Hindi Music Reviews - February 1, 2007

Doorie
Atif Aslam
After breaking away from his former band Jal, Pakistani composer-singer Atif Aslam has certainly come into his own. If Woh Lamhe (from the film Zeher) brought the first wave of success in Bollywood, then songs such as Aadat (from the OST of Kalyug) and Tere Bin (from Bas Ek Pal OST) strengthened his singing credentials even more. Now he comes up with an album of his own and titles it Doorie.

Aslam belongs to the new breed of young singers who depend heavily on their unconventional vocals. His high-pitched and slightly nasal voice has a rough and uneven texture. It breaks at higher notes, sounds gruff at lower notes and at times, even goes off-key. But despite that Aslam manages to make an impression in Doorie due to his expressive style of rendition.

Rock, pop, folk, Sufi, fusion – the songs belong to the typical world music bracket. The mood is mostly pensive and reflective – sometimes about a lack of direction in life, sometimes about the growing distances between lovers. Doorie (composed by Sachin Gupta), Mahi Ve
(composed by Aslam) and Kuchh Iss Tarah (composed by Mithoon) are some good numbers from the album.

Go Dhoom
Various Artistes
It's a perfect album for a weekend party. Picking upbeat dance numbers such as Dhoom Again and Crazy Kiya Re ( from the film Dhoom 2); Banjar and Kabul Fiza ( from the film Kabul Express); Fanaa For You and Chaand Sifarish (the film Fanaa) and Kajrare and Dhadak Dhadak (from the film Bunty Aur Babli), the album will set any party rolling.

Cut Above 9
Various Artistes
This album is a compilation of songs that have been chosen randomly from recent films and pop albums. Sadly, the selection fails to have a lasting impact and is mediocre. U&I (Sonu Nigam from the film Naksha) and Pathshala (Naresh Iyer and Mohammad Aslam from the film Rang De Basanti) are some of the better ones.

Mile Do Badan
Various Artistes
This album takes you on a rewind mode by taking you back to the Sixties and Seventies. Romantic duets such as Yuun Hi Tum Mujhse Baat Karti Ho; Mujhse Bhala Yeh Kaajal Tera and Kuchh Kehta Hai Yeh Saawan sung by Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammad Rafi are part of the album. Other highlights include Kishore Kumar's duets with Lata Mangeshkar.Hey Maine Kasam Lii, Jhuk Gayi Aankhen and Mile Do Badan. All in all a pleasant listen.