The raining strings seems like the perfect start to a Raja album, and this one in particular as plenty of that. The nice Jazz styled guitars make for good accompaniment to the vocal melody which irresistibly reminds the listener of Elankaatru Veesudhe (Pithamagan) in the first line but it takes off in its own individual fashion. This song adds to the list of many compositions of the Maestro based on the Harmonic minor scale (Carnatic equivalent: Keeravani/ Nata Bhairavi). When Ramya NSK first sings ‘Mugilo Megamo’ the rim shots turn into snare strikes momentarily to mark a difference. The drumming especially is top notch throughout this album. Yuvan does a good job as he sings the lower notes with much ease while Ramya’s confidence comes through in this performance.

A bluesy intro is the prelude to another funky composition based on Pahaadi (Hindustani Raag)- another most favourite of Ilaiyaraaja. However the song notices a changeover in the second interlude but comes back to the Pahaadi base. Yuvan’s sprightly voice works very well in this tune. Raja gives the track the full treatment with quiet breakdowns which feature his string section, all playing parts that are not mere rearrangements of the vocal melody. However it would have been exciting if the bass parts were a bit more adventurous given that the track had scope for it.

A vocal melody from a different time and place, almost as if it’s been taken out of a time capsule and executed now. The melody is based on Nata Bhairavi scale yet again and it reminds faintly of Enna Thaalattu from Kadhalikku Mariyadhai but the peculiar rhythm takes the song to new territories. The fresh folk styled voice of Priyadarshini is another asset to the song. The backing band is in splendid form and tries its best not to bring flashbacks of a bygone era.

The album reaches a high point with this Raja cry of despair. Ilaiyaraja’s gives it his all here as a vocalist in this rock styled song with its heavy footed and pronounced drumming. The vocal melody, again based on the Nata Bhairavi scale, has some truly magical moments in its pre-chorus and chorus that never fail to give you goosebumps each time. This thundering composition which is high on emotion is best described by the lyric “idhu kadhal kaalam vazhthum geetham engum kekudhey”

A remastered version of Ilaiyaraaja’s old unused song with the same name from ‘Alaigal Oyivathillai’. The orchestration on this version is more refined and wraps itself around the great vocal melody rather comfortably. Anitha’s golden voice doesn’t disappoint those who are fans of the original sung by Janaki.

A masterclass composition from Raja that opts for lively Jazz as its medium and sticks to it all the way through, not making any reservations for Indian instruments. Based loosely on the Shankarabharanam/ Mohanam , popularly called as the C Major scale in WCM it comes off as a challenging composition with its progressive movement and intricate arrangement, providing each instrument to showcase itself.  Haricharan and Ramya work really well in tandem. Sit back and allow yourself to go where Raja takes you with this song.

Raja’s lilting voice may seem to be more well suited for this track than the earlier version featuring Yuvan’s efforts. Although the Ramya’s presence in the first version offers a bit more dynamism, being a duet.