Music review: ‘ABCD 2’ – It’s twice the noise

Like Taal, ABCD 2 has an epic scale.

Rating: 2 out of 5

Of the several things that need to be taken into consideration while reviewing ABCD 2 is the fact that it’s a dance musical. As a result, almost every song lends itself to dancing. The only other film that comes to mind in this genre in Hindi cinema is Taal, apart from the first ABCD. Like Taal, ABCD 2 has an epic scale. There is a song for everything — one about the mother, two for the lovers, a drunken song and a patriotic anthem. But while Taal was more classical, ABCD 2 belongs to the streets. So there is an abundance of Hinglish lyrics, generic EDM elements and a lot of RnB. The album has a rather uncharacteristic start in Chunar, a sentimental ode from a son to his mother. While the intentions are noble — an earnest Arijit Singh tries his heartfelt best and the lyrics are rooted — it doesn’t translate into a great song . The central melody is all too familiar.

Sun saathiya is perhaps the album’s best song, born out of the film’s unabashedly populist tone. It’s got a pretty hook, like a sweet, young love song that keeps segueing into an uptempo dance mode. Divya Kumar’s deft semi-Hindustani classical flourishes act as a perfect foil for Priya Saraiya’s sweet vocals. Bezubaan phir se ends up as an unnecessary remixed version of original in ABCD.

The songs of ABCD 2 work well when they don’t take themselves too seriously. It’s the same reason that makes Happy birthday the most fun song of the album. It’s also the only song that makes non-dancers feel like breaking into an impromptu jig. It has the electric energy of the party numbers typical of the composers. An annoyingly catchy “aww” thrown in at regular interval adds to it. Hey ganaraya has all the trappings of a devotional Ganesha song — the spiritual vocal rendition, the blowing of the conch, the reciting of the mantras and powerful percussion. But all that fails to transcend the lack of a strong central melody. Happy hour, as its title suggests, employs a drunken Mika Singh. The high energy synth works well for a song that grows over a number of listens.

Both Naach meri jaan and Tatoo are too cluttered for their own good. They are the kind of songs that are tailor-made for the story, their ups and downs synchronised with the histrionics of the film. But musically, they are nothing special. Ditto with Vande Mataram. There is Baadshah rapping and Daler Mehndi and Divya Kumar providing the mandatory Sufi cry. Sachin-Jigar has been losing their freshness, and their generally enjoyable arrangement is a letdown in this 10 song album. Barring Sun saathiya and Happy birthday, the album is too cacophonous to be enjoyed independent of the film.

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