Kaalai - Audio Review

Kaalai is the best audio to open 2008's music releases along with Bheema, which got shifted from 2007 to 2008. The film stars Silambarasan, Nila and Vedhika in lead roles. The film's music is by A.R.Rahman's nephew G.V.Prakash Kumar, who already had a great 2007 with musical chart busters.

Prakash impresses once again in Kaalai with a line up of songs that caters to all class of audiences. And as usual, it features a host of popular names in the credits.Kaala Kaala
Singers: Mamtha Mohandass, Benny Dayal

This I would say is the best song in the album, sung beautifully by a beautiful Mamtha. It sounds a little bit similar to "Vallava ennai vellava" in tune and mood. The orchestration is excellent and Benny Dayal's voice is powerful as in power of the hero. There is nothing great in the lyrics though, and its sound slike dialogues tuned into a song. Mamtha starts the song on a melody note and slowly captivates you with her stylish singing. The mandolin bit towards the end is superb.

Rating: 10 - 0.6(for bad lyrics) = 9.4

Gutkha Gutkha
Singers: Lucky Ali, Sunidhi Chauhan

No one would have imagined Lucky Ali's voice in a Tamil kuthu song. Here he along with Sunidhi Chauhan gives us an excellent techno form of kuthu that will leave you dancing in joy, to say the least. The difference in such songs tuned by Yuvan or Imman is that you will still get a keyboard-in-studio effect, where as this song has the feel of a big orchestra. You feel it with very few compositions like Rahman or Harris, and you will feel it here for sure. The singers are both energetic and the drums are rocking.

Rating: 10 - 0.6(for music in few places eating up words) = 9.4

Eppo Nee
Singer: Madhushree

Madhushree is one of the most luckiest singers in Tamil Industry. Inspite of her most horrible tamil diction and a voice which sounds very similar to Sadhana Sargam, she gets to sing a lot of well tuned solo numbers even today. Surely any other singer like Shreya Ghosal would have done more justice to this song, but still it is a very good song. The tune sounds familiar but is well composed. It has a slight folk touch also. The song has some good lyrics in this album, which are unfortunately damaged by Madhushree's diction. Nevertheless, its a lilting melody that demands repeated listeing.

Rating: 10 - 1(for Madhushree) = 9.0

Kutti Pisaase
Singers: Silambarasan, Suchitra

A very fast number sung by Silambarasan and Suchitra with their fullest energy. Silmabarasan sounds really good unlike his previous songs where I always felt touch of TR ;-) It sounds like a combo of Ennasai Maithiliye and Yammaadi Aathadi from Simbu's older movies. The heavy drum beats brings in the mood of the song. There is again nothing great in the lyrics, of course it doesn't matter for such songs. There is a "Dandanakka Danakkunakka" bit which is TR's identity for mimics for a long time. :) The chorus with kids is impressive.

Rating: 10 - 0.8(as there is nothing new, bad lyrics) = 9.2

Veeramulla Eeramulla
Singers: Seergazhi Sivachidambaram, Manikka Vinayagam

A full fledged folk speaking about the spirit of the Tamil soil. The singers have done a good job and the sound of lots of folk instruments like Nadaswaram, Thavil, Urumi, Thappatai(and others whose names I don't remember) create a typical village like feel when you listen to it. There is a somewhere heard feel but the song is very good to hear.

Rating: 10 - 0.8(nothing new, words are masked by music) = 9.2

Vandhutaanda Kaalai
Singers: Rahul Nambiar, Benny Dayal, Silambarasan

The song with the worst possible lyrics, sorry dialogues which are rhyming, as in rhymes of TR. Add to that Silambarasan's full throated shouting that is loud enough to deafen you. Rahul and Benny have not much of a job to do except to sing in harmony a few meaningless lines here and there. The orchestration however is very good and is the only saving grace of the song.

Rating: 10 - 0.7(for lyrics) - 1(Simbu) = 8.3

Overall Rating: 9.1/10
Verdict: Worth a listen. Very Good.