Rahman hits the bull's eye with 'Delhi-6'

Film: 'Delhi-6'; Music Director: A.R. Rahman; Lyricist: Prasoon Joshi; Singers: Rekha Bharadwaj, Kishori Gowariker, Shraddha Pandit, Sujata Majumdar, Kailash Kher, Javed Ali, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Shreya Ghoshal, Benny Dayal, Vivienne Pocha, Blaaze, Tanvi, Claire, Ash King, Chinmayee, Karthik, Naresh, Srinivas, Bony Chakravarthy, Mohit Chauhan, Amitabh Bachchan and Rahman. Rating: ***

Where there is Rahman, there ought to be expectations. Riding high on his Golden Globe success, Rahman has left no stone unturned to give the music of Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's 'Delhi-6' a unique and extremely fresh touch. The 10-song album is a concoction of awe-inspiring melodies, feet tapping rhythms, wonderful lyrics and some impressive singing.

'Tumre Bhavan Mein' adds a touch of spirituality to the album. Short and soothing, the song that offers prayers, is very melodious. 'Tumre Bhavan Mein' is backed by vocals from Rekha Bharadwaj, Kishori Gowariker, Shraddha Pandit and Sujata Majumdar.

Not many composers explore qawwali these days, but Rahman did that seamlessly with 'Arziyan'. Tabla, harmonium and the clapping sounds, supported by meaningful lyrics - all create a mesmerising listening experience. The Sufism-imbued notes of the song and its requisite poignancy are backed flawlessly by the two singers - Javed Ali and Kailash Kher.

Rahman has packed in a surprise in the form of 'Bhor Bhaye' - it delves into Indian classical form and is a treat. With Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan's rousing rendition and Shreya Ghoshal's honeyed voice, 'Bhor bhaye' is an overwhelming experience, especially for those who crave for classics.

Next song, 'Delhi-6', pays a tribute to the city. The funky song is contemporary from the word go and blends a dash of rock, rap and hip-hop. 'Delhi-6', which is a ragged mélange of attitude and style, is sure to be hummed by every youngster. Benny Dayal, Vivienne Pocha, Blaze, Tanvi and Claire have crooned it.

With 'Dil gira dafatan', Prasoon Joshi reaffirms what a good lyricist he is. To add to that, the melody and the simplistic arrangement of instruments are extremely soothing to the ear. Ash King is the lead singer while Chinmayee's backing creates some spell-binding moments.

'Genda phool', sung by Rekha Bharadwaj, Shraddha Pandit and Sujata Majumdar, is a teasing folk song. It starts as a purely rustic and rooted number, but soon western arrangements take over. Composer Rajat Dholakia and Rahman share the credit for the song, which is quite playful.

'Hey kaala bandar' is easily the poorest track in the album. The number in the hip-hop genre, with a few English lyrics, fails to create a mark. The song is sung by Karthik, Naresh, Srinivas and Bony Chakravarthy.

'Masakalli' is easily the best song on the soundtrack. A power packed and expressive number, it is crooned by Mohit Chauhan. A free flowing, addictive, fun number, 'Masakalli' will be remembered for months to come owing to its mirthful, fluttering mood.

'Noor' is a small couplet recited by Amitabh Bachchan.

'Rehna tu' is meant to be a smoothly flowing, romantic number. But in spite of Rahman lending his voice to the song and Benny Dayal along with Tanvi doing well with backing vocals, the song doesn't really captivate.

Overall, the album is a robust mix of impressive tracks with some great and hummable lyrics, making it a sure hit among music lovers.