Indian 2 Songs – Music Review: Anirudh’s Decent Outing with Borrowed Flavors, Shankar’s Poorest Album!
Comparisons are unavoidable when the first installment is the biggest hit in the history of Tamil cinema, with a music score so popular and magical, crafted by AR Rahman. With Anirudh, the current sensation, joining hands with Shankar, who is known for extracting grandeur songs, let’s see how this album with six songs works and if it meets the expectations as a standalone album sans comparisons.
Paara [Our Pick] – A KGF–Toofan flavored anthem-song in Anirudh’s discography. The war-like mood with a thumping score and inspiring lyrics make this easily the best pick of the album.
என் தாய் மண் மேல் ஆணைஎன் தாய் மண் மேல் ஆணைஇது தமிழ் மானத்தின் சேனைஅட வெள்ளை ரத்தம் தொட்டுஇனி வாளில் ஏற்று சாணை
The song echoes in our ears, leaving a lasting impression on us.
Come Back Indian [Our Pick] – Starts off like “Ezhu Velaikkara Indre” and stays hummable throughout. A song about nothing changing, with Airvu’s lyrics backing Anirudh’s tone. One of the better songs, and our second favorite of the album.
Calendar Song – A Yuvan Shankar Raja-ish song that is uninteresting from the start.
Neelorpam [Our Pick] – A pleasant melody with ample support from Abby and Shruthika Samudhrala. Lyrics by Thamarai add more value to the song.
மாரா மணமிரண்டும் ஒன்றாய் சேர்ந்ததென்னதீரா தவிப்புகளும் தானாய் தீர்ந்ததென்ன
Though the song reminds you of “Thumbi Thullal” by ARR with its arrangements and similar mood, it is instantly likable.
Zaga Zaga – Anirudh attempts a Harris Jayaraj style here, creating a theme reminiscent of the Anniyan flavor with some chants and gibberish words.
Kadharalz – This groovy, trendy ‘kuthu‘ song actually pulls down the album’s value and is the least appealing so far.
Observation:
One of the biggest pluses with Indian songs is their instant emotional connection through music and lyrics, as seen in “Pachaikiligal” (on family bonding) or “Kappal Yeri Poyachu” (the yearning for freedom and personal life of a young Indian). However, none of the songs here achieve that scope and work merely as decent songs that might stay on your playlist for a few months.
Director Shankar is one of the few directors known for delivering entire albums as chartbusters. Not only with AR Rahman, but he has also managed to get magical numbers from Harris Jayaraj. With Indian 2, it’s a heavily mixed album, a wannabe of many things with borrowed flavors, yet it sounds just okay. If not for “Paara,” the entire album would have sounded plain.
Verdict: Anirudh tried different flavors (borrowed ideas), and it works partially. Three out of six songs worked instantly, but the album lacks repeat value, and it’s doubtful if it will ever join the evergreen list like most of Shankar’s albums. It’s a good try and a decent album for Anirudh. For Shankar’s standards, it’s mixed and the least favorite among his albums.
Additional point: Is there a scarcity of singers in the Tamil film industry?
Album Rating: 2.75/5
