REVIEWS
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ROY -ANKIT TIWARI, MEET BROS ANJJAN, AMAAL MALLIK, T-SERIES Rs 199
Bollywood:
Neo-noir romantic thriller Roy has music by Ankit Tiwari, Meet Bros Anjjan and Amaal Malik with Kumaar, Abhendra Kumar Upadhday and Sandeep Nath having given the lyrics. Young composer composer Amaal Mallik makes deft use of EDM (electronic dance music) on the happy-go-lucky opening track Sooraj Dooba Hain. Arijit Singh's singing is endearing and Aditi Singh Sharma supports him ably. She takes over the reins in the alternate version which shows off her singing chops. Ankit delivers a tune in his signature style with Tu Hai Ki Nahi, which also features his voice as a melancholic lover.However, the song is too slow and Abhendra's words don't really stand out from the usual ballad fare. The unplugged version by singer Tulsi Kumar doesn't impress either. Chittiyaan Kalaiyaan features the hit pairing of composer trio Meet Bros Anjjan, their Baby Doll collaborators, singer Kanika Kapoor and lyricist Kumaar. The girly track sounds like something straight out of a happy Hollywood musical of yore. The trio has even managed to infuse some trap music into it.Ankit fares better on Boond Boond, thanks to the arrangement and the use of harmonium and guitar. Ankit's voice captures the sensual mood brilliantly. His next composition Yaara Re has KK gliding through an otherwise average number with grace. His voice lifts the song above the mediocre. An album that is equal parts soulful and peppy.
FOR YOUR PLEASURE (REMASTERED REISSUE) ROXY MUSIC, VIRGINPOLYDOR, Rs 295
RockPop: Roxy Music was a British glam-rock band whose most notable members were Brian Ferry (who would later have a successful solo career) and Brian Eno, a brilliant producer and sound engineer who has worked with the biggest names in music. This album was the second and last one with Eno. So, the musical styles in here are eclectic and for a first-time listener, somewhat lush and exotic too in terms of vocals and the electronic work on all the tracks. Do The Strand is definitely avant garde in style, with some jagged saxophone soloing and textured work on the VCS3 analogue synthesiser (the same synth first used by Pink Floyd on Dark Side... and by the Beatles on Abbey Road).
Beauty Queen is about Ferry's then-girlfriend who was, incidentally, a beauty queen. The title track has Eno's presence stamped strongly throughout with bold synth swathes and, quirkily enough, a much younger Judi Dench saying a few random phrases at the fade-out.
In Every Dream Home A Heartache is a song that will always resonate with those who lead emotionally bankrupt lives within a comfortable cocoon they call home. But before you think it's a heavy `message' song, it forays into tongue-in-cheek territory lyrically with references being made to inflatable dolls. In Every... was also one of Roxy Music's most popular cuts.Bogus Man clocks in at a little over nine minutes and is an instrumental. In most tracks, Ferry's suave delivery and tricky lyrics make for an interesting match.
UPTOWN SPECIAL MARK RONSON, SONY Rs 499
PopRap:
Mark Ronson is a DJ, producer and singer and this, his fourth album, seems to be a concentrated effort on his part to capitalise on the success he achieved after the release of his second album Version. Keeping things varied, you'll find elements of funk, soul and jazz. He's stepped aside from lyrical duties in about half the songs though, leaving that job in the capable hands of one Michael Chabon, a Pulitzer Prizewinning novelist. The only issue with this is that the songs and the music by itself really sound a bit disparate at rare times like the work of two distinct identities rather than the cohesive work of a single artiste. But thankfully, this feeling is only there on a few tracks. You get to hear Stevie Wonder on harmonica on the opener, Uptown's First Finale after which comes the gentler Summer Breaking.Feel Right is brisk, with a brass session and an attempted Motown feel. I Can't Lose has a funky feel, while Daffodils, with a falsetto style vocal is more mellow.Crack In The Pearl is another ballad while Leaving Los Feliz is smooth pop and Heavy And Rolling's best part is its jazzy coda. The best track though, is its UK chart-topping Uptown Funk, with Bruno Mars. Hip sounds indeed if you're looking to spice up your contemporary music playlist. This album is definitely a step in the right musical direction for Ronson.
NEVER BEEN BETTER (DELUXE EDITION) -OLLY MURS, SONY MUSIC Rs 599
Pop:
It has been more than five years, and Olly Murs has survived the long stretch from televised talent show to the dog-eat-dog pop world. Did You Miss Me? has Olly in his best cheeky demeanour. The riffs and chuckles are entertaining. His swagger is a lot like Justin Timberlake in Take Back The Night.Travie McCoy features in Wrapped Up, which has lascivious lyrics like `You got the lock, I got the key You know the rest, you know just where I want to be'. However, Olly is more comfortable in the laid-back, easygoing tracks where his natural charm shines through. Demi Lovato joins him in the folkdriven Up. However, the duet isn't what you'd expect, the lyrics are predictable and the sentiments aren't new. Olly is equally unnatural in the slow piano-driven Tomorrow and Nothing Without You. The best song on the album is Hope You Got What You Came For, co-written by Take That and One Direction collaborator Steve Robson. It asks the fitting question, how much do you really want from pop? While the answer is subjective, it is time for Murs to get over the balladdriven song wagon and get on to a lighter caravan of fun and frolic, because the best moments on Never Been Better are when Olly lets his personality shine through.
Bollywood:
Neo-noir romantic thriller Roy has music by Ankit Tiwari, Meet Bros Anjjan and Amaal Malik with Kumaar, Abhendra Kumar Upadhday and Sandeep Nath having given the lyrics. Young composer composer Amaal Mallik makes deft use of EDM (electronic dance music) on the happy-go-lucky opening track Sooraj Dooba Hain. Arijit Singh's singing is endearing and Aditi Singh Sharma supports him ably. She takes over the reins in the alternate version which shows off her singing chops. Ankit delivers a tune in his signature style with Tu Hai Ki Nahi, which also features his voice as a melancholic lover.However, the song is too slow and Abhendra's words don't really stand out from the usual ballad fare. The unplugged version by singer Tulsi Kumar doesn't impress either. Chittiyaan Kalaiyaan features the hit pairing of composer trio Meet Bros Anjjan, their Baby Doll collaborators, singer Kanika Kapoor and lyricist Kumaar. The girly track sounds like something straight out of a happy Hollywood musical of yore. The trio has even managed to infuse some trap music into it.Ankit fares better on Boond Boond, thanks to the arrangement and the use of harmonium and guitar. Ankit's voice captures the sensual mood brilliantly. His next composition Yaara Re has KK gliding through an otherwise average number with grace. His voice lifts the song above the mediocre. An album that is equal parts soulful and peppy.
FOR YOUR PLEASURE (REMASTERED REISSUE) ROXY MUSIC, VIRGINPOLYDOR, Rs 295
RockPop: Roxy Music was a British glam-rock band whose most notable members were Brian Ferry (who would later have a successful solo career) and Brian Eno, a brilliant producer and sound engineer who has worked with the biggest names in music. This album was the second and last one with Eno. So, the musical styles in here are eclectic and for a first-time listener, somewhat lush and exotic too in terms of vocals and the electronic work on all the tracks. Do The Strand is definitely avant garde in style, with some jagged saxophone soloing and textured work on the VCS3 analogue synthesiser (the same synth first used by Pink Floyd on Dark Side... and by the Beatles on Abbey Road).
Beauty Queen is about Ferry's then-girlfriend who was, incidentally, a beauty queen. The title track has Eno's presence stamped strongly throughout with bold synth swathes and, quirkily enough, a much younger Judi Dench saying a few random phrases at the fade-out.
In Every Dream Home A Heartache is a song that will always resonate with those who lead emotionally bankrupt lives within a comfortable cocoon they call home. But before you think it's a heavy `message' song, it forays into tongue-in-cheek territory lyrically with references being made to inflatable dolls. In Every... was also one of Roxy Music's most popular cuts.Bogus Man clocks in at a little over nine minutes and is an instrumental. In most tracks, Ferry's suave delivery and tricky lyrics make for an interesting match.
UPTOWN SPECIAL MARK RONSON, SONY Rs 499
PopRap:
Mark Ronson is a DJ, producer and singer and this, his fourth album, seems to be a concentrated effort on his part to capitalise on the success he achieved after the release of his second album Version. Keeping things varied, you'll find elements of funk, soul and jazz. He's stepped aside from lyrical duties in about half the songs though, leaving that job in the capable hands of one Michael Chabon, a Pulitzer Prizewinning novelist. The only issue with this is that the songs and the music by itself really sound a bit disparate at rare times like the work of two distinct identities rather than the cohesive work of a single artiste. But thankfully, this feeling is only there on a few tracks. You get to hear Stevie Wonder on harmonica on the opener, Uptown's First Finale after which comes the gentler Summer Breaking.Feel Right is brisk, with a brass session and an attempted Motown feel. I Can't Lose has a funky feel, while Daffodils, with a falsetto style vocal is more mellow.Crack In The Pearl is another ballad while Leaving Los Feliz is smooth pop and Heavy And Rolling's best part is its jazzy coda. The best track though, is its UK chart-topping Uptown Funk, with Bruno Mars. Hip sounds indeed if you're looking to spice up your contemporary music playlist. This album is definitely a step in the right musical direction for Ronson.
NEVER BEEN BETTER (DELUXE EDITION) -OLLY MURS, SONY MUSIC Rs 599
Pop:
It has been more than five years, and Olly Murs has survived the long stretch from televised talent show to the dog-eat-dog pop world. Did You Miss Me? has Olly in his best cheeky demeanour. The riffs and chuckles are entertaining. His swagger is a lot like Justin Timberlake in Take Back The Night.Travie McCoy features in Wrapped Up, which has lascivious lyrics like `You got the lock, I got the key You know the rest, you know just where I want to be'. However, Olly is more comfortable in the laid-back, easygoing tracks where his natural charm shines through. Demi Lovato joins him in the folkdriven Up. However, the duet isn't what you'd expect, the lyrics are predictable and the sentiments aren't new. Olly is equally unnatural in the slow piano-driven Tomorrow and Nothing Without You. The best song on the album is Hope You Got What You Came For, co-written by Take That and One Direction collaborator Steve Robson. It asks the fitting question, how much do you really want from pop? While the answer is subjective, it is time for Murs to get over the balladdriven song wagon and get on to a lighter caravan of fun and frolic, because the best moments on Never Been Better are when Olly lets his personality shine through.
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