When the album of Kismath released earlier this year, we wrote that it was interesting to see a multi-composer soundtrack in Malayalam. Now, the style is catching up in Mollywood and we have had a number of albums composed by more than one music director and written by different lyricists.
The latest entry in the list is Ezra, a horror thriller, starring Prithviraj and Priya Anand in the lead roles and directed by Jay K. In Ezra, Sushin Shyam, who debuted as a composer with the blissful 'Kisa Paathiyil' in Kismath, has tuned 2 songs while Rahul Raj takes the credit for the third song. The lyrics are by 3 different songwriters as well - Harinarayanan B.K., Anwar Ali and Vinayak Sasikumar.
Let's try them.
Lailakame (Singer: Haricharan; Lyricist: Harinarayanan B.K.)
Rahul Raj can't go wrong with his melodies, right? He starts simple with soothing strings and keys, and with the ever-bankable Haricharan on the vocals. We're hooked as Haricharan goes 'Lailakame' along with addictive base guitar-drum mix in the background. The arrangement is top class. Rahul Raj-Haricharan combo produces a lovely song with 'Lailakame' with the singer hitting the high notes effectively.
By the way, lailakam is nothing but lilac flower.
Thambiran (Singer: Vipin Raveendran; Lyricist: Anwar Ali)
Sushin Shyam sticks to the movie's genre, i.e., horror, in 'Thambiran', a beautifully composed song. The song is rich in folk flavor, courtesy Anwar Ali's lyrics and Sushin's tune. Another high point of the song is Vipin Raveendran's earthy, uninhibited vocals which work in tandem with Sushin's neatly layered programming. 'Thambiran' is eerie and at the same time, is classy.
Irulu Neelum Raave (Singer: Sachin Balu; Lyricist: Vinayak Sasikumar)
Sushin confidently showcases his intelligence as a composer in 'Irulu Neelum Raave' in which he repeats his 'Kisa Pathiyil' singer Sachin Balu. The melancholic tune is propped up stunningly with Sushin's quality, haunting orchestration. The composer teases the audience efficaciously when he stops short of the note that we expect the song to go to. Sachin continues to do a splendid job as a singer. The horns and cello add to the spookiness of the song, written craftily by Vinaayak. For 'Irulu Neelum', Sushin, take a bow.
Verdict
Sushin Shyam and Rahul Raj have delivered yet again. We recommend the whole album, a brief yet elegant one at that, to you.