The Train - Music Review

By: Joginder Tuteja, IndiaFM
Thursday, April 19, 2007
This album is special and reasons are aplenty. Let's begin with the best of the lot before moving on to the others.

First and foremost The Train marks the debut of Mithoon as a sole composer for an entire album. Before this soundtrack, the young lad has been coming up with consistently good results for his rearranged tracks 'Woh Lamhe' [Zeher] and 'Aadat' [Kalyug] , a superhit Tere Bin [Bas Ek Pal] followed by equally popular tracks in Anwar ['Maula Mere', 'Javeda Zindagi'] .

Secondly, the lyrics of the album are written by Sayeed Quadri, the man who has been fast forming an association with Mithoon for majority of his compositions. Identified with quality lyrics, his work has been speaking for itself, especially during last couple of years.

Thirdly, the film stars Emraan Hashmi in the lead. Emraan and popular songs go hand-in-hand.

Last but not the least, the film is produced by Shyam and Narendra Bajaj who have been producing medium budget, but successful films, for around a decade. Their last release Aksar [starring Hashmi] was a musical hit. Would The Train follow suit and give it's director-duo Hasnain Hyderabadwala and Raksha Mistry a success to their name?

With so many factors indicating a good musical outing, one expects nothing but superior quality of music. Well, get ready to hear an album that boasts of a very good soundtrack with new sound as a cherry on the cake!

Now this has to be a really unique combination, and a good one at that. Not just it is (pleasantly) surprising to see the return of Shilpa Rao behind the mike [her 'Javeda Zindagi' [Anwar] continues to haunt forever], the big moment is to see yet another composer turning singer so early in his career. Yes, Mithoon too can't resist the temptation of coming behind the mike and doesn't he more than justify his decision? Coming across so very convincing as the voice of Emraan Hashmi in 'Woh Ajnabee', he does quite well with his boyish charm truly reflected in his voice.

A fresh tune in the offering, the song belongs to Shilpa even more than Mithoon as she amazes with her hold while singing a dance floor sing with as much comfort as the semi-classical 'Javeda Zindagi'. Add to that the arrangements which make this Indian/Western fusion track sound better on repeat hearing. As a composer, Mithoon brings a new sound yet again as he encapsulates Indian melody with western arrangements.

That is exactly the reason why one takes time to relate to the tune before it starts sinking in after you have given it the number of hearings it truly deserves. By the time you have heard the original track followed by the 'Club Mix' version [even more entertaining, catchy and highly foot tapping] around 5-6 times, you are completely hooked on to the music. Don't blame the composer if you find yourself humming the track all the way to your workplace!

The man of all seasons, who else but K.K., is roped in for just the right kind of song that he deserves. 'Beete Lamhein' begin with a slow built-up through faint sound of instruments [mainly guitar] and by the time K.K. is ready to croon 'Dard Mein Bhi Ye Lab Muskura Jaate Hain, Beete Lamhein Hamein Jab Bhi Yaad Aate Hain', you know that this is going to be one entertaining album with variety galore.

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