SOK music - The return of the King

ARR is back with a bang with his latest album in Tamil, “Sillendru Oru Kadhal”. Though he was constantly coming up with good songs in Bollywood, it’s been long since he came up with a wholesome album in Tamil. And this was definitely a cause of disappointment for fans like me. But he has not let us down and his SOK album is a proof of that. The album is an outright entertainer with each song portraying a different aura. And I definitely have to mention Vaali here. He has come up with some beautiful lyrics that makes you appreciate the songs completely. In short, this album is a great relief from the mediocre “mass” albums that have been released lately. The songs,

Newyork Nagaram – Easily my favourite one of the album. I am a great fan of Rahman’s voice and to be frank, I definitely picked this one for ARR’s voice rather than his music. I especially loved the humming part. It’s very catchy. I truly admire Rahman’s choice of the songs for his voice (Unlike Yuvan...someone please tell him, his voice sucks). “Kannire” from Uyire, “Vellai pookal” from Kannathil Muthamittal and recent “Lukka Chuppi” from RDB are best examples of that. Another thing to watch out for in this song is the excellent guitar piece at the beginning.

Kummi Adi – A folk number sung by Seerkazhi Siva Chidambaram & Swarnalatha. The way the song starts is very impulsive. The pace of the song is so good, that you tap your feet automatically when u hear to it. The “Kummi Adi” chorus is very captivating.

Munbe Vaa – This is a melodious song rendered by Shreya Ghoshal & Naresh Iyer. The music is very light & soothing and the lead singers perfectly compliment each other. I am just hooked on to the “Rangoli” chorus. Its just amazing.

Jillendru Oru Kadhal – This looks like the title song. It’s based on Jazz music that gives a very different feel to the song. The singer Tanvi has given a very stylish rendition and seems to have thoroughly enjoyed singing it which is very evident in the song.

Majaa Majaa – Sounds like a very sensuous song. Shreya Ghoshal is brilliant as usual. What can I say, her voice is pure magic. But I was a little let down by the male voice, SPB Charan. I felt it did not blend in well with the mood of the song. I really wish SPB had sung this instead. It would have been another “Thanga Thamarai Magale”.

Machakari –This is a typical Vasundhra Das song and Shankar Mahadevan has tried to keep up the same tone here. The beats in the song are good. The song has a very western feel to it.

Maaricham – Not an instantly catchy song. It reminds me of the “Chandralekha” song from Thiruda Thiruda. The music is very slow and the lyrics are good.

Overall, a soft & romantic album from ARR, that truly ROCKS!