Music Reviews: Raavan

Raavanu00a0
Composer: AR Rahman
Lyricist: Gulzar
Label: T-Series
Price:u00a0 Rs 160
Rating ***

A follow-up to the Slumdog score and a collaboration with Mani Ratnam comes with enormous expectations.

Composer A R Rahman's soundtrack for Raavan is grandiose, multi-layered and brilliantly produced, but don't go in expecting an album that would surpass Delhi 6, his last shining outing.u00a0u00a0



If it was Spanish lyrics for Slumdog, here Rahman innovates using African-style vocals and rhythms, and crazy bull-fight horns in the opening track Beera, which introduces us to the film's lead character.

Behene De, which recalls sounds from Dil Se and Rangeela will linger on. Karthik sings with soul, and the strings that swell and swoon befit the lyrics -- "Behne de mujhe behne de/behne de paani ki tarah". So the distortion guitaru00a0 riffs come as a jarring interruption in this evocative track -- a musical contrast that didn't work.

Thok De Killi is an uptempo cut which again could have been straight out of Rang de Basanti but Sukhwinder Singh's vocals don't leave any room for comparisons. Here, Rahman uses a contrast again which works perfectly -- menacing heavy beats, the skinny sharp sounds of the shehnai, clap beats and a restless choir.

Next up, Rekha Bharadwaj sings Ranjha Ranjha with bluesy-bite and the Bulle Shah number takes on a menacing tone which plays on in a loop in your head. Our guess is that Khili Re is the boat song and is a flawless composition but fails to hold your attention for long, considering Rahman pumps adrenalin in the rest of the album. Save Khili Re for a rainy day.

Kata Kata sounds like Beera's twin brother. No African influences here but Rahman looks closer home at Rajasthan and Ila Arun for some hip grinding beats. Like Rukmini from Roja, this is Raavan's wedding night song -- raucous and rhythm-driven -- lots of horns and shehnai in this one too.

Raavan is not Rahman's best work with Mani Ratnam, but few composers inspire you to watch the film as soon as you're plugged into the soundtrack. This score definitely does that. It isn't instantly endearing but you can't help raise a fist after a few listens.