OVERALL COMMENTS:

Okay. Let's face it, guys. Tamil cinema music is in a slump. Check out previous years in Tamil cinema, and there'd be at least two or three excellent albums a year. Nowadays, with ARR and IR on their way out, and YSR and Vidyasaagar only beginning to get started, we're in a transitional slump. We're getting plenty of good music, even some great music, but excellent music is hard to come by.

"Pallavan" is good music by Vidyasaagar.

But not great music. And not by a long shot excellent music.

SONG-BY-SONG REVIEW:

1. Aaru Sakkaru Kappal -- Unknown.
Here comes a song "varnuchifying" no, not heroines, but buses! Yes, true to the title of this movie, this song is all about how buses are good for love and falling in love. The music -- actually, pretty good, and fun. The lyrics -- okay, but not great (that "Side vidu! Side vidu!" is really annoying). And the singing is actually pretty good. So this one is: Between a Nice and a Very Nice.

2. Imaitthaal Puyal Adikkum -- S.P. Balasubramaniam.
SPB sings a soft melodious number. The music is good. The singing is strong. And the lyrics are good. There is nothing spectacular about this song, but it's pleasant to listen to in the background, and there's nothing jarring in it. Very Nice.

3. Maa Vaenumaa Mama -- Anuradha Sriram.
Oh, no. Ever since "O Podu," Anuradha Sriram has been relegated to the fast-beat dappaanguthu numbers. Continuing that trend, here she is singing some very dumb lyrics to some very usual fast-beat lyrics for the front-benchers. I personally won't listen to the song ever again intentionally, but judging by the way things are going, this dumb song is probably going to be a hit. Mediocre.

4. Mercury Poovae Mercury -- Devan, Unknown.
And here comes something that sounds an awful lot like '70s Beach Boys! It's a love song -- but guess what, it's fun and hummable. So far, this song -- despite the fact that the lyrics are average -- is my favorite on the album. The singing is good and youthful; the music is fun. Very Nice.

5. Pallavan (Theme Song) -- Tippu.
This song takes its sweet time getting started, starting with an old man crooning unpleasantly. And then the real music starts, and underrated singer Tippu starts into the theme song, another very fun song. Once again, however, the lyrics are very average -- but the singing and the fun music make up for that a little bit. Very Nice.

VIJAY VANNIARAJAN