JIGARTHANDA SONGS REVIEW

The vocal sample of Antony Dassan which greets you may be the first access point for the listener but it’s true signature highlight is hidden behind the vocal veils in the form of a terrific digital dressing that shows up during the vocal hook. A recall of the synth-pop from Soodhu Kavvum but more intricate and expansive this time around.

Funky bass work from Naveen over a drum track that fits the groove loosely, adding to the unsettling motive of the track where even the piano notes wear a violent personality. Arun Raja’s Tamil verses are delivered straight from the gut, while Mose is fluent with his rhymes. Though not exactly catered for staple radio demands, it certainly is creatively conceptualized and executed with a level of craftsmanship.

Again the booming low end of the bass is vivid and grabs your attention along with the rhythm section and the crazy horns. The way Antony Dassan’s buoyant vocals are arranged over this pot boiler of a tune gives the kuthu genre a fresh new twist.

After being subjected to a relentless creative assault by Santhosh Narayanan in the opening three tracks the listener is treated to a gorgeously arranged melody with cascading strings that fill your earspace. The composer is surely growing from strength to strength scoring such symphonic sections.

A seriously funky jam with a cool snaky vocal melody, offering a great sing-along moment, that sounds borrowed from the classic era of Tamil film music but is now married to the swagger of celtic blues. Santhosh as a singer is admirably reckless within limits, and a special mention to the composer for throwing in a rare bass solo on this one. 

The build up is obvious early on with the haunting piano lines setting the mood. The simple scratchy beats feature only to offer the spawning electronic effects its rightful prominence. Pradeep Kumar ad-libs his way on key to count for the vocals. Mildly intriguing. 

A sludgy slap bass line opens up to welcome some beautiful but ominous guitar work, combining with intermittent bursts of percussions to create an unnerving track which really calls out strong to be taken seriously.

A supremely enjoyable Morricone styled western spaghetti tune featuring some delightful whistling and neat acoustic string arrangement while the guitar solo is flashy at best. 

With its warm sound featuring harmonies and restrained musical showmanship, the jazz here is more Steely Dan than Coltrane or Davis. Opting to go for a more accessible jam like this over a freestyle display may well serve as a good introduction for those who might be interested in this genre. But it’s hard to fathom this sort of composition paired with the track title ‘Ottam’ !