What's Your Raashee?
Music: Sohail Sen,
Lyricist: Javed Akhtar,
Rating: 2/5
Bang on!!
Starting with some of the tracks on the album, Jao Na begins with a brilliant guitar hook that eventually progresses into an up-tempo'ed track after its initial reprise. With minimal arrangements the song has good ambience and the essential feel good factor. In Aa Le Chal, its Aslesha Gowariker's dampened voice (Ashutosh Gowariker's sister) that does the magic for the song. For this radio friendly conversational song, actor Harman Baweja too joins in for some word fills. The jazzy-breezy song Pal Pal Dil Jisko Dhoonde again has Sen on vocals. The chorus part of the song almost makes you feel - 'hey thats the A R Rahman sound we know!!' Nevertheless – a good composition by the newbie director, with the potential to grow with time. Bikhri Bikhri again has Sohail Sen going behind the mic – this time along Marianne D Cruz. What stands out about this song is its contemporary ghazal feel which may appeal to a much larger audience.
Dampeners…
Aaja Lehraate is probably the rotten apple, more so, because of the heard before pumping-thumping beats – but that's not all. Words like whaco, wacazoo, woooo and all its derivatives, only add to the damage. Singer's Bhavya Pandit and Shaan, sadly, get wasted. Another dampener is Maanunga Maanunga which has Ashutosh Gowariker and Pamela Jain singing the funky conversational track. The song does not require great singing skills, so Ashutosh singing on the film is more of �novelty', one assumes.
On this album, Sen shows his singing versatility in nine out of thirteen songs. Though the listeners get a feel of where Sen's inspirations come from for most of the tracks, it's too early to talk about his own sound. The music of What's Your Rashee may not be mind-blowing, but it certainly incites the listeners to look forward to this new musician on the block called 'Sohail Sen'. Director Ashutosh Gowariker, who till now had largely worked with A.R Rahman for his films has perhaps introduced quality talent in the ailing music industry. Good, we say.
