Music Review of U Me Aur Hum by Aakash Gandhi

Music Review of U Me Aur Hum

Source: avstv.com   :::  By Aakash Gandhi

Reviewer’s Rating:  8.5/10

When an album embolds the credits of Vishal Bharadwaj, whether it be as Director, Writer, or Music Director, you must take notice.  U Me Aur Hum is no exception, as Bharadwaj takes the composer’s reigns for this Ajay Devgan directorial venture, which stars Ajay Devgan himself alongside wife Kajol for a breezy romantic comedy hitting theatres April 11. 

Bharadwaj, coming off of what many critics term as a disappointing musical effort in No Smoking, is out with a vengeance to showcase his originality, poise, and sheer quality as a qualified and very accomplished MD.  Talented lyricist, Munna Dhiman, rides alongside him yet again, as he pens the fresh words of U Me Aur Hum’s music.   Let’s get started, shall we?

The soundtrack starts off on a truly glorious note – U Me Aur Hum.  The first version has been sung picture perfectly by Shreya Ghoshal, while the second has been equally blessed by the timidly restrained vocals of Vishal Bharadwaj himself. 

U Me Aur Hum I:   A musical marriage takes place between arrangements, melody, and vocals.  Bharadwaj creates a slow synth rock ballad that oozes all over the aural environment.  The rhythmic journey is complete with textured bass lines, laced by a mildly paced synth drum.  The instrumental touches are the perfect highlight; as the strings kiss off the melody, the electric piano hovers beneath the vocals, and the light horns frolic alongside the brilliantly mastered rhythm. 

Melodically, the song is a drop of heaven.  Bharadwaj composes melodic streams that suit his entire off-beat approach to whatever he does.  The lines are subdued yet noticeable, restrained yet creatively injected.  All in all, the melody is purely addicting in its simplicity.  Shreya Ghoshal’s vocals are another taste of paradise as she kisses Dhiman’s words gently, while articulating Bharadwaj’s melody.  The mixing and mastering done on the tech front have worked wonders to give Ghoshal’s voice that edgy feel to fit the synth atmosphere.  Dhiman’s lyrics provide us with the musical tri-fecta that is U Me Aur Hum.  Tons of credit should be given to Bharadwaj and Dhiman for skillfully integrating the title line and the light rap into this soulful composition.  Verdict:  If heaven were to ever be found on Earth, it would be found within this title track. 

U Me Aur Hum II:  This version has been composed with a much more relaxed and folksy approach.  Bharadwaj blesses this piece with a sense of sincerity and innocence that such a number requires.  Acoustic riffs and a very light ballad create the perfect auditory backing for Bharadwaj’s casually touching vocals.  The marriage between piano and guitar create an extraordinary unity that takes this composition to a whole new level.  Extra credit should be given to Bharadwaj for incorporating a tender gender-free chorus throughout the soft composition to serve as the unique instrumental highlight.  Dhiman’s lyrics are pure poetry, as he picks up right where he left off in the first version.  Verdict:  I truly lack superlatives that could justly describe the musical integrity and artistic brilliance portrayed by this composition.  All I can come up with is…Awe-Inspiring!

A stunning Latin flavor infiltrates the score with Jee Le.  The piece is lit with an eerily romantic rendering of a Spanish verse (vocalist has not been credited).  Spanish guitar, string, piano, and brass soar all over this extremely animated song about love.  The melody is trimmed perfectly for the Spanish rhythm, while Bharadwaj wisely chooses two singers, Adnan Sami and Shreya Ghoshal, whose vocal ranges can easily account for the broadened genre of music.  The melodic crescendo, as the pace moves from slow to fast, seems to mimic the lyrical pace, as Dhiman begins with some poetic references to the destiny of love…and then moves towards a more outward and passionate perspective on the same.  Verdict:  A well orchestrated festive number that greatly adds to the versatility and diversity of U Me Aur Hum’s soundtrack. 

Bharadwaj breaks out Saiyaan with the DX Electronic Piano, an instrument rarely heard in the industry, yet seems to be a reoccurring ingredient in this soundtrack.  Although we’ve heard these semi-racy numbers quite a bit, Bharadwaj manages to add his signature touch yet again with creative interjections in the otherwise what-would-have-been ordinary rhythm.  Firewire synths, lead guitar, and dhol lines all make cameos throughout this highly injected number.  Sunidhi Chauhan plays her vocal part with extreme ease, which isn’t too difficult especially since the melody, although quality-filled, is fairly simple to render.  Dhiman’s lyrics are clever and succeed in side-stepping the flood of lyrical clichés heard in virtually every soundtrack these days.  Verdict:  Another fresh ‘n’ breezy number that adds to the musical potpourri that is U Me Aur Hum.

Phatte is an interesting track to take a look at it from a critic’s perspective. Rendered by Adnan Sami and Sunidhi Chauhan, Bharadwaj creates another off-beat composition that has a lot of things going for it, but still somehow fails to hold your attention for multiple listens.  Although Sami’s rendition seems to fit the grim aura of the song, if it were represented by an actor…then I’d have to say that the role has been slightly overplayed.  If you take the rhythm apart, then you’ll see that many different instruments and beats have infused together (creativity points should be given).  However, the end-result seems to be an auditory jumble of sounds that don’t quite harmonize as well as you would like them to.  Throw in a tipsy melody, and you have a song that really stumps me.  Verdict:  Bharadwaj’s musical mind was definitely in the right place, but the final product isn’t able to maintain itself and win you over for repeated listens.

Dil Dhakda Hai closes the soundtrack out on a lyrically unique note.  Rendered by Adnan Sami, Shreya Ghoshal, and Sunidhi Chauhan (who is wrongfully left out in the album credits) sing a track that is playful and chilled at the same time, thanks to Bharadwaj’s ear for detail.  VB holds a very steady rhythm throughout, as he rightfully highlights the melodic ingenuity.  With a medium paced harmony, Dil Dhakda Hai also highlights Dhiman’s hatke style of writing.  It irks me as to why Chauhan was not credited, since, despite a minor role, she is the best singer of the threesome.  In fact, Shreya’s role is equally minor when placed in perspective, and it would have been suitable to simply replace Shreya with Sunidhi throughout.  Verdict:  This good-humored/romantic song is a welcomed ending to an outstanding soundtrack.

It’s safe to say that Vishal Bharadwaj has rightfully redeemed himself for the criticism he received for last year’s soundtrack of No Smoking.  Regardless, with an impressive resume that boasts of such musical splendors as Maqbool and Omkara, to name a couple, Bharadwaj is a man who thrives to release sounds that are anything but bound by conformity and conventionality.

Devgan and Bharadwaj seem to have come together for another wonderful score in U Me Aur Hum.  My favorite songs, without question, are the two versions of the title track – simply spectacular.  Here’s wishing Ajay lots of luck on his new venture, and lots of luck to Bharadwaj for his next musical outing:  Karma, Confessions, and Holi.  We’re waiting with bated breath!  

-Aakash Gandhi