I have my reservations about the music of Aarakshan, but lucky for them that they have too few songs to rig my conscience for a victory vote.

Reviews of Aarakshan’s music have not been glowing with plaudits, and there’s reason to believe why it’s dividing so many ears into different directions. Much like the title of the film; mixed feelings, reservations, indecisiveness has hit the soundboard for listeners as it should have done for Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy by now.

Here’s how. Accha Lagta Hai – Mohit Chauhan and Shreya Ghoshal’s love-ly duet begins with the clattering of Banno Rani (1947-Earth), then goes into the silkiness of Acche Lagte Ho (Kuch Na Kaho), and marks a tempo to Mere Dil Ka Tumse Hai Kehna (Armaan). With so many inspired detours, it still hits a clairvoyant note when Shreya begs, ‘Zara short mein batlao na, seedhe point pe aao na.’ SEL, this is your cue.

The ‘chaanas’ in Mauka breaks the song’s trimetre pattern of tried and testy arrangement, thus salvaging it from ennui. Even then, let’s just watch the song play; it’s got a street-theatre flavour to it, good for anti-establishment campaign rallies during election season.

Lyricist Prasoon Joshi composes Saans Albeli/Kaun Si Dor for Pandit Chhannulal Mishra and Shreya Ghosal. It has a slight current; a nerve, a vein, a twitch of the supposed serene – how deep the water runneth beneath the cool, calm surface of a still water lake. A dark, sweeping quality not easily fused with classical singing. The result is, it stands out in Aarakshan’s quiver as its sharpest, most musical Cupid strike.

Shankar Mahadevan’s Roshanee has a magnum operatic scale – high and lows matched with a boisterous chorus segueing in and out of his already high pitched voice, singing a little out there – uh, outerspace. This is the kind of song, if you sang to specks of distant stars in faraway galaxies, they would agonizingly respond with more luminescence emitting from their dark, void matter – there are signs of life out there, ‘roshaneeeeeeeee,’ Shankar rightfully stretches his voice in light years to reach out.

SEL’s current crop of duds (Game, Zokkomon, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara), is also light years away from anything original from them in a long, lumbering time. They need to take a break, one that takes them some time to get back to us from you know where.

Source: Buzzintown

http://www.buzzintown.com/mumbai/article-review–exclusive-aarakshan-music-review/id–3339.html