‘Wake Up Sid’ another musical hit by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy (IANS Music Review)

Album: “Wake Up Sid”; Music Directors: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy; Lyricist: Javed Akhtar; Singers: Shankar Mahadevan, Kavita Seth, Amitabh Bhattacharya, Clinton Cerejo and Uday Benegal; Rating: ***

Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy have done it again. The trio, known for their hit and melodious soundtracks in films like “Kal Ho Naa Ho” and “Taare Zameen Par”, have composed another interesting music album in “Wake Up Sid”, a Karan Johar film that stars Ranbir Kapoor and Konkona Sen Sharma.

It has five original numbers and one remix.

“Aaj kal zindagi” is a soft, soothing and inspirational song. It is fantastically crooned by Shankar Mahadevan. The increase in tempo towards the end adds zing to the track.

Next in line is “Iktara”, which is the best song of the album. A fusion of rustic and western influences, it has a heavy dose of guitar strumming. Kavita Seth’s brilliant vocals strike a chord with the listener. Seth teams up with Amitabh Bhattacharya in the song and it is sure to be a chartbuster.

“Kya karoon” sung by Clinton Cerejo is an average, feel-good kind of a number. Cerejo’s unconventional voice works well for the song.

Up next is a young and hip track called “Life is crazy”, which has Uday Benegal and Shankar Mahadevan behind the mike. The track is soaked in contemporary sounds and is sure to be a hit, especially among youngsters.

Finally, we have the title track “Wake Up Sid”, again sung by Mahadevan himself. It’s a sweet and entertaining song with a strong musical backing. The highlight of the song is the way it goes from fast-paced to slow and then back.

The number also has a remixed version, which is not a typical add-more-beats kind of track. It is interesting and adds colour to the original.

On the whole, the composers have stuck to their signature style and have given music that will be liked by many.