Paradesi is the latest offering from the stables of director Bala’s B Studios. The project also sees Bala pairing up with music director G.V. Prakash and lyricist Vairamuthu for the first time. The movie is a period film set in pre-independence India.

“Avatha Paiyaa...” 
Singer(s): Yasin, Vandana Srinivasan
Lyrics: Vairamuthu

The track features some beautiful flute playing throughout the composition. While it’s easy to get carried away with such fills, the composer mixes it in a way that it’s just around your sonic periphery rather than overpowering the song’s melody. Vandana Srinivasan and Yasin make it hard for you to choose the better performance between the two. Vandana especially nails the dialect in her delivery.

“Or Mirugam...”
Singer(s): V.V. Prassana, Pragathi Guruprassad
Lyrics: Vairamuthu

This song features Pragathi of the ‘Super Singer’ fame on vocals and she delivers a strong performance with a sense of despair in her voice. Prassana’s voice tries to be reassuring when all hope seems to be lost. The vocal delays used by G.V. Prakash gives the song a haunting sadness. This is a typical Bala number drenched in pathos and philosophy. The string instrumental interludes are heavy and serious while the percussions have been kept minimal. The flute stands out with its pure sound.  More emphasis has been placed on the lyrics and the meaning in them.

“Sengaade...”
Singer: Madhu Balakrishnan
Lyrics: Vairamuthu

The orchestration with the string segment that opens the song is reminiscent of an earlier time of Tamil film music. The words and the vocal delivery that follow confirm the nostalgia. G.V. Prakash employs a minimalistic approach keeping the elements within the song simple and sparse, giving room for the vocal emotions to sink in. Madhu Balakrishnan shows good range in this solo performance of his.

“Thannai Thaanee...”
Singer: Gaana Bala
Lyrics: Vairamuthu 

Essentially a gospel song, going by the lyrical content, but the treatment is totally different and does catch you off guard. Gaana Bala seems to be free from being typecast as a singer fit for a particular genre. This is yet another instance where his voice is used in contrast to his homegrown singing style. The shortest track on the album has pounding percussions and catchy nadhaswaram fills.

“Senneer Thana...”   
Singer(s): Gangai Amaren, Priya Hemesh
Lyrics: Vairamuthu

Like almost every song in the soundtrack this one too heavily rests upon the shoulders of the playback singers to bring the words to life and give it an emotional meaning. G.V. Prakash backs them up with a stirring string segment. There is a certain seniority in Gangai Amaren’s voice that immediately warrants for sympathy. Priya Hemesh leaves you with a gulp in your throat with her vocal interludes,, without having any actual words to express her emotions.

Verdict: G.V. Prakash's core elements for the album are local percussion instruments, flute and string sections. This achieves an undistracted and uniform sound-and-feel throughout this album and it succeeds in placing the listener in the time and place of the story. The album, though clearly not intended for the masses, proves to be rich in its music, singing and lyrics.