A R Rahman has been in hiatus for a long time now with respect to Tamil cinema...so when his album A Ah released, I grabbed a copy immediately. Has it been worth the wait? read on....
Anbe Aaruyirae
This song has been sung by Rahman himself. And boy what a song!!This song should be the introductory song for the hero, going by the https://lyrics. This song really rocks. This song alone justifies the wait for this album. The start of the song when he croons Ä Ah’’ is too good and the song just lifts off from that point. Usually it takes 3-5 hearings to start appreciating his songs but this song struck a chord from the very first listen. Rahman has sung the song with great zest and vigour and it shows in the song. The child chorus which is interjected at the right places adds appeal to the song immensely. Best to hear at a high volume especially in a car. Guaranteed that you will not move forward without hearing this song at least 2-3 times. This song has got me completely hooked.
Mayiliragae
This song has been sung by Naresh Iyer and Madhusree. This song is a melodious number. Every time he composes a melody, I think he cant get better and he proves me wrong everytime. Naresh is a good find by Rahman and his voice suits the mood of the song very well. Waiting to hear more from him in the future. Madhusree, has a good voice apt for the song, but as many MSians pointed out, her diciton spoils the song at some places. Her Pronounciation of ’’Mayiliragae’’ as ’’Maayilaragaae’’ really grates at a point and spoils the otherwise excellent song.The start of the song with the Shehnai I think is too good. Repeat value guarenteed, not withstanding Madhusree’s diction
Varugiraai
This song has been sung by Hariharan and Chithra. This is a song which the hero sings when the heroine has left him. This song is a sad song which is not sad!! By this what I mean is the tempo of the song is quite high but it is the lyrics which convey that it is a sad song. Hariharan renders the song beautifully especially, in the middle of the song when he goes at a high pitch. Chithra does the job adequately, though in my opinion she pales in front of Hariharan. A good song nevertheless
Thala Thala
This song has been sung by Sadhna Sargam and Blaaze. This is a typical S J Surya song. It is sung well by Sadhna, but personally I dont feel this song as appealing as the other ones and is the weak link of the album.
Thazhuvuthu
This song has been sung by Shreya Ghosal and SPB. This song did not quite appeal to me during the first hearings but gradually, this song has grown on me and now it is one of my fav songs of the album. The diction by Shreya is perfect, in fact excellent considering that the song is a tongue twister at the start. Her rendition is miles better than Madhusree’s. SPB as usual is the ideal foil and lifts the song with his interjections in the middle of the song. The interludes in the song are cool.
Maram Kothiye
This song has been sung by Shankar Mahadevan and Vasundhara Das. The tune is basically the same one as the Mayiliragae song, but with lots of techno and funky beats added, it becomes a very fast and extremely hummable song. Amazing how one tune can sound so different when accompanied by different instruments. The lead pair do a very good job and the Rap part sung by Blaaze is ok. A good song, overall
To sum it up, the first song alone is worth the loong wait which had to be endured. For all Rahman fans, the album is sure shot buy and for the others too...its highly recommended.It may not be his best...but it is still better than lot of other albums.... The King has come back....and yeh dil Maange more !!!!