Akale Album

I am happy that my first try to listen to Malayalam music album turned out be a pleasant experience. Yes, Akale is the first Malayalam album that I bought and it has got beautiful soul stirring melodies. The composer is M.Jayahandran about whom I have heard a lot before but misunderstood him as the singer with the same name who has sung some immortal melodies in Tamil like "En Mel Vizhundha Mazhai thuli", "Rasathi unna kaanadha nenju", "Oru theivam thantha poovae" and many more.

As I said, all the songs are melodious and there is a variety in the album. The composer has tried a fusion of pure western classical and Indian classical music with one form of music not disturbing the other. These songs are perfect for listening in loneliness especially at night. The simple and elegant orchestration with just enough instruments gives a touch of class to all the songs. Every single solo instrument piece is composed with care and each carries a feel and emotion of its own. You have every indispensable instrument for a melody in the songs of this album like flute, solo violin, strings, piano, sax, sarangi, sitar, soft guitar and what not. Most of the songs don't even have a percussion rhythm running in the background. Just the backing orchestration carries the song all through which makes the listening experience a scintillating journey through various moods and emotions. The songs ranges from slow to too slow and one really need patience to enjoy the songs completely. If you really have that patience, the listening experience is nothing short of bliss. Other than the composition, the highlight of the album is the choice of singers. You have lots and lots of talented (both new and old) singers featuring in the songs of this album. I always have a feeling that Mallu's have got most and most number of soothing vocals in India. The healing freshness of the greeneries in kerala reflects in the voice of malayali's too.

The divine vocal of Chitra makes the title song more soothing to listen. Karthik is not far behind, he also has got a soothing vocal which most of the Tamil composers are yet to explore in him. I was surprised by the rendition of Ganga (has sung "Nizhal Santhyae"), who has been in A.R.Rahman's chorus group for almost a decade. She has got a great voice and talent. Wonder why ARR didn't gave an opportunity for her to sing in his composition. Chinmayi is one of the most talented singer right now in south India and only one who has the caliber to compete with Shreya Ghosal. Her strong classical base is evident in her songs. "Ravugal" song sung by Chinamyi can't get any better rendition. Sujatha is at her best in "Janavariyil" song. Not just the name, the mesmerizing vocal of P. Jayachandran and M.Jayachandran sounds same. Strongly rhythm based "Pranayae" get its melodious counter part with the vocals of M.G. Sree kumar. Though they are equally good in rendition Vidha Prathap, G. Venugopal and Preetha Prasad are to be heard more to find uniqueness in their voice.

The only minor issue with the album is that the blatant copy of some of the popular western classical pieces in the songs. The "Akale" song has got a strings piece in the background that is for sure a straight rip-off from a symphony which I have heard before but forgot the name. And we have a note-to-note copy of Beethoven's Fur Elise in the song "Janavariyil". A talented composer like M.Jayachandran could have avoided this for sure. May be he would have done this desperately but should have given some space in the credits to the original western classical composers. Anyway, this album is a must buy for any good music lover.