The western influence on Indian music is undeniable. We’re moving away from the tablas and harmoniums and bringing in the jazz bands and electric guitars. What is more prominent is the rise of fusion bringing in numbers with a blend of East and West. However, there comes a point when the change is just too much to handle. Perhaps I’m the only person with such a sentiment but when I finished listening to the album of Break Ke Baad, I didn’t feel as if I’d listened to a Hindi album at all. Sure, the words sung were Hindi, but that’s about it, and at times even that wasn’t the case, as a lot of English is used as well.
The Kunal Kohli production directed by debutant Danish Aslam stars Imran Khan and Deepika Padukone, and promises to be your typical commercial love story with a supposed edge. Whilst the trailers may have given the impression of an ‘edge’, there is no such feeling after listening to the album. Vishal and Shekhar produce a listenable album that is bound to strike a chord with the majority. However the album fails to charm me and here’s why.
Vishal and Shekhar kick of the album with their composition Adhoore, which has already been widely heard thanks to the promos. The track is perhaps the most impressive of the album. It’s a pop number with Vishal Dadlani and Alyssa Mendonca at the mike, who both suit the genre beautifully! Lyrics are well put together and give the impression that it’s the typical introductory number in a love story describing the characters and their relationship. For those who want this number for a club scene, skip over to the remix.
Dhoop Ke Makaan is a track that you forget the moment it ends. First, it sounds like a more rock influenced reproduction of Shaam from Aisha. Caralisa, Sunidhi and Shekhar’s combined talents fail to create any excitement in the number. The lyrics are somewhat confusing and so it takes multiple listens to decipher what the song is getting to. And multiple listens is exactly what you don’t want to be giving the song that bores you within the first verse. The acoustic version drags even more and fails to capture attention. As always, liking a song is a matter of taste, and if you’re one who could use another Shaam then you might love it, but if you’re one who thinks that the real deal was the only thing we needed than you’ll be bored for sure.
Ajab Lehar is Neeraj Sridhar’s entry into the album. Another tried and tested Vishal – Shekhar number in their usual style. Nothing new or amazing, but nothing too horrendous. English lyrics inserted every now and then tend to annoy as they’re clearly not needed. If Vishal and Shekhar keep going this way, very soon all songs will sound the same!
Main Jiyoonga is a happy-go-lucky number about someone moving on despite all that has happened. Nikhil D’Souza endorses the optimistic lyrics with Gino and Mikey.
Vishal Dadlani then feels the need to have the exact same song in pure English lyrics and titles it Don’t Worry About Me. Honestly why was this song included in the album?
Then comes a concluding track telling us how important it is be distanced from someone you love every now and then. Dooriyaan Hi Zaroori is sung by Vishal and Monica Dogra and is an out and out rock number. Whilst Monica excels in the loud portions, when the pace slows down her voice doesn’t remain as attractive. Vishal of course excels in both portions.
And with that the album wraps up. You may notice how short this review is, and it’s not because I’m having a lazy day. Rather there isn’t much to say about the album. There’s nothing new to analyze, there’s nothing amazing to rave about and nor is it so disastrous that we should sit and analyze that. If you’ve listened to the latest Vishal – Shekhar albums you’ll know what to expect. If you’re craving masala Bollywood music or just Indian music in general, then steer clear.
