Music Briefs: Allu Ramendran, Amavas, Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga, Lisaa, Sakalakala Shala & Thirumanam

A quick take on the latest music from Tom Cyriac, Siddharth Vipin, Rochak Kohli and Shaan Rahman...

Sakalakala Shala - Aby Tom Cyriac crafts a very lilting romantic melody in Mandarappoovum, and Shweta Mohan's rendition is a major highlight.

Thirumanam - With a title like Thirumanam, it's no surprise the songs revolve around the concept of love marriage and wedding. But it's Sharanya Srinivas (Singer Srinivas' daughter, that is) who makes the best impression in the two songs she appears in (Iraiva Neeyea, Theduthey Theduthey Kaatralai), doing a stellar job rendering the euphonious melodies tuned by Siddharth Vipin.

Lisaa - Erstwhile A. R. Rahman's keyboard programmer Santhosh Dhayanidhi quietly continues to impress, and Lisaa is no different. Swagatha S. Krishnan does admirably well singing the pleasant, guitar-laden melody Neethane En Thoovanam, as is Bamba Bakya, whose soulful vocals complements beautifully the lullaby'ish Ilaiyaraaja-like Aararo Aariraro. Lisaa Lisaa wraps it all up in style, riding on a bouncy auto-tuned Latinate/reggae arrangement that's downright catchy.

Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga - An overall pleasant album, if a little overrun by rehashes. The title track and Gud Naal Ishq Mitha, both familiar to anyone who grew up in the 90's, are given the contemporary treatment, and thankfully Rochak Kohli retains the orginals' charm for the most part. Chitthiye is mellifluous-if-familiar-sounding folk, but Kanwar Grewal makes it his own with a soulful rendition.

Amavas - The Bhatt brand of romantic-horror aesthetic is quite strong in this Amavas, and that in short sums up everything you need to know about the soundtrack. It also means the songs aren't all that bad, even if the composers seem reluctant to move on from the winning formula and go beyond what's been been endlessly explored over the past decade. Sanjeev-Darshan's Dhadkan is lilting (its nod to Dil Ibadat notwithstanding), but it's Ankit Tiwari spins a splendorous melody in Bheege Bheege, the strains of sarangi (Dilshad Khan) adding a lovely touch to the atmospheric tune.

Allu Ramendran - Aarum Kaanaathe is that brand of Shaan Rahman melody, lilting and an instant earworm, sung beautifully by Adheef Muhammed, but the man surprises with a fast-paced folk number in Ethaatha Kombaaneda that evokes strong memories of Vijay Antony's Naaka Mukka. Mele Kaavil, on the other hand, taps into his own Entammede Jimikki Kammal for what's a celebratory folksy melody.

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