starts with "En anbe" song which begins with an enchanting flute piece by Naveen. The beautiful song in Shankar Mahadevan's voice tries to express the pain of a lover. Without much percussion dominance the song survives by Shankar Mahadevan's emotional crooning and decent lyrics by Kaamakodiyaan.

Next comes the pick of the album, "Chinna chinnathaai" by Yuvan shankar and Hariharan. Yuvan has done a lot of experiments in this song like using techno kind of music, sudden transition to rock style, charanam part with minute pause between subsequent lines and the result is that we get a superb song.The theme of the song is love failure and it is enned by Puduvai Nambi. The humming of this song is sure to stick on to the lips and heart of listeners.

"Aadaatha aatam" by Karthik has lyrics by Snehan. This song is a free-flowing song of IR's style with folk mixed in right proportion. The lyrics are very much philosophical and could very well mistaken for a song from Rajini's movie.

"Eh Nanbane" by Shankar Mahadevan and Hariharan is a catchy number again penned by Snehan. It's about friends coaxing the hero not to get angry and not to blame love.

"Arubathu aayidichu" by Manickam vinayakam and Malgudi Shuba has Vaalee's lyrics. It's a mediocre song and it's success depends on the picturisation of the song.

"Ilamai" by Nidesh gopalan and Yuvan is a song set in a situation where a group of friends enjoy roaming around the streets and sing.Usually such songs will have high pitch tunes with beats but here Yuvan has tried a new style and still it conveys the feel.

"Love all day" is the theme music and it begins with Yuvan chanting some meaningless words and bizzard beats. Lyrical credit has been given to Director Ameer for this song???!!! which has only one line i.e., "love all day" .

Ameer has written the lyrics for the song "Kannin" by S.P.Balasubramanian and Thara. Thara's voice resembles Bhavatharini's. This song is the replica of "Chinna chinnathaai" song but a duet in happy mood. Thara must have been very tensed during recording that her voice fails to express the feeling.

With Yuvan's efforts to mix the songs in London, giving techno kind of music and experimenting new kind of music the album is a overall good album to buy. But still with more techno kind of music creeping in, the usual touch of Yuvan Shankar is sadly missing in this album. Some of the songs have musical dominance that it's hard to pick out the lyrics.

Kadhal Samrajyam Music Review

Kadhal Samrajyam

The last month or so has not been a good time for Tamil music fans. We've been given subpar work by even the greats like Ilayaraja and A.R. Rahman, and it's been quite a long time since I've heard a good Tamil album I could get into. The last good album was "Hey! Nee Romba Alagaa Irukka" and it's been a while since that came out.

Being a Yuvan Shankar Raja fan, I was pinning all my hopes on YSR to produce the next good album.

Thankfully, he does not disappoint, and we have some very nice songs for his new album. This is not a classic album, and it won't go down in history as the best, but it'll bring my attention back to Tamil music from Hindi music (I've been listening to "Mera Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai"'s superlative soundtrack in recent days).

Good consistent effort.

Oh yes -- starring in this film are SPB Charan, Yugendran, and a couple of other singers. That's one major hype-mark for this movie. We've had dance masters become heroes; next directors are becoming heroes; and now singers are becoming heroes.


1. Iru Kanngal Sollum -- Balram, Gopika Poornima.

Melodious music, melodious singing, and good lyrics. The more I listen to this song, the more I discover to like. It's a great song of first love, and a great way to start off the soundtrack. Balram is fantastic, proving his mettle after "Paarthaalae Paravasam." Gopika Poornima has a great voice as well. Both singers have done very well. I'm liking this song quite a bit. Between a Very Nice and an Excellent.

2. Kalloori Paadam -- Shankar Mahadevan.

We have a youth song sung with excitement by Shankar Mahadevan. The lyrics are the usual youth song lyrics, though there are some funny lines here and there ("Ava paesum English-a kaettukko / Puriyaatti thalaiyai mattum aattikko!") The beat is very fast and very good, and I'd like to see this song picturized. It's a youth song, but with a great beat, and God help me, despite the lyrics, I like this song (especially the chorus instrumental!) Very Nice.

3. Sithamma -- SPB, Sujatha.

SPB and Sujatha, who have been singing duets from since before I was even born, continue with a pretty good love song. The music isn't as modern and as nice as the other songs, and the lyrics aren't that great, either, making this song a step down from the previous songs, but it's still pretty good. Nice.

4. Tholi Thola -- Karthik.

Aha. What a beautiful song. Karthik, who's been given the dumbest songs to sing in other films, here melodiously sings a beautiful sad song with excellent music and excellent lyrics. This is just a beautiful song and the best on the album. I simply love it. The instruments used are excellent, the singing is excellent, the lyrics are excellent. Excellent.

5. Vidinjaakka Kalaanam -- Chitra Sivaraman.

At first listen, this song begged to be labeled the worst song on the album. But it'll grow on you. The music will grow on you and Chitra Sivaraman's singing will grow on you. The lyrics -- not that great -- do provide a few insights as to what the story of this film is going to be about (I'm not optimistic -- "Vidinjaakka kalaanam / Moonu paeru maappillai" doesn't seem like the best plot- line, but we'll see). Maybe the worst song on the album, but in a good album like this, that's not a bad thing. Nice.

6. Mullai Poo -- SPB Charan, Venkat Prabhu, Yugendran.

Wow. Another great song. The music is just innovative and different. The singing is appropriate and beautiful. The lyrics are pretty good. This is not the kind of song for everyone, but I like it a great deal. SPB Charan does quite well. Excellent.

7. Poovai Soottu -- Pavithra.

Remember the "Wayawayaho" song from "I Love You Daa"? This song reminded me of that quite a great deal. Here's a youth song from the female point of view. Pretty good youth music, pretty good singing, but the problem lies with the lyrics. (Does "Naan chicken soup" really mean anything?) This is a good song to listen to, but the lyrics kind of bring it down a little. Between a Nice and a Very Nice.

8. Salsa Theme -- Instrumental.

An okay instrumental, except for the fact that I don't really see its point of being. Why include it at all? It's not really that great an instrumental. It's all right. Nothing great. Nice.

Manadhai Thirudivittai Music Review

Manadhai Thirudivittai

I always look forward to releases of music from Prabhu Deva because his albums are most always very pleasing to listen to, and sometimes are excellent ("Ninaivirukkumvarai"). And plus, this is by Yuvan Shankar Raja who did the amazingly fun "Dheena" album, and who's proved himself time and time again in light-hearted fare. And "Manathai Thirudi Vittaai" did not disappoint. It's a pleasant album that's worth listening to, even if not something to get excited over.
Alagaana Surieyan --

Sujatha starts us off with this very melodious album-opener. Music is melodious. The lyrics are well-written. A great start, with a great melody that is both hummable and sweet, and matches the intentions of the music very nicely. Between Very Nice and Excellent!

Color Color --

This is my favorite song on the album, not because of the lyrics but because of the singing (by Chitra Sivaraman, who sings exactly as the nature of the song demands) and because of the music. YSR has pulled no punches in this song, and the instrumentals in this song are equal to the best of his father's. Excellent!

Holiday Jollyday -- Yuvan Shankar Raja himself sings this "fun song." Whenever I use the words "fun song" you know that lyrics are not a main concern here. I think this song will be a hit with the youth audience since it's very danceable and has some great backbeats. Nice youth song -- not on the level of YSR's work in "Thulluvatho Ilamai," but still very nice. Good music, but inane youth lyrics (extolling both youth and music) ruin the song just a little. Very Nice!

Kutty Kutty Pani Thuliyae --

This song reminds me a lot of "Neruppu Koothadikkuthu" from "Thulluvadho Ilamai," another YSR release. And though the music is pretty good, I hate it when music directors begin sounding repetitive (which is why I have disliked ARR's latest releases). So this song which would have been an "Very nice" is downgraded. Plus, the lyrics don't have that same bang quality of "Neruppu." Between Nice and Very Nice!

Manja Kaattu Maina --

Karthik and Sadhana Sargam bring us a love duet with the usual love lyrics. Listening to the song is nice enough, if not absolutely enthralling. Nice!

Sadu Gudu Aadaathae --

In every Prabhu Deva film, there is a dance in which Prabhu Deva and the heroine engage in hip-shaking dancing ("Karu Karu Karuppaayee" in "Elaiyin Sirippil"; "Anbae Nee Mayilaa?" in "Ninaivirukkumvarai") and for "Manathai Thirudi Vittaai", this song is it. Hariharan and Pavitharani sing capably, but the lyrics are a little bit stale. Between Mediocre and Nice!

Nandha Music Review

Nandha

Once I listened to the songs, I am now a hardcore Yuvan Shankar Raja fan. All the songs have wonderful music, and absolutely perfect lyrics. The songs will work masterfully with the film, and if you're in the right mood, the songs work excellently without the rest of the film, too. The more you listen to "Nandhaa," the more you will like it.

But then again, "Nandhaa" is not for everybody. There are no young college kids dances, no idiotic lyric dances. This is the kind of music for the fans of the music of such songs as "Engae Sellum Intha Paathai?" from Sethu or "Isaiyil Thodanguthamma" from Hey Ram.

Yuvan Shankar Raja, you've got a fan in me.


Mun Paniyaa --

The album opens with this song sung by S.P.B. and Malgudi Subha. Listen to it once, you'll pronounce this song mediocre. Listen to it again and again, actually listening to the lyrics, and you'll pronounce it a masterpiece. The lyrics are absolutely wonderful and the music is hauntingly heart-pounding. This is a love song, but it has such a melancholic underscore. Excellent!

Oraayiram Yaanai --

A perfect song with great lyrics, great vocals, and a rousing beat that'll work wonderfully in the background of the movie. Unnikrishnan really does well, proving that he has talent rivalling the masters. Listen to this song at FULL volume--you'll fall in love with it, guaranteed. Excellent!

Engengoe Kaalgal Sellum --

At first, I thought of this song as a cheap rip-off of "Engae Sellum Intha Paathai?" from Sethu. And though the lyrics sound the same, listen to all the lyrics, and listen to this masterful music. Beautiful and haunting. Ilayaraja's vocals sound familiar, but still wonderful. Excellent!

Maayane Andha --

Great song that mixes melody with a type of sad background beat very effectively. The female voices are very melodious. With a running time of under three minutes, this song can be classified as a "bit song." My favorite part of the song is the instrumental after all the lyrics are done. Excellent!

Kalli Adi Kalli --

Perfect lyrics. Excellent music. Anuradha Sriram and Madhumita do a very capable job. Again, the more you listen to it, the more you'll like it. If not for "Oraayiram Yaanai," this would have been my favorite song, but even then it comes so close. This song is so heart-breaking. It has the female singers singing of love and marriage, the male singers spouting vague patriotisms, and in the background and most heart-breaking of all, a small child's voice (a beggar, probably) with only one line, but one line that will absolutely make your heart bleed. If you don't mind the depressing undercurrent of the whole song, this is such a perfect song. Excellent!

Amma Endraalae --

If "Engengoe Kaalgal Sellum" is the "Engae Sellum Intha Paathai" of the album, then "Amma Endraalae" is the "Vaarthai Thavarivittaay." But for the first time, I enjoyed the "Nandhaa" version rather than it's "Sethu" counterpart. "Amma Endraalae" has absolutely brilliant lyrics, and the score is haunting and beautiful. Ilayaraja has sung it nicely. Excellent!

Thulluvatho Illamai Music Review

Thulluvatho Illamai

Idhu Kaadhalaa? --

Starting with one of the best songs on the album. It's all about a young man's first love, and his singing of it. Yuvan Shankar Raja himself does the singing, proving not only is he musically talented, but like Papa, also has the voice. Very young very cool music. If this song had been written for a "bigger" film, it would've been an instant hit. Excellent!

Theenda Theenda (Duet) --

A very Carnatic song for a, I'll just say it, sex song. Yes, it is a song about lovemaking. But are the lyrics raunchy? Nah, this isn't a Prasanth movie. The lyrics are actually quite nice and restrained. New lyricist Vijay has a future, I'd say. Unnikrishnan and Bombay Jayashree both do capable jobs with the singing. The music, as said, is very Carnatic, but still very melodious. Very nice!

Kannmunnae --

And boom. Here comes the best song of the album. An ultimate youth song, all about guys sitting around and sight-adikking girls. Also with a hilarious but oddly striking chorus ("dhaavini paarthaen, meesai vanthathu"). Again, YSR himself does the singing, and he's good. Instant hit. Excellent!

Vayathu Vaa Vaa --

A low-key love song when compared to the other songs on the album. Two people notice they are falling in love. Melodious music. The usual but still nice lyrics. Not the best song on the album, but still a pretty good one. Nice!

Neruppu Koothadikkuthu --

A song that would have direct influence down the line. Harris Jayaraj's "Padak Padak Pattaam Poochi" from Majnu would remind me of this song in the future. At first glance, a silly stupid little folk ditty. But listen closely, folks. This song, believe it or not, is a sad song. It's about getting on with your life when you've been knocked down. Venkat Prabhu does a great job with the singing, and Chitra Sivaraman is nice, too. Listen to the lyrics. Favorite lines: "Thoonbam intha thoonbam / Ithu manithanoda piranthathu / Unn kaiyil raegai pola / Aliyaamal kooda varuvathu." So I'm not a folk songs fan, but the intent of this song made me a fan. Excellent!

Theenda Theenda (Female) --

For an inexplicable reason, "Theenda Theenda" is heard again, almost exactly the same (only pronouns changed in the lyrics) but sung entirely by Bombay Jayashree instead of by both her and Unnikrishnan. The song was very nice, the first time around. . Nice!

Kaatrukku Kaatrukku --

The only song on the album that has inadequate singing. Harish and Harini both sound strained on some of the high notes. But musically? Wonderful. YSR plays with music easily, and in this song, combines three completely different instrumentals into one spot. How're the lyrics? A little dumb -- maybe the dumbest on the album. But it's another youth song. A friendship song. Lyrics don't need to be at their best. Great music, okay lyrics, and okay singing. And very addictive tune. Very Nice!