Rock On!! (August 29, 2008)

Singers: Farhan Akhtar, Dominique Cerejo, Caralisa Monteiro, Raman Mahadevan, Suraj Jagan
Lyricist: Javed Akhtar
Music Director: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Rating: ****

Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy may hit the bull's eye with this energetic and spirited album. Comprising nine tracks, the album has wonderful lyrics that have been appropriately composed and incredibly rendered by Farhan Akhtar, marking his debut as a singer.

The title song 'Rock on' is one of those blessed by Farhan's vocals. With a heavy base and electric guitar strumming, the number has been well composed.

Farhan also croons 'Pichle saat dinon mein'. The rock number has interesting lyrics. An enjoyable track, it will surely be enjoyed even more on the big screen.

Then, there is an approximately six-and-a-half minute track titled 'Sinbad The Sailor' rendered by Raman Mahadevan and Farhan, an enjoyable piece. There's nothing extraordinary about this track, but it doesn't fail to impress.

It's Farhan yet again, and this time with 'Socha hai' and he does an impressive job.

Caralisa Monteiro beautifully renders 'Phir dekhiye'. The singer has handled the responsibility of a solo singer pretty well and Javed Akhtar's lyrics are trendy and suit the theme. The song is serenity personified with just a guitar accompanying the singer.

The composers slow down a bit in 'Tum ho toh'. Again, with a soft rock base, the track moves at a slower pace, with a romantic and dreamy tinge to it. The lyrics and rendition are credible, like most of the previous songs.

Dominique Cerejo sings 'Ye tumhari meri baatein'. What's most catchy about Cerejo's rendition is her unusual, contemporary and western voice that suits such a genre. A dawdling number that would find maximum fans among the fairer sex.

Suraj Jagan sings the high-on-rock 'Zehreelay'. For the song Javed Akhtar moves on a different route and pens some weird lyrics. Suraj croons like a typical high-on-life rock star, making the track different from the rest of the lot. A fine number!

There are a couple of things that stand out in this album and make the difference - Farhan's fresh voice, Javed Akhtar's trendy lyrics and the composers' innovativeness. The album will set the cash registers ringing for sure.

Bachna Ae Haseeno (August 15, 2008)

Singers: Shilpa Rao, KK, Shekhar Ravjiani, Hard Kaur, Sunidhi Chauhan, Raja Hassan, Shreya Ghoshal, Lucky Ali, Himani Kapoor, Sukhwinder Singh, Sumit Kumar, Shankar Mahadevan
Lyricist: Anvita Dutt Guptan
Music Composer: Vishal-Shekhar
Rating: ***

For 'Bachna Ae Haseeno', composer duo Vishal-Shekhar offers songs that are engaging from the word go. The album has everything - peppiness, calming songs, Punjabi music and jazz. So wait no longer and put on the play button.

An unlikely combination of Lucky Ali and Shreya Ghoshal render 'Ahista ahista'. What stands out in this contemporary track is the orchestra. And the singers' voices complement the orchestra amazingly well. Lyrics by Anvita Dutt Guptan are not bad, but it's the music that has a unique touch.

The title track will surely take the cake. Vishal-Shekhar have put in an entirely new flavour into 'Bachna ae haseeno', sung originally by late Kishore Kumar in 1977 for 'Hum Kissi Se Kum Nahin'.

The song is an ideal mix of the glorious music of yesteryears and contemporary rhythms - a fusion that will be remembered for long. The composers have given the piece a completely enjoyable feel.

'Jog mahi' is one of those typical folk pieces merged with Bollywood tunes. Shekhar Ravjiani renders the song along with Sukhwinder Singh and Himani Kapoor. The number isn't that great but would make for a good dance track.

A fantastic track comes in the form of 'Khuda jaane'. Everybody seems to have done well in this slow and melodious track. Lyricist Anvita has written some original words while both the singers, Shilpa Rao and KK, have sung it brilliantly.

If nothing else, the lyrics of 'Lucky boy' will surely surprise listeners. An average piece, the number has a club feel to it. But the vocals by Sunidhi Chauhan, Raja Hassan and Hard Kaur are nothing exceptional. No harm in skipping this number.

Shankar Mahadevan renders the oddly titled 'Small town girl'. The music has a Punjabi base with lots of drumbeats thrown in.

Unlike other albums, 'Bachna Ae Haseeno' has a couple of enjoyable pieces. The title track itself could make the album a big hit.