So here is the list of 15 best songs out last month, ordered alphabetically. Have you picked out your favourites yet? These tracks are all set to enter your playlist and hearing them now would be the best thing to do - Check out now!
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Anbae Anbae
This is the 4th release from Arrivan Isai and the Album Kathirin Kavithai Kelungal or K3 is stunning with every release so far being a hit. Sathyaprakash has been the vocalist and he just delivers whatever the style and emotion needed for every track. The track is composed and written by Udhaya Kathiravan and is a pure ballad of love, and is an answer to all composers who try way too hard or needlessly innovate and end up hampering a song’s melody. MS Jones Rupert on the piano is a magical thing to hear, and here we have the Veena programmed in both the interludes as well as the 2nd layer in the charanam. Sathyaprakash’s singing is phenomenal here emoting the pain of a lover who feels lost.
Asku Maaro
Dharan Kumar is one of those musicians who never steals the big spotlight, but he keeps coming up with very adorable peppy numbers quite often and ends up being a sensation on You-Tube. So I guess he too is not complaining. Dharan himself has sung the male portion but the highlight of the track is the stunning display of vocal jugglery by Sivaangi. One wonders why this woman gets so little opportunity, but I guess her other TV commitments keep her plate full. The video and concept is very fun to watch with Kavin and Teju Ashwini who are heartthrobs for the younger generation and it is Sandy Master’s movements again that keep the fun going. The flute bit is interesting right at the opening and Ku Karthik’s lyrics are quite creative and intelligently written as well. The latest party song is here and if only pubs and dance floors were open!
Avan Pathu Sirikkala
Nivas K Prasanna is one amazing talent and he has done the needful to prove that so far and I have been thoroughly impressed. There is always something fresh that emanates from his music, and in this competitive space it is difficult to get that going consistently. The combination of Shruthi Raju’s percussions, and Keba Jeremiah’s guitar works soothingly. The pick for the lead vocalist is not a tough one, as Malvi Sundaresan has one of the most mellifluous voices in the industry. Just before the interlude listen to Keba strumming with stunning grace. The interlude is interlaced with simple keys played and some stunning bass by Manikandan, followed by female and male humming. In the lower scales Malvi has some tonality resembling Chitra, however right when the charanam ends, there is a break in singing that sounds obvious but not sure if it was an issue with some breath control. The outro is fantastic with guitar strummed at a brisk pace, and a male humming and to end it all we have the keys flowing like a river and the final nail is the bass guitar being plucked with style and gusto. The track is mixed and mastered by Vinay Shridhar and the cute lovable lyrics are by Mohan Rajan.
Break Free
‘When Chai Met Toast’ is the perfect moment that captures the greatness of the evening, when we relax and recharge for what’s about to come. It is also the name of the savvy 4 member band from Kochi who have been producing and writing some amazing songs and every now and then they do sing a few lines in Tamil as well. This track fits all the description above and it is a real delight hearing the vocals of Ashwin Gopakumar as it is breezy and when he finishes you feel like you too have gone with the wind. The guitarist is Achyuth Jaigopal and he also plays the banjo in the track here. The music that these guys create is very free-spirited and tends to levitate our spirits. Pai Sailesh is on the drums and Pale Francis is on the keyboard.
Enjoy Enjaami
Approaching 100 million views on Youtube and has taken the nation by storm, this was the first independent release by Santhosh Narayanan and also the very first release on AR Rahman’s platform for promoting young indie musicians called Maajja. The number of hits and likes alone don’t necessarily mean that the musical track is of substantial quality, but this one definitely is. There are a truckload of plusses for this track and before we get into any of them, one must just give an ovation to the production value, the quality of sound and its sensational video to go along with the music. Sai Shravanam has done the mixing and mastering while Amit Krishnan has done the direction part of the video. The song generates that feeling of being in a forest the moment you hear the strong percussion. Dhee and Arivu have vocal duties here and the former is par excellence, as she uses delicate vibrato to leave you with that haunting feeling. Arivu is definitely the best rapper in the country, and not just because he can sing tongue-twisters are ease (listen to how amazingly he sings “Janjana janaku jana makkale”) but he raps like a rebel with reason, unlike most North Indian rappers who just talk about guns, money fame and women. There are some words that even a Tamil speaker wouldn’t have imagined could be used so beautifully in a song. There has been enough written about the song across the media but to give an analogy, it is like the drawing done by Kamal Hassan’s character in the movie “Anbe Sivam” where the number 910 flows down like water hidden from a layman’s eyes. Arivu talks about oneness, of not just humans across various man-made segregation but also co-existence amongst all of God’s creations. Santhosh is brilliant when he composes notes that meander and the lines “Kadale Karaiye” sound phenomenal also thanks to Dhee’s singing. He also has made it his mission to popularize the rural eulogy form called “oppari”. The other amazing part of the track is the humming by Dhee towards the end.
Iyarkai
Nature seems to be the theme of late, and why not? It's about time!. This is Rijul Chakraborthy, a Chennai-based musician who produces and composes indie music and here he comes up with a Tamil number. Priyesh Sivan sings this like a sweet lullaby and his tonality helps in keeping things so peaceful. Rijul arranges the various elements of the track and the constant chirping of the birds adds to the wonderful mood. D.S. Hirajith has written these wonderful words , and the male harmony is very effective right through the track. Harish Viswak has done the mixing and Nalin Vinayak has done the mastering for the track. I can’t think of a better track this month to soothe you and calm your nerves down, just listen with your headphones on, and let go!
Kaathadi
Sublahshini is on a roll these days singing many new singles and in fact she had two released in March itself and this one was one the pick, with extreme hummable value thanks to the composer Anand Kashinathan. Sublahshini also is the lyricist of the track and credit to her for punching in words that keep the track fun and peppy. Her singing is top-draw with a vocal texture that is sure to keep the hearts of you men racy. Just as the Pallavi is drawing to a close, we hear the beats and the time signature is very similar to “Kadhalikkum pennin” when the Thavil strikes. Aniket Chaturvedi’s nice short saxophone solo plays in the interlude. Sajin A Stanly is responsible for mixing and mastering the track.
Kangale
Yogeshwaran is another surprise who came out of nowhere and composed this very melodious track. A male humming with a violin solo starts off the track, then we are welcomed with keys, strings and a flute solo. It is appreciable that the composer has invested so much in the track even before the first line is sung. Kiran Shravan has the tonality of Bombay Jayashree when she starts off, and the use of the thavil in the interlude is a welcome change in percussion. Shibi Srinivasan is the male lead, but the highlight remains the flute which also keeps playing the second layer in the charanam too. Shibi has also written the lyrics for the track. Balasubramanyam is the programmer, while Daniel Louis has done the mixing and mastering
Murukku Meesakkaran
Sreekanth Hariharan and Shaktisree Gopalan are A listers in the industry and they have no off days, with some stunning vocals on display every time. Ganesh Chandrasekharan must be credited with picking the singers as they both sound sharp and bring in the essence of romance at ease in a love track like this. Honestly it is an easier task to sign up Sreekanth as he has that lovely gentle vocal tone, but it could be commonly misunderstood that Shaktisree’s voice doesn’t suit romantic numbers and she proves that theory wrong again. Mohan Rajan is the lyricist who has penned the wonderful lines. Keba Jeremiah’s guitar constantly adds to the flavor but a standout performance is the Sarangi by Manonmani who not only plays a superb solo in the interlude but also follows the singers throughout the outro. Ganesh also handles the keys, synth and programming with additional programming by Hari SR and Arjun Bharathy. Abin Pushpakaran has mixed the track and Balu Thankachan has mastered the track.
Naan
When Rithu Vysakh is involved you know, you are in for a treat by Violins as he performs the violin and Quarter strings for this track. But this is much more than a showcasing of Rithu’s talents, as we have a very formidable track composed and sung by artists, I am hearing for the first time since I began reviewing music in Tamil. Vandana Mazan is astonishingly good in her vocals and she sounds very stable and impresses in the lower scale. You can hear the Ukulele, bass and guitar accompanying, played by Vagu Mazan. Rithu not only plays the violin solo in the interlude but also performs a male humming bit and then takes over the lead vocalist role in the charanam. The song is well structured in the charanam as well with some variations but maintaining the overall intrigue of the track. Sandeep Kumar scores high on this composition and he has also done the arrangements and synth programming. Vandana has also written the lyrics for this song and they are actually quite impressive.
Oru Needhi
The movie is getting phenomenal reviews from critics and fans alike and the songs in the movie are not bad either with a couple of really good fresh innovative creations, but this one being the pick of the lot. Bharath Shankar is the composer of the album. Anthakudi Ilaiyaraja is the singer who sings it like a perfect rural drama performance on stage. The harmonium, tabla and the bass guitar are constantly in your ears creating a wonderful Jugalbandhi. Yugabharathi’s lyrics are really satire written beautifully, so much so that they make you cringe at our pathetic scenario. The harmony is well sung by vocalists Shahid, Varun Vasanth and Bharath himself. The table, dholak and dolki are played by Martin, while the Potti is played by Bharath. Chris Jason is once again on the guitar as it looks like he is omnipresent in the Tamil music space these days. The wonderfully poignant bass guitar is played by Sooraj Kumarr. The track is mixed and mastered by Balu Thankachan and its recording engineers are Avinash Sathish and Hariharan.
Pidiththa Kirukkey
The anthology series on Youtube by Madboy Originals called ‘I hate you – I love you’ was a big hit in TN and it had some good music too by Chennai band Staccato and Jakes Bejoy. This track is a simple yet wonderful number that captures the various moods of the series. Gowtham Bharadwaj and Niranjana Ramanan are the lead vocalists who really excel right from the get go, experimenting every note of the way, and Shallu Varun’s bass is a super accompaniment if you pay attention. Super Subu’s lyrics are catchy and relevant at the times. We have an interlude with a whistle, violin solo and guitars by Karthik, Sayee Rakshith and Chris Jason respectively. The harmony is a nice way to end the charanam. Chris is stunningly playful with his guitars in the background layers. Abhinandan is on the electric guitar and all additional programming is done by Sourabh Joshi. The track is mixed and mastered by Navneeth Balachanderan and programmed and arranged by RH Vikram. Sandip Ramanan has played the Cajon.
Sanjaaram
This is a movie remade from an excellent original in Malayalam called Helen. Anbirkiniyal is a movie I haven’t watched yet, so I wouldn’t be able to compare the two, but what I can say for sure is that the music is much better than the originals, at least as far as the tracks are concerned. Last month we had a track called Aanakatti sung by Sriram Parthsarathy from this album and here we have a Sid Sriram special. Javed Riaz is a good composer and delivers style, panache whenever he is handed an opportunity and this track is just another feather on his cap. We have a nice Kazoo based interlude played by Vikram Sai Prasad. It is nice to hear Sid singing a happy song with a faster tempo as he has been offered too many pathos or songs of longing by various musicians. The titular line is well arranged with harmony and backing vocals are provided by Aarthi MN Ashwin, Arvindd Arnest, Govind Prasanna, and Padmaja Sreenivasan. The outro of the track with Sid singing in Aalaap style is a great end to the track. Lalithanand is the lyricist.
Thadai Ethuvai
This is a track that is pacy and sounds like an anthem but set in a classical style most probably influenced by the Panthuvaraali raagam. Niranjan Pandian is a flautist and a composer and he has scored the music for this track. Abrahaam Nithya Pandian and Srinidhi have sung this track and the latters vocal throw is excellent and sounds very fitting for this classical style. Dhinesh Selvaraj has penned the lyrics, Lali Kumar Ganesh on the Tabla and Joash Edelstein is on the drums. Isuru Wijesoma Wijerupage has played the guitar. Shakthi has done the mixing and mastering.
Thattan Thattan
This track is one that reminds us of the heydays when a certain genius called Ilaiyaraja used to compose rural melodies with unbelievable ease and the people would need no better lullaby or gospel to live their mundane humdrum of a life. There have been a few who have come and gone , but Santhosh has exhibited quite often that he can at least do justice to that genre. This track is right up there with one of his best, and the guitar in the second layer within the first few lines fills our heart with joy and the praises can only be showered on Naveen on the bass and Joseph on the guitar. Dhanush has been singing recently for many musicians these days but I am sure he will swear that this has to be his strongest and most legitimate vocal outing yet. The second time he sings the opening lines, we have the flute now playing in the second layer by Sathish and the heart takes flight. The first interlude is beautifully arranged with a Kottankuchi Cocolin, something we have all forgotten for many years and we feel nostalgia viewing old village films and listening to "Thevar Magan" and so on. Amalraj plays it with perfection followed by a female backing vocal. Santhosh himself plays the pianica before the charanam starts and here Dhanush exhibits even better skills and when he sings "Senthanala Nenjirukka" we wish the lines were repeated just one more time , because the notes here are just stunning. The second interlude is a vocal intervention by Meenakshi Elayaraja who inspires you with her words "Jeichidu Kannu" and the coarse tone of her voice is further motivation. The second charanam is different from the first and this is another reason this track challenges "Kanda vara sollunga" as the albums best. 'Kalaimamani' Sai Shravanam has done the mixing and mastering and he also is incidentally the first sound-recordist to earn that title recently, and it is once again Yugabharathi's golden words at play here as there is subtle rebellion even in a love song here.
Unakkaga Naan Iruppen
Leon James has been quite active shifting and juggling between movie projects and indie ones. Irrespective, he tends to come up with the goods and the likable fact is that his songs have something fresh that tries to bring to the table. Leon has played the piano, and keyboards along with the composition, and he has a delectable style of singing which he has employed here too. Akkarsh Kashyap’s solo on the violin is enticing after the opening lines and this where Leon brings in the element of melody to a modern rendition. The stanza is well structured with the kanjira in the background complimenting the keys and Leons’ vocals. Rupendar Venkatesh has mixed and mastered the track while Joseph Kenaniah is the recording engineer. The backing vocalists have done a fine job with their humming , and they are composed of Deepan, Lokeshwaran and John Vianni. The outro is a fantastic highlight, with the violin, keys, Leon and the backing vocals all coming together.
Unna Nenachida
The month has been a bag full of surprises as here we have another indie production by Afsal who has sung, composed, arranged and produced the track. The lyrics are by Ko Sesha and the guitars play a huge role in elevating the beauty of the song. We have Kevin Jason and Chris Jason on guitars with the latter also being the bassist. Percussions are supported by Livingston. It’s a very simple tune but produces a very desirable effect while listening, just like a night-time lullaby. The track is mixed by Afsal and mastered by Andres Mayo
Usuruiye Ulukkuthey
Saindhavi has been the busiest singer in Tamil the last few months and she has been recording some very memorable songs too. This is a very classy melody, something we have listened to a lot back in the early 2000s where there is a lot of scope for instrumental arrangements and singing as well with quite a few variations in the Pallavi and charanam. Songs have become shorter now and sometimes just a few lines repeating, but this one composed by Sanath Bharadwaj is rich. The guitar and strings are already heavily involved seconds within the start of the track and then we have a flute centric interlude. The song is tailor made for Saindhavi with a lot of opportunity to reach higher scales, the structure of the charanam is fantastic with strings flowing in the background and reminds us of Ilaiyaraja. There are two interludes here and they are different, when was the last time that happened? S. Gnanakaravel is the lyricist.
Vaan Megam
Rajesh Murugesan has been busy last month with a couple of movie projects with Theeni and Vasantha Mullai, but the latter has a better repertoire of songs. This one trumps the other track released in February as there is a genuine effort to produce a fresh take on a melody rather than fuse EDM and classical which is becoming way too cliched. Shaktisree’s voice is her own and not something that is a close replica of someone else and so there is always an added originality to the track as she serenades us with this number. The humming from the harmony is excellent to absorb with guitars playing constantly by none other than Keba Jeremiah who has played the electric and bass as well. For those of us who miss the great man Yesudas’ voice on audio, his son makes up for it and it becomes a pleasant addition in the track. There is a second interlude with a violin in the foreground and a strings section in the second layer, which is excellently arranged , and now the track is full-fledged in its form and impact. Viveka is the lyricist, and while the song is mixed and mastered by Balu Thankachan, it is programmed by Rajesh himself and additional programming is done by Shajith Humayun.
Vaiyulla Pulla
The Casteless Collective produced some wonderful thumping music a few months ago and now they are back with this single. Their strong points in my opinion are the content and lyrics, the style of “in your face” singing, the unbelievable guitar and the local folk percussion. Well it looks like I have named everything as their strengths. The composition is by Tenma and he has gone for a right mix of all these strengths. Isaivani is rocking and she delivers Kikimora’s superlative lyrics with a whole dose of attitude and sarcasm that is essential for this track. “Pengal namma nattin kangal, yeppepppeppaa” and you know why all these statements are purely an eye-wash. Goutham on the Kattemollom and Sahib Singh on the guitar are ripping it apart and just at the second interlude feels like Sahib is ‘Springstein’ on fire. The track is recorded by Sujith Sreedhar and Divine Joseph.
The link for the playlist - Click here!