Yaariyan Music Review: A Young Soundtrack With Interesting Tunes

To begin with, one isn't too sure if Yaariyan would indeed present some memorable melodies. After all, the film stars largely newcomers and there hasn't been much buzz around it till the first promo hit the screens. However, on seeing names like Pritam Chakraborty, Mithoon, Yo Yo Honey Singh, Arko Pravo Mukherjee and Anupam Amod on the credits as the composers, Irshad Kamil, Amitabh Bhattacharya, Arko Pravo Mukherjee, Mithoon and Yo Yo Honey Singh as the lyricists and as many as eight original songs in the offering, you do eventually get interested in checking out the music of Yaariyan.

It is the cry of Yo Yo Honey Singh that (rightly) kick-starts the proceedings with ABCD. A fun number with the kind of lyrics that really go well with the youth of today, ABCD would have been instantly grabbed by the likes of Ranbir Kapoor and Imran Khan if offered to them. Benny Dayal is the man who is entrusted to take the most load of singing behind the mike and he manages to make it his own with a peppy rendering. Shefali Alvaris is his able companion and her voice is appealing in its own seductive way. Meanwhile Yo Yo Honey Singh does his own thing to make ABCD a right packaging indeed even in its 'remix'.

The sound of Yaariyan is what is heard in an alaap at the very beginning of Baarish which is a terrific song indeed. In fact such is the kind of template, stage and setting that it could well have been a part of Aashiqui 2. A flagship number of Yaariyaan, this Mohammed Irfan sung track (with support from Gajendra Verma) is a slow moving melody that takes its own time to grow on you. However once it does, there is no stopping that. What is further remarkable is the manner in which the song appears in its 'remix version'. From being a sober outing, it turns into a club number rather effortlessly.

Later when Tulsi Kumar comes up with a female rendition of the same song with Mujhe Ishq Se, you know that this winter, this song set in a rain would indeed gain good popularity.

The best of the lot comes a little later in the day though, what with Sunny Sunny boasting of such addictive beats that you need just one listening to play it on loop for rest of the evening. What further works for the song is the seductive manner in which Neha Kakkar croons this one, hence making sure that all the right notes are hit at the right time, hence being enticing enough to make one step on the dance floor and get jiving. Meanwhile Yo Yo Honey Singh ensures that he has yet another chartbuster number to his name after Lungi Dance and Party all Night. Terrific indeed!

It is sheer variety that keeps elevating the graph of Yaariyan with every passing minute, what with Shafqat Amanat Ali coming on the scene with Allah Waariyan. A 'sufi' track that has all the right ingredients to go well with a typical Bollywood scene, this high energy number is well placed in the album. Lending a quality feel to the state of affairs, it is the kind of number that may well have been a part of a Yash Raj or Karan Johar film and fitted in well into the scheme of things.

While Yariyaan has enjoyed a score of four out of four so far, one (mandatory) element missing so far was Arijit Singh. The man has been a part of practically every major soundtrack this year and it was just imperative that he steps into this film as well. This is what happens as Love Me Thoda Aur seems him being a part of Yaariyan as well. A romantic number which may not be pitched as a flagship track of a film but still has enough in it to keep the flag high for a soundtrack, it is set in a zone that otherwise was solely being explored by Mohit Chauhan over the years.

Next to arrive is Meri Maa and one can well understand the kind of passion that the makers have for the song. No wonder, it arrives as many as three times in the album. While KK sings the original and then the 'reprise' version, Anupam Amod goes solo with his own version as well. A soft rock number which highlights the glory of a mother, it could well have become preachy or 70s style, if not for its presentation through today's arrangements and pitching. Moreover, the lyrics deserve a special mention here as they are good enough to strike an emotional chord with the listeners.

Vishal Dadlani, who has often sung for different composers, makes an entry into Yaariyan as well with Zor Lagaake Haishaa. Ironically this one sticks out rather than fit into the scheme of things since it doesn't bear much coherence with the rest of the soundtrack. With the kind of feel that would have rather gone with a J.P. Dutta's patriotic film than a romantic musical like Yaariyan, this one is a quick skip at least audio wise.

Thankfully, the 'Yaariyan Mashup' that concludes the album is a killer and makes sure that you play the album all over again to enjoy some good melodies and rhythmic sound that Yaariyan brings with it.

Go for it, this one indeed is a good album before 2013 comes to a close.

Joginder Tuteja tweets@tutejajoginder