David – Music Review

Starring Vikram, Jiiva and Tabu, "David" is an upcoming film directed by Benjoy Nambiar. The film is being made simultaneously in Bollywood, with Vinay Virmani playing Jiiva’s character in the Hindi version.

The film’s soundtrack released yesterday, and is unique in the sense that a number of music directors have worked on the album. 

The album opens with the track "Vaazhkaiye (The Theme of David)", with music by Mumbai-based electronic music duo Bramfatura and lyrics by Mohanrajan. The powerful track features vocals by Siddharth Basrur, and I actually did a double-take when I first heard the song – his vocal tone is reminiscent of that of AR Rahman at points! The production on this track is impressive, and it’s a great opener for the album.

Chiyaan Vikram joins music director Remo Fernandes behind the mic for "Maria Pitache", a foot-tapping Baila number. The light-hearted lyrics by V. Elango and Remo Fernandes are sure to put a smile on your face; "Life-kulla wife irundha, jolly jolly daa…wife mela wife irundha, gaali gaali da"!

"Kanave Kanave", with vocals by Anirudh Ravichander, seems to be the pick of the album for many music fans. It is undoubtedly a beautiful song, even if it does seem like a mashup between Kannazhaga and Po Nee Po from "3" (for which Anirudh composed the music). The lyrics by Mohanrajan are moving, and Anirudh’s heartfelt vocal performance for this track expresses the emotions beautifully. 

Up next on the album is "Manamay", with its exceptionally catchy beat and hook. Composed by Prashant Pillai, singer Karthik lends his voice to this one. The rousing anthem with lyrics by Mohanrajan does not showcase Karthik’s amazing vocal abilities, but it stands its ground well within the album. The album also features a dubstep version of "Manamay". As a standalone track, this remix isn’t brilliant, and it seems like a bit of an unnecessary addition to the album.

The sublime vocals of Naresh Iyer and Shweta Pandit are the highlight of "Iravinil Ulavavaa", composed by Prashant Pillai. The lighter-than-air vocals by both are a joy to listen to in this dreamy love song with romantic lyrics by Yugabharathi.

"Theerathu Poga" is a rework of "Tore Matware Naina" by Mumbai-based world music band Maatibaani with French artiste Joyshanti. Nirali Kartik – lead singer of Maati Baani – sings her parts in Tamil for this version. Her classically-influenced vocals are excellent, and she renders the gamakas with great ease. The French parts and instrumental interludes (particularly the flute-based one) work well to provide a bit of a shake-up to the song. Fun fact: the flautist in this track  is actually a street flute-seller who caught the attention of the band whilst walking outside the studio! The brief swaram-scatting exchange towards the end is fabulous!

"Machi" is a rock-y number that is a rework of "Arnie" from the "Random Sheep" EP by Mumbai-based indie-rock band Modern Mafia. Sanjeev Thomas provides the lead vocals for this one, and his lively performance is perfect for this energetic track. In my opinion, "Machi" is let down slightly by its lyrics, but you’re sure to be singing along with the "La La La La" hook line by the end, nonetheless.

All in all, I think the decision by director Benjoy Nambiar to use an array of music directors  was a good move; the David soundtrack is an eclectic mix of a number of genres, bringing a fresh sound to the scene. Picks of the album: Kanave Kanave and Theerathu Poga. 6.5/10