Karthik Calling Karthik Music Review: Karthik Calling Karthik: '3 Tunesmiths' score once again!

Farhan Akhtar is all set to take his bow in front of the camera for a third time with 'Karthik Calling Karthik', said to be a romantic thriller. This time around, however, Farhan decides to just concentrate on his acting and leaves the singing to others. The film which has been produced by his production house, Excel Entertainment and has been directed by first timer Vijay Lalwani, sees him paired opposite Deepika Padukone. The music, composed by Shankar Ehsaan Loy, has their trademark touch and there are moments when one is struck by a sense of deja vu, as if one has been down these musical lanes once before.

But that does not mar the musical quality of the film, which is top notch as the trio does a terrific job with numbers that combine all that is contemporary with some very authentic Indian sounds. The album of 'Karthik Calling Karthik' has six numbers and two remixes, the lyrics of which have been all written by Javed Akhtar, thus ensuring that there is a certain touch of class and simplicity about them.

The album begins with the number 'hey ya', which has been sung by Clinton Cerejo, Shankar Mahadevan and Loy Mendonsa. This is the number which sees a wonderful mix of English and Hindi and is reminiscent, ever so faintly, about certain numbers from 'Rock On!!'. It has a very catchy pace, specially the manner in which the refrain of 'Hey Ya' punctuates the number. It definitely has a catchy feel to it. It has a remix version, as well, which has been arranged by Digital Boyz.

The second number, 'uff teri ada' is the romantic number on this album and has been sung by Shankar and Alyssa Mendonsa. This is an out and out Shankar number and he does all he is best known for, stretching his vocal chords in many unimaginable ways. The chorus of 'teri ada' is extremely catchy and rather upbeat, and is bound to have one singing along. This is definitely the chartbuster number of the album as it has something which is extremely sweet, melodious and rhythmic to it.

The song has almost two distinct styles, one which has Alyssa coming in with a very staccato rendition followed by the catchy and vibrant chorus set against Shankar's 'taans' and vocal pyrotechnics. Both parts of the song merge seamlessly to give us one of the best numbers in this album. This has an interesting remix version as well, which has been arranged by Udyan Sagar/Nucleya and is quite interesting.

The third number called 'jaane yeh kya hua' is a soulful, slow number which has been sung by KK. It is a number which brings the best in the singer and manages to leave his signature stamp on the number, unleashing his vocal virtuosity together with the usage of the mouth organ, which sounds quite haunting in the number.

Kailash Kher and Sukanya Puryakastha come together for the next number titled, 'kaisi hai yeh udaasi', which is all about being forlorn and alone in love. Centred around heartbreak, the song has a sombre quality to it, a 'therav', which Kailash brings in effortlessly. Sukanya joins in with her husky, young tones and gives the number a very contemporary and fresh feel. This is not the kind of number which will hook one instantly,unlike some of the other numbers in this album, but it definitely proves to be a rewarding experience as the song guides the listener into its depths. Definitely one of the gems in this album, which sees a couple of relatively young female vocalists like Alyssa and Sukanya, managing to leave their impact.

The next number, the title track of the movie, seems to be straight out of something from the psychedelic haze of the Beatles. It has a very different pace and style of singing and moves in a slow, thrilling fashion. Rocker Suraj Jaggan, Shankar Mahadevan, Caralisa Monteiro and Malika Singh lend their voices to this number, which begins and ends with the ringing of the phone, thuds playing out the theme motif.

The next two tracks on the album belong to Midival Punditz Karsh Kale, who dazzle with their instrumentals. Both their pieces, the first called 'Karthik' and the second which is a remix of the title track, follow the same suspense, thriller motif and use the phone ring tone very effectively, as it comes in at very appropriate intervals.

In the remix track, the instrumentals gradually pick up tempo and speed and move towards a thrilling crescendo before building up the pace yet again, which proves to be very tantalising. Both pieces are definitely very situational in nature, whose impact would be best felt when seen with the visuals. But yes, it definitely sets the mood of a thriller as it builds up so much suspense and mystery in the manner which the crescendo builds up repeatedly, allowing for little recovery time. Both are exceptional pieces from the very talented Midival Punditz Karsh Kale.

Shankar Ehsaan Loy have once again come up with a score which proceeds to dazzle one with its originality. They may, at times, be accused of copying themselves and definitely do have their signature style.

But that is to their credit and takes away nothing from the quality of their work, which remains classy. And makes their tunes turn chartbusters.