Rustic flavour in 'Ishaqzaade' soundtrack (IANS Music Review)

Film: 'Ishaqzaade'; Music Director: Amit Trivedi; Lyricist: Kausar Munir and Habib Faisal; Singers: Javed Ali, Shreya Ghoshal, Vishal Dadlani, Sunidhi Chauhan, Shalmali Kholgade, Suraj Jagan, Divya Kumar; Rating: ***

The soundtrack of 'Ishaqzaade', the latest offering from the Yash Raj camp, brings out the flavour of Uttar Pradesh with juicy compositions. After conquering hearts with his music in 'Dev D' and 'Wake Up Sid', composer Amit Trivedi manages to engage listeners with compositions oozing grunge energy.

The album kicks off with 'Chokra jawan' written by Habib Faisal and crooned by Vishal Dadlani and Sunidhi Chauhan. The song reminds of the high-octane tracks of the 1990s with dhol beats and unusually high-pitched voices.

However, the duo has done justice to the song, with Sunidhi's voice emerging a clear winner. The lyrics fit the feel of the song, which seems to be introductory for the leads in the film. Trivedi has no pretensions about not bringing anything new to the table and presents a typical Bollywood dance number.

It is followed by 'Pareshaan' sung by Shalmali Kholgade. The composition gives a sense of depth with the use of instruments like violin and drums accentuating the pain in the singer's voice.

There are moments where despite the absence of music, the soulful rendition holds and then suddenly the raised music returns to build up a concoction of emotions in the listener's mind. Kudos also to Kausar Munir for penning such beautiful and meaningful lines that immerses you. The song's remix version too is likable.

The next track in the album is a qawwali, which seems to be in vogue now-a-days. In recent times, one either finds a full-fledged qawwali song or elements of it in almost every Bollywood score.

'Jhalla wallah' is a feisty song that reminds you of the song 'Dil walon ke dil ka karar lootney' from the film 'Shool'. The lyrics are totally Uttar Pradesh style and bring an instant smile to your face. It is quite a funny track and the catchy beats further make it a foot-tapping number. It is being sung by Shreya Ghoshal.

The title track 'Ishaqzaade', sung by Javed Ali and Sunidhi, gives the impression of being more of a background score. However, Javed manages to grab your interest with his voice blended in a compelling composition and revolutionary lyrics.

'Aafaton ke parindey' comes next, which is also apparently the title track of the film (Yes! this one has two). The fast-paced song has been sung by Divya Kumar and Suraj Jagan and is more forceful compared to other songs in the album.

'Ishaqzaade' may not have too much on the platter with just five original tracks but it still manages to strike a chord with the listener. The album is definitely worth a shot.