Dev Songs - Music Review

Suhansid Srikanth

Harris Jayaraj!!! I bet most of the people who were born in 90s and lived their adolescence in the next decade had just two paths ahead. One was being ruled by Yuvan. Heartbreaking, story-driven, experimentative, psychedelic tracks that puts you in a trip. They were intense, deep, philosophical and everything much like the films they belonged to. And then there is this man who was doing these mainstream films.. yet bringing in a flavour that everybody could enjoy and fall in love with. Harris! He made a blooming era that's full of love and nostalgia for almost a generation. I got to watch Vaaranam Aayiram few weeks back in a theatre and the sheer love and whistles and cheer that his name got when it appeared on the credits said it all! Every song.. even before they could barely start.. audience were super excited and warming up to welcome the numbers that define the schoolhood and collegehood of millions. Forget all the complaints and criticisms! Forget all the repetitions you keep noticing in his songs! How thankful we all are at some point to this man.. for all those soundtracks, mood popping numbers, sole soul backups of Gautham Menon films, melodies!

And.. DEV marks quite a comeback for him after a bit unexpected gap. And man, he returns nothing less than this good old Harris you have enjoyed and missed all this while. The album does comes from him like this nostalgic gift.. an autograph to all his fans at once.

Anangae Sinungalaamaa

Boom! That typical Harris energy driven duet! Nangaai.. Yelelamaa.. Vaanengum.. Oyaayiye.. Adiye Kolludhe.. How good he can pull this of! The track kicks off with such a josh and jumps into a groovy female rendition by Sharanya Gopinath in the charanams. The guitar riffs backing up along with bunch of singers over there is super synergetic! Also one can announce a thousand dollar money bet for anyone who finds Hariharan among the pretty crowded up vocals! Nevertheless.. The Thaamarai lyrical just swiftly takes the flow up and alive in the peppiness of the rhythm!

Dei Machaan Dev

This song is my pick of the album. The classy, high on positivity intro numbers that only Harris was delivering is back on game again. It takes you to those 'Oh Supernova' days from Ayan or the vibes that Gala Gala of Ko had. The howling opening voice, a gibberish rap, funky tabla beats, whistles.. they are all here! The package that Harris has made with singers in this album is interesting. Its Naresh Iyer killing it all the way. But I loved the little peak-into that Vel Murugan made. Listen how the charanam unfolds into a melodic construct despite the template testosterone screaming high pitches we get in our hero intro tracks. Of many reasons.. Harris should be seriously noted enough for him bringing in these soft yet stunner numbers that doesn't shy away from embracing little feminineness. Lyricist Vivek reminds you of what Na.Muthukumar did with Palapalakkura Pagalaa Nee. Not sure whose idea it is.. but the lyric 'Dei Machaan Dev!' is such a hook. It is such a miss they didn't put this out as a single. Could have given a better picture of the protogonist and the mood of the film.

She is my Girl

The beat invested, hipped up track is again a trademark Harris number. The renditions of Christopher and Haricharan goes crazily feminine and screechy at times. That humm that unveils the charanam.. Wait! Who is back? Mahathi! In a Harris Jayaraj track again! I am someone who was addicted to Nenje Nenje of Ayan when the entire state was in a spell under Vizhimoodi.. just because of that one 'out of the world' opening humming that Mahathi does in and throughout the song. Harris really knows the unexplored potential and magic that his singers hold. Just look at his works with Mahathi or say a Bombay Jayashri or Sudha Raghunathan! They are not your go-to-female playback singers in Tamil Cinema. But the flavour he so very lovingly assembles with their vocals in so very unusual numbers has never miss its charm. Also the lyrical construct! Tamil just sounds deliciously aural in those classical mode he gets with charanam of certain songs. (Azhage Azhage in OKOK.. or Oorellaam in Nanbenda) You know that this song is gonna be a showstopper in the film. But.. Still.. Amidst all the noises that hit our playlists as viral numbers.. Harris still believes in such magic that only he can seamlessly do!

Oru Nooru Murai

The song in many ways is an extension of Endhan Kanmunne from Nanban. Much like Enai Saaithaale of Endrendrum.. it is a duet that soaks one in its very own mood. Sathyaprakash owns the song all along the simple vocalistic melody that flows over the track. There are some wonderful flute and beats leading up. Again.. there is that classical charanam style. And ShakthiSree nails it off with a voice that effortlessly elevates this style of Harris. Thaamarai shines again in a line like 'Vilaavil siragugal kanden.. Ulaava unnudan vandhen!'.

Engadi Nee Pona

It is that pathos number without which Harris wouldn't approve an album of him going out. SPB! Anything else to say about the rendition? But the beauty is how the song has a touch of some late 90s Rahman, say Enai Kaanavillaiye.. or Minnale.. Lyricist Kabilan has even rephrased a line from the former. 'Nimishangal ovvondrum varushangal aagum, nee ennai neengi sendraale..' is 'En vaaram yezhu naal unnaale oru varusham aachudhaane!' here. And the trademark closure with vocal and music saddening over a whirl of female hummings ends it up.

Rating: 3/5