Haunting Melodies of Modern Times. Review on Swades Songs

Before the movie, before the previews, before the hype hit and before I knew there was SRK, there was this small bit of tune that my ear caught, that made me hunger for more.

It was then that I consciously tried to find out where it came from - what movie and more importantly, could I possibly hear the whole song? Even the much hyped sets with enhanced colours and the presence of SRK did not deter me.

The haunting background score which made the base for the sweet melodious rendering of 'Yeh Tara'personifies the movie. The song as such is a lovely melody by AR Rahman, though, personally I would have preferred it if it would have been cut short by a few paragraphs. It has a nice 'very Indian' feel to it, without any diversions, purely melody.

If you allow, this song may well make the hair stand on your hands with patriotism, and ethnicity. It calls upon you to do something. The lyrics are good, but as I mentioned earlier, perhaps the effect of the song would have been more, and it would have succeeded better as a motivational song, if the lyrics were shorter.

Then there is my favourite track - Yun Hi Chala Chal. This song is longer in the movie than in audio only. there is awesome mixing of the beats, and Rahman returns to his element in this track with his amazing ability to play with beats. Before one realises one is nodding and tapping away to his music. The portion where modern beats fuse into old rhythms used by traditional folk singers of India is so smooth, you are left wondering at where it possibly began. Highly technicized with western influence fusing smoothly into classical based Indian melody makes this track a rival to modern fusion music, and scoring extremely well. Karunesh, let Rahman join your club! To add to the above, the lyrics are beautiful, and mystical. They are happy, and lightly contemplative. It could be called the modern version of what 'Sufi' music was to us before. The climax with Western Orchestra increases the 'rich' feel of the song.

Now these were the two songs that were shown on TV with the previews, and I couldn?t have agreed more. Because, these songs are the best pieces of the soundtrack. Reining the album.

Of course, I cannot forget 'Pal Pal Hai Bhaari'. Only, the musical rendering is better than the vocal one. It is a direct take off from a Hindustani Classical Raag, which (again) smoothly merges into western classical type music...with a corresponding change of instruments. The reason of preference of the instrumental over the vocal is purely personal since it allows me to appreciate the Music over the lyrics in this song...which reminds me of that elusive raag (PS- if anyone reading this review remembers the raag, pls let me know).

Saanwariais a nice sweet melody, and is what a shy woman at the brink of love would probably sing. It is sweet and mellow, and allows one to relax, and perhaps even smile.

Aahista Aahista is a mild, soothing melody, and is indeed a slow, nice paced song readying you for the night. It is calming, and like a grandeurized version of a 'lori'.

Dekho Nais a light flirting tune, and teases one along. It is simply put, a very simple tune, yet so beutiful, it serves its purpose as a song where courtship can be visualised.

Yeh Jo Des is a lovely melody, very patriotic and very difficult not to like. The song is well adorned with all jewels of few instruments, with a downplay on the beats. This makes it a sentiment provoking, exciting and emphatic song. The song carries one away as you listen to it, moving ones heart and is a modern version of the patriotism and feelings of olden times. The beauty of the song is that the song is almost entirly strung on the lyrics, music in the background. One listens in wonder and glee and emotion as the singers words create the tune, and mood of the song.

All in all, the soundtrack is impressive, and even with nice lyrics, the melodies far overpower in the album. A.R. Rahman never ceases to surprise, and please! But, I would like to say that by far, the impressive songs can be counted down to only 1/2. In the long run, Yeh Tara may fizzle out thanks to its similarity to other 'earthy' tunes, and 'yeh jo Des' may not make it to the masses.

I could write more on the songs, but my main intention was to write on my favourite tracks while giving a sneak preview on the others. So you don?t get affected by my views ? unless they are positive. Go ahead; enjoy the music from one of the best Music Directors this country has to offer!