By Pavan R Chawla, Editor – RadioAndMusic.com

PATIALA HOUSE

Label: T-Series

Music: Shankar Ehsaan Loy

Lyricist: Anvita Dutt

The album of Patiala House, T-Series blockbuster production, is a well planned collection that fits beautifully – as it obviously should -- with the personality of the film. Rustic Patiala, rustic Punjab, which, at the same time, is as modern today as any other cosmopolitan Indian or international city with a South Asian diaspora. While one always awaits even more particularly, the music of a film that's produced by a music label, that anticipation becomes more pronounced when it's the music of a T-Series produced film, because it has Bhushan Kumar's direct involvement and therefore the music is always memorable, and even if it's not truly memorable, it does succeed, thanks to the big T marketing clout.

But this is not about the planning that's gone into finalizing the ingredients of the album. It is about the music that those ingredients finally created. Nevertheless, one was waiting to see how a threesome that's comprised of the very Hindustani -- in fact, perhaps slightly more Carnatic than Hindustani –voice and soul of brilliant singer Shankar, and two composers, Ehsaan and Loy, who are perhaps more modern and cosmopolitan than any other top music director today. How would this threesome actually end up interpreting and executing a modern album for a mega Patiala-steeped Bollywood project?  And what kind of music would they create?

Well, without getting into long winded descriptions of each track, here's a brief overview. Shankar Ehsaan Loy have come up trumps yet again, and have shown their penchant for delivering, especially on big occasions. With a superb lineup of some of the most melodious singers, beginning with Shankar himself, and including the rustic, soulful sufi maestro Hans Raaj Hans, the exquisitely melodious Mahalakshmi Iyer (how one wishes she'd get more assignments!), the brilliant Richa Sharma, Shafqat Amanat Ali and Jassi, plus the modern and stylish  vocals of Alyssa, Anushka and the rasping-fiery Hard Kaur to complete the spectrum, Shankar Ehsaan Loy have created memorable tunes that are stylishly, sometimes even sparsely,  arranged. Each song is well composed, and the tunes remain with you. The stylish sparseness comes through the lack of the traditional orchestra violin strings sections, and add to the earthiness that one likes in Punjabi music.

Now the tracks. The opening of Laung Da Lashkara actually defines the musical personality of the album – its lilting traditional tumba refrain and Hard Kaur's anglicized Punjabi â€?announcement' on a Punjabi dhol in an off beat, has Jassi coming in with the vocals, followed by a full bodied bass riff… and there you have it all – the traditional and the modern. Not searing fast, not slow, but a good song you can listen to, with a melody that  grows on you. Jassi is good; Mahalaxmi Iyer is better.

Laung Da Lashkara gives way to the plaintive Kyun Main Jaagoon, sung extremely well and softly by Shafqat Amanat Ali, who hits some good highs even as synthetic strings and some excellent piano and guitar pieces  meander through an easy-paced cry from the heart. A dichotomous mix here – elemental sadness riding slow, stylish swing. Very nice.

Then there's the beguilingly slow-to-start opener Rola Pai Gaya, which starts with a traditional ladies-sangeet-style â€?Mehndi Ni Mehndi',  which morphs into a swinging foot-tapper riding Panjabi dhols crisscrossed with angry guitar riff chords, moving from dhol to dholak, hard to soft. A full-on wedding situation song, well sung by Shankar, Mahalakshmi, Earl, Master Saleem and Hard Kaur. Now to see how far the picturization takes it.

The soft-rock based Aadat Hai Who, sung with feeling and style by Vishal Dadlani, is extremely reminiscent of Bread in the personality and sound of the composition. To my mind, this is the track most youngsters will relate to, just like they did with 3 Idiots' (Ik Pal To Hamein Jeene Do Jeene Do). Even though Vishal has to scream the lyrics in the emotional highs of the composition, Shankar Ehsaan Loy have retained the essential softness of the song. Eminently listenable.

Baby When You Talk To Me (Suraj Jagan and Alyssa Mendonsa) has very cool swinging beat and tempo, even though the drums in the opening bars are obviously programmed and artificial. But the track is a lilting composition, beautifully dressed with lilting keyboards and excellent seconds, riding a very jazzy rim-shots-laced beat that undulates stylishly along.

From the super stylish Baby When You Talk To Me, the album turns earthy and folksily heartwarming. Hans Raj Hans' warm, rustic voice sings a situational – probably wedding-based – song. Based on a simple dholak beat, this lovely, simply tune is dressed as a qawwali. Hans sings it with all the mischief the Anvita Dutt's lyrics call for. Picturised on Rishi Kapoor, the song will surely be a highlight on video too.

Aval Allah by the brilliant Richa Sharma, is a beautiful hymn extremely well sung, and will be as treasured by every devout Panjabi as was Ek Onkar, which A R Rehman had produced so exquisitely for RDB.

From here, the album gets into the formula territory of unplugged and remixed versions of the original songs. Kyun Main Jaagoon's Remix by the Asian Dub Foundation is basically the addition of a kick-heavy beat dueling with the tabla, with bass and synth effects, all of which, sounding forced,  only end up jutting into the pure melancholy mood of the original song. However, Baby When You Talk To Me, remixed by the London-based composer, producer, arranger, conductor and DJ Andres T Mackay, is a good example of how to remix an already good track without intruding into the mood of the song. If anything, it's as stylish as the original, with more of a house feel to the swing. Harry Anand should have listened to this before he remixed Rola Pe Gaya – remixing isn't just about adding a heavy beat to the original. However, he fares better in the second remix T Series entrusted him with – Laung Da Lashkara, where he's added a lovely light dhol, with pedal cymbals and meandering vocal synth effects filling it up nicely, stylishly.

Across its with 7 original tracks plus an unplugged version and four remixes, the music of Patiala House is a superhit blend of traditional and modern lyrics, sounds and music styles that reflect and would definitely appeal to both, the modern youngster in the metros of Punjab and the UK, and to the older generations too. The compositions are all memorable, which, ultimately is the only thing that gives an album staying power and makes it super successful. Shankar Ehsaan Loy have done it again.

Without a doubt, all the strong promotions of the album and film which started with the Radio Mirchi premier of the songs last week), the massive airplay the songs have already started to receive, plus the TV promotions of the songs picturized at 2 to 3 crores each, with all of the label's marketing might behind the promotions, Patiala House is guaranteed a huge opening. Whether the film will be a hit, only time will tell. The music is a super hit.