One of the most exciting releases of 2013 has to be Remo D’Souza’s ABCD – AnyBody Can Dance, which is India’s first 3D dance film. Sachin and Jigar certainly deliver their best work with this album, showcasing their versatility and delivering a consistently brilliant selection of tracks. Each track gets you immediately hooked and even more curious to see how it will be picturized onscreen.
We start off with a bang with, Shambhu Sataya, a rollicking Ganesh devotional song that packs the punch with its loud percussion, and drums that line the track. Shankar Mahadevan opens the track with a soothing shloka, that gives way to the thumping dhols and nagadas. The interplay between Mahadevan and Vishal Dadlani raspy vocals make this a loud treat. The bridge is one of the most interesting parts as it features the chorus rapping the shlokas, which works so seamlessly. The track is energetic and deeply layered, making you treasure the variety of genres at work here. There’s plenty of pulsating interludes that seem perfect for dance-offs, and gets you excited for its presentation on the big screen. It is such a fun track to savour as Sachin and Jigar take us from an exciting devotional tune and caps it off with a garbha sound. Keep this on repeat!
Bezubaan was heard in the first promos of the film, which was such a gorgeous track initially. The latest promo looks amazing, with the music complementing the dancing so effortlessly. When the final song comes along, it’s even more enchanting than before, with it’s terrific prelude of raindrops and minimal arrangements. If you’re not in love already, then Mohit Chauhan and Priya Panchal’s vocals make this song so much more memorable with their lovely renditions. The lyrics are quite poignant as well, speaking about realizing one’s worth and going for that goal. The rap portions by Tanvi Shah and Deane Sequeira are not too clunky and add some inspiration to the verses. Again, there’s the space for more fabulous dance sequences, and the song ends with a fast-paced section that gets you pumped up as well!
The much talked about number, Psycho Re is next and what a fun track! The promo got us dancing and excited to see Remo D’Souza, Ganesh Acharya, Saroj Khan, and Prabhudeva face off. Starting with the nadaswaram and an addictive “rattipattey” chant, which immediately gets you in a dancing mood. I love that the song doesn’t overdo it with too many arrangements, and relies on the witty lyrics by Mayur Puri and interplay between the singers and the chorus. It’s such a mad song that has so many layers to enjoy. Again, what more could ask for than to hear the odd pairing of the lovely Udit Narayan and the swaggering Mika Singh to sound so in harmony for this fun track. Narayan and Singh work together so well, and make this track a quirky gem.
Another gem on the album is the superb, Mann Basiyo Saawariyo, which utilizes one of the duo’s staple singer Anushka Manchanda in such a different way. Manchanda is so subtle here, and impresses in the earlier portions with her clear-cut voice. The song is a crazy and unconventional fusion between the breezy trance sounds to the punk rock in between. Yet, Sachin and Jigar keep a good handle on the arrangements and it sounds so experimental as well. The lyrics are suitably romantic and Manchanda makes them stick with you after the track is over. I cannot wait to see this one onscreen!
Chandu Ki Girlfriend is quite a funny track with witty lyrics by Mayur Puri, discussing this quirky guy Chandu and his gorgeous girlfriend. The singers Raman Mahadevan, Jigar Saraiya, Divya Pushkarna, Sagar Kendurkar, and Madhav Krishna keep this track engaging and fun with their incredulous reactions. It’s a breezy track that doesn’t quite get you in the dancing mood, but it’s the fun rapport the singers have which makes this track impressive and entertaining.
Sachin and Jigar blend the heavy metal and classical arrangements so beautifully in Duhaai. The tune features an impressive prelude with sweeping orchestration and then a mellow guitar, and then Madhav Krishna takes over. Krishna has such an interesting and emotional voice, which makes the impassioned lyrics more poignant as the lyrics move from desolation to hope. Krishna is one singer to look out for, as he sounds like the suitable rocker as the riffs crescendo around him. It’s such a versatile track with such control that gets extra brownie points for blending the sarangi in there so wonderfully. Another great track to savour!
Sorry Sorry, is the weaker tune of the album, as it feels a bit too familiar and middling with its familiar beats and Punjabi sounds. It sounds like a situational track that has all the beats of a hit, but it feels like it’s missing that extra something. The lyrics by Mayur Puri are quite amusing though, with a lover apologizing for his mistakes to his gal. Jigar Saraiya sounds great here, but it’s the arrangements that let the track down. The bridge does speed up the tempo and slightly rectifies what came before.
You can never really go wrong with Suraj Jagan, who rocks out in the fabulous Kar Ja Re Ya Mar Ja Re. The song opens on a haunting note with a baby’s laughter and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on the piano, before the bass and drums kick in. It’s an impressive instrumental track with its almost death metal sound in the earlier portions, which mixes up with some dubstep beats. Jagan is in his element here, and makes the clunky lyrics work in his own right. If anything, you wished this song was longer just to hear more from Jagan. It’s an interesting track that works as a stand alone track in spite of its situational appeal.
The album ends with one of my favourite tracks, Sadda Dil Vi Tu (Ga Ga Ganpati), another Ganesh track, which steps up the innovation in Shambhu Sataya. I’m a big fan of the latest dubstep craze, which is utilized so brilliantly in this song, complementing the heavy percussion and loud chorus vocals. Hard Kaur is so in control of this track, and adds her swaggering charm and Punjabi rap verses which is an interesting complement to the devotional verses. Sachin and Jigar just blow you away with this track, it’s got so many altering shifts and never ends up like a cacophony. Keep this amazing track on repeat!
ABCD is one of the best albums of 2013, simply because you can feel Sachin and Jigar in their element and creating lasting songs that complement the film’s core theme. While there may be some hiccups, every song has that innovative charm that completely enhances the curiosity factor for the film.
Stay tuned we have an exclusive interview with Sachin and Jigar coming up!
