Fresh from the success of Love Sex Aur Dhoka and Once Upon A Time Mumbai, Ekta Kapoor, producer extraordinaire, is back in the spotlight with Shor in the City. Also fresh from their success of F.A.L.T.U, the music directing duo of Sachin-Jigar are ready to blow your speakers again.
The album is a short one with 5 original tracks and 3 bonus songs. Shor in the City features the talents of Shreya Ghosal (‘Teri Ore’ – Singh is Kinng), Suraj Jagan (‘Sadka’ – I Hate Luv Storys), Mohan of the band Agnee (‘Khanabadosh’ – London Dreams), and Tochi Raina (‘Iktara’ (Male Version) – Wake Up Sid) amongst others. The lyrics have been penned Sameer, Priya Penchal and Nishu.
Shor in the City stars Sendil Ramamurthy (TV’s Heroes), Tushaar Kapoor (the Golmaal movies), Nikhil Dwivedi (Raavan) and newcomers Sundeep Kishan and Preeti Desai. Shor in the City will make shor in a cinema you on 28 April 2011.
The album gets down to business straightway with Saibo. It reassures the listener that they have not made a mistake by choosing to listen to this soundtrack. Saibo is rendered beautifully by Ghosal and Raina who sound absolutely divine together. Sachin-Jigar definitely have a masterpiece on their hands with Saibo. The marvellous amalgamation of Indian-Western music intertwined with Sameer’s well-penned lyrics makes Saibo a delight to listen to. Saibo has a remixed version by DJ Suketu as well which is good enough but it obviously lacks the instrumental intricacies of the original that are the crowning glory of Saibo.
Karma is a Bitch is next. It is an in-your-face urban number in the style of Amit Trivedi. If you are a fan of Ali Re (No One Killed Jessica), Emotional Atyachar (Dev D) you will definitely love this number. Suraj Jagan is in his element and he is well supported by Swati Mukund and Priya Panchal. Sameer’s lyrics are loud and crude and delivered in a confrontational tone, making the song very effective.
Karma is a Bitch is followed by Shor. The number gets off to a very traditional start with a sitar but very skilfully transforms into a rock number with the very talented Mohan behind the mike. Sachin-Jigar have to be applauded for intertwining the sitar into a rock number. It is fusion at its best.
The album draws to a close with Deem Deem, a composition by guest composer Harpreet, rendered by Shriram Iyer. It reminds you of Liquid Dance from A R Rahman’s Slumdog Millionarie, a fast-paced situational number, heavy on the vocals with a clever fusion of modern and Indian music.
Shor in the City also features three bonus songs, unrelated to the movie, but great songs in their own right. The first is Teri Justajoo, a sufi number by the incredible Roop Kumar Rathod, which is as beautiful musically as it is lyrically. A must have for all sufi enthusiasts. The second is Ujale Baaz by the band Agnee, a rock number with a mean mixture of electric guitars and Indian dhols. The last number is Bam Lahiri by the brilliant Kailash Kher from his album Kailasa.
In summary, Saibo undoubtedly is the crown jewel of Shor in the City and is a tough act to follow for the remaining tracks. Even though the rest of the tracks do not outshine Saibo, they are good numbers in their own right. Shor in the City is essentially a situational album and will deliver its optimal effect during the narration of the film. However, it does affirm Sachin-Jigar as one the best newcomers the Indian Music Industry. Just three albums old and they have already demonstrated a great versatility in their music which has made listeners crave for more.
