It is an absolute delight to hear the witty Malabar-flavoured lines written by Vineeth Sreenivasan in Kaikkottum Kandittilla - how often do you hear kaikottu and kithaab and kachara in a Malayalam song? Vaikom Vijayalakshmi may not have the authentic accent, but she more than makes up for it in her power-packed rendition, even as composer Shaan Rahman produces a sprightly background (the dhols and harmonium!) to the proceedings. In Enna Thallendammaava Vineeth’s lines sound like a tongue-in-cheek response to Kaikkottum. The arrangement carries a sense of déjà vu at its core, but Thaikkudam Bridge man Govind Menon’s violin solos and Sumesh’s guitar work are enough to make you overlook that. Topped with a wonderful vocal job by Vineeth and Shaan. The duo’s third song too is a wacky one. Titled Chennai Pattanam, this one comes with Tamil folk percussion and a very sing-along-ish jingle-like tune. Vineeth is supported by Arya Mohandas behind the mic. Short, but effective.
Yekkam Pogavillai’s Tamil words and the rock-based song built around them last just over a minute and a half, too short to make a solid impact. Shaan does a fine job of singing it while it lasts. Composer ropes in Agam frontman Harish Sivaramakrishnan for Paarvana Vidhuve. And playing to the singer’s strength, Shaan gives the song a classical fusion touch. Though composer does not manage to keep up with the very promising start he gives the song, it does make for an engaging listen. Singing is fab all through, Harish is supported well by Haritha Balakrishnan. Arun Alat gets the only melody of the soundtrack, Neelaambalin. A genre that he hardly fails with, Shaan delivers a sweet ditty here too, highlighted by some lovely use of violins (Cochin Strings). Also beautiful is the way Kavya Ajith’s voice is employed in the backdrop.
Oru Vadakkan Selfie. The ever-reliable team of Shaan Rahman and Vineeth Sreenivasan delivers yet again!
Music Aloud Rating: 8/10
Vipin Nair blogs at www.musicaloud.com