Music of Bachna Ae Haseeno

Recent Bollywood soundtracks have proven that it's usually never advisable to be preemptive with one's praise because some tracks may seem powerful and thematic at first listen, but they lack the sustainability to last.

"Khuda Jaane" defies that adage, and deserves all the admiration that it will undoubtedly get from its fans. It is by far one of the more mature songs to emerge from the music industry, in recent times. Composed smoothly by Vishal-Shekhar, the song has a tidal effect in its energy pattern, with softer verses and a spirited chorus, which belongs predominantly to KK's power-vocals, supported well by Shilpa Rao.

"Bachna Ae Haseeno" hastily picks up momentum after "Khuda", with "Lucky Boy". The usage of an infectious Punjabi sample over hard electronica gives this song a unique sound. Sunidhi's singing switches between Western movements and Indian murkis with effortless ease, backed by Raja Hassan and the soon-becoming-ubiquitous Hard Kaur, who seems to have moved bag and baggage from Birmingham to Bollywood faster than you can say, "chicken tikka masala".

"Aahista Aahista" creates a "nomadic drifter" atmosphere reminiscent of A.R. Rahman's "Khuda Haafiz" from "Yuva", probably because of Lucky Ali's vocals, with catchy flamenco pieces and a Robert Miles-esque piano interlude. It's a unique track, which will capture the niche appreciation of young, urban audiences.

It's nice to hear the media-shy Shekhar Ravijani finally get behind the mic and kick off, "Jogi Mahi", a folksy and situational number, which is a chockfull of Punjabi pride and liveliness. "Small Town Girl" seems like a worn-out, re-hash of "Pretty Woman" (KANK), blended with elements from the "Jhoom Barabar Jhoom" soundtrack. All in all, it seems more Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy than Vishal-Shekhar, accentuated further by Mahadevan's vocals. "Khuda Jaane Revisited" is the quintessential trance remix - as pointless as it gets - completely ruining the efficacy of the original.

And this brings us to the trump card. The minute that familiar and historic brass section intro kicks off, followed by Kishore Da's original, unforgettable vocal sample, one can instantly tell that the album has come full-circle in completeness. The track, backed up by Sumit Kumar, also features a unique vocal section, which is tuned on the instrumental trumpet intro.

It's notable that this closing track has achieved a vital "je-ne-sais-quoi" that goes into making an effective remix of a classic song - preserving soul and retaining identity. This remix is a true lesson to all those DJs who have devastated many a classic track with trashy techno re-hashes, over the years.

Balance sheet: If the soundtrack is anything to go by, BAH seems like a winner all the way, and the eye-caressing locales and visuals bode well for Ranbir Kapoor, who is in need of a much-needed follow-up to the sordid Saawariya saga. Will this finally prove ke Ranbir kisise kum nahin? Only time will tell, but in the interim, watch out for "Bachna...".