Music Review Catch-Up | July-September 2017

While I was scooping for missed music albums for this quarter, I realized that I have missed a lot of albums which otherwise I would have loved to review them individually. But the time that is lost is gone. Looking ahead we have 12 albums that I will be catching up reviews on in this post.

A lot of you readers might not be aware about some of these movies, hence I have provided IMDb links to plot summary. So without further ado, let's get right into it!

(Songs highlighted in RED are my picks from the each album. You can just listen to these and get the feel of entire album in case you are short on time or feel like you have better things to do in life than listen to music)

(Click on the movie name to listen to the songs on Saavn)

Lipstick Under My Burkha
Music: Zebunnisa Bangash
Plot Summary: IMDb
Jigi Jigi is a qawwali that talks about the desires of women. It has a unique blend of Arabic-style of music and brass band. The song is sung by the composer herself
Ishquiya sounds like a retro disco number. Unlike regular dance numbers, this has a message to the misogynistic society.
Le Li Jaan is inspired from Afghan legend Ahmad Zahir's Laili Jon. There is also an orchestral Coke Studio version of the song featuring the composer and her cousin Haniya Aslam. Though I must admit, hindi lyrics don't really suite with Afghani music.

Indu Sarkar
Music: Anu Malik, 
Plot Summary: IMDb
Chadhta Sooraj Dheere Dheere needs no introduction. It is a very popular qawwali by Aziz Nazan. This song is sung by his son Mujtaba Aziz and recreated by Anu Malik
Ye Awaaz Hai is an innocent song turned dark. Surprsingly Monali Thakur's voice doesn't change with the mood, it is just the music that turns dark. It's an eight minutes long song so listen to it at leisure.
Dilli Ki Raat is a typical 80s Bollywood disco number by Bappi Lahiri. This song also features Anu Malik's daughter Anmol Malik. You can sense the Anu Malikness in his daughter's singing.
Yeh Pal brings back the 90s era of whistling which was popularized by another Anu Malik song Chori Chori (Kareeb)

Mubarakan
Music: Amaal Mallik, Gourov-Roshin, Rishi Rich
Plot Summary: IMDb
The Goggle Song is a Punjabi dance song I didn't want Sonu Nigam to be part. That itself tells how ordinary the song is.
Mubarakan (Title Track) is a good mix of retro Yamma Yamma and pop and lock beats until Badshah drops in. I am waiting for him to be irrelevant soon.
Jatt Jaquar is worth skipping. Trust me, there are a lot of better Punjabi pop songs out there to give your valuable time to.
Haathon Mein Thhe Haath is a really good song that is trying to juggle between to good singers - Papon and Altamash Faridi. Wherever Papon starts to drop, Altamash takes the mantle and rises again. This song didn't let me enjoy it fully, ended too soon.
Hawa Hawa is a disastrous remix of the cult song Hawa Hawa by Hasan Jehangir. I find it ridiculous when someone changes the lyrics of the chorus itself. *smh*
Dil Dhadke Louder Louder is so confusing even the makers changed the lyrics to it on YouTube. Save yourself the confusion and stress, skip it.

Toilet - Ek Prem Katha
Music: Vickey Prasad, Manas-Shikhar, Sachet-Parampara
Plot Summary: IMDb
Hans Mat Pagli is one of those songs that are worth melting for with someone. How can you not melt when Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal sings - "Hans Mat Pagli/Pagle, Pyaar Ho Jayega". The song falters in the antara but manages to steal a smile from my face in the chorus.
Bakheda is not a naughty song, but it is a natkat song. Though both - Sukhwinder & Sunidhi being powerful singers, when they sing chorus together, their scales don't match.
Gori Tu Latth Maar is a really emotional song if you have the right context from the movie. It is a Holi song and talks about the fight between Radha and Krishna
Subha Ki Train is not how it is read but how it is sung in the song. It is - "Subahhh ki Tiraain". This song is a metaphor comparing the early morning train to love.

Babumoshai Bandookbaaz
Music: Gaurav Dagaonkar, Abhilash Lakra, Joel Dubba, Debojyoti Mishra
Plot Summary: IMDb
Barfani (Male) is classical yet modern song. It is one of those seductive songs, but from male perspective. The lyrics are strong as well - "Let us melt together in this icy night". 
Barfani (Female) is the same exact song with same lyrics but sung by Orunima Bhattacharya.
Aye Saiyan is a sexy twist to creepy Bhojpuri song Ae Budha Kajar Lagayila (do not watch the video, you have been warned). This song talks about the fading jawaani and an effort to keep it alive.
Ghungta is another sexy twist to an old Kishore Kumar song - Hai Re Hai Tera Ghungta. The way Neha Kakkar has sung, it sounds raunchy so watch the video at your own risk.
Chulbuli is a soothing rendition by Papon inspired from Kishore Kumar's Nakhrewali. I would have loved to have more jazz in this song.
Khali Khali is dark and depressing song by Mohit Chauhan. That doesn't necessarily mean it is not a good song. It is just not the song I would want to listen to it again.

Shubh Mangal Saavdhan
Music: Tanihsk-Vayu
Plot Summary: IMDb
Rocket Saiyyan is a big euphemism to men reaching the climax quickly. Maybe for the same reason this song is ends quickly in under three minutes. *applause for creativity*
Kanha is song where the girl is putting forth all the complaints she has about the guy, in a very cat eyes (read: innocent) way.
Laddo is another taunt at masculinity. This song talks about how men are as shy confessing their love. Mika Singh maintains this song aesthetically pleasing without going over-the-top
Kankad talks about how nothing can come between the couple, not even erectile dysfunction (that is what the movie is based on, in case you didn't know). It is not very often do we get to hear 2007 Sa Re Ga Ma Pa finalist Raja Hasan, who has a unique coarse tone.

Poster Boys
Music: Tanishk Bagchi, Rishi Rich, Sunai Marathe, Shreyas Iyengar, Sonny Ravan 
Plot Summary: IMDb
Kudiya Shehar Diyan is a remix version of Oye Hoye Di Kudiyan Sehar Diyan (Arjun Pandit). It is upto to you if you want to revisit this song.
Kendhi Menoo sounds like early 2000s hipster song. Rishi Rich doesn't seem to have catched up with time
Noor E Khuda is a qawwali by Kailash Kher. It succeeds in bringing out the sadness and pain in the song. It was too short for a qawwali.
The Posterboys Anthem can be skipped just like how you failed to realize this movie even existed until you read this.

Daddy
Music: Sajid-Wajid, Bappi Lahiri
Plot Summary: IMDb
Eid Mubarak is a celebratory qawwali. The song is too fast of a qawwali for my liking. I would have liked the singing to be in the forefront and not music.
Zindagi Mera Dance Dance is very true to its era it is portraying and who better to recreate that than Bappi Lahiri. This song features pop queen Alisha Chinai and Vijay Benedict who was the singer of the cult song I Am A Disco Dancer
You will like Aala Re Aala Ganesha if you are from Mumbai, purely because of it's context to Ganesha Utsav. Even though it has all the elements of a perfect Bollywood ganpati song, it doesn't match the expectations. The singer is to blame.

Lucknow Central
Music: Arjunna Harjaie, Rochak Kohli, Tanishk Bagchi
Plot Summary: IMDb
Kaavan Kaavan is a recreation of Sukhwinder Singh's Kawa Kawa from the movie Monsoon Wedding. Divya Kumar adds his own touch to it to transform it into a band song.
Meer-E-Kaarwan is a beautiful coming of age song by Amit Mishra. Pleasantly surprising to hear Amit Mishra sing in mid and low scales.
Teen Kabootar is a jamming song. It has a mix of funky lyrics, rap and classical sargam. Mohit Chauhan, Divya Kumar and Raftaar are a unique combination of singers this song explores and does not disappoint.
Rangdaari is the first Arijit Singh song of this article. The song celebrates the colorful life we have. I would have probably listened to it on loop if there were a unplugged version of it.
Kaavan Kaavan (Remix) - the name itself is sufficient to describe and review the song. This is one of those many remixes you must have heard in clubs all these years.
Baaki Rab Pe Chhod De is an electronic dance number with ekdum desi lyrics.

Newton
Music: Rachita Arora, Naren Chandavarkar, Benedict Taylor
Plot Summary: IMDb
Composer Rachita Arora makes Amit Trivedi lend his voice to Chal Tu Apna Kaam Kar. The song has big-mouthed lyrics to make people mind their own business. The song heavily relies on Amit's voice with just minimalistic guitar strums in the background.
On the other hand, Chal Tu Apna Kaam Kar - Raghubir Yadav Version is a drastic departure from the original song. This version sounds nothing like the original one. It is the folk song version of the Amit Trivedi's version sung by none other than on-screen Chacha Chaudhary.
Panchi Ud Gaya is a 'victory-after-a-long-struggle' song. The song has just ten lines of verse and is majorly instruments and harmonics.

Bhoomi
Music: Sachin-Jigar
Plot Summary: IMDb
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan brings innocent romance to Lag Ja Gale. This song has checks all the boxes we expect from his songs - high pitch, aalap, looping chorus.
Trippy Trippy is a perfect blend of desiness and raunchiness. The song talks about saiyaan giving a hickey. "Hickey Hickey" catchphrase will get stuck in your brain like a hiccup.
Kho Diya is an emotional and soulful song with a slightly overpowering music.
Will You Marry Me is a disastrous mix of lyrics, music and autotune. Such a wastage of talented singers - Jonita Gandhi and Divya Kumar
Daag is a dark song about the societal repercussions of being involved in a bad deed. Sukhwinder Singh brings out those emotions brilliantly as usual.
Jai Mata Di is a song you would expect Ajay Gogavle (Ajay-Atul fame) to sing. It is a mataji chants and probably used during intense scenes in the movie. Sanjay Dutt chants a few lines in this song as well.
Lag Ja Gale (Duet) is a duet version (duh!) of the original song featuring Shruti Pathak as female singer. However, Rahat sahab totally overpowered Shruti when they both sang together.
If you are a daughter, Mere Baad will move you. The lyrics are powerful and they hurt with the reality. The slow pacing of the song adds to the emotions

Haseena Parkar
Music: Sachin-Jigar
Plot Summary: IMDb
Tere Bina is a soulful romantic duet with popping beats and sitar pulls. There is a female only version of it sung by Priya Saraiya which is much slower and has more depth to it.
Bantai is a Mumbaiyaa rap song. This song is a mix of Ganpat and Javed Jaffery's Mumbhai.
Piya Aa is a stereotypical template 90s item number. You have heard a lot of these. Skip it!

Finding good songs in a catch-up review is like finding a needle in a haystack. However, few songs distinctively stood out. So, here is a list of all my favourite songs from the above mentioned movies:
Jigi Jigi
Le Li Jaan
Ye Awaz Hai
Dilli Ki Raat
Haathon Mein Thhe Haath
Hans Mat Pagli
Barfani (Male)
Chulbuli
Rocket Saiyaan
Zindagi Mera Dance Dance
Rangdaari
Chal Tu Apna Kaam Kar
Mere Baad

That is all I have for these albums now. I hope you found this review useful. If you did then feel free to share it. Let me know you favourite song of the album in the comments below. Until then, Ciao...!!

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