 Karunya, runner-up on Indian Idol (season 2), makes his Indi-pop debut with his namesake album that has just arrived on stands. As is the expectation with any Indian Idol finalist, one looks highly at 'Karunya' as well which is made of nine exclusive tracks. While Lesle Lewis has composed for the entire album, Kumaar and Ravi Chettry share credits as they write 5 and 4 songs each.
Opening track of the album is Ravi Chhettry written 'Teri Aankhen'. A rhythm based song, the trouble with it is that it tries to be extra sweet with Lesle Lewis' style being way too predictable. There is nothing wrong with the singing though since Karunya maintains the youthful flavor as required by a song of this genre. Nevertheless the track could have been salvaged by a good music video but an entire cool campus look too doesn't quite attract one's attention. This one is just about average.
Kumaar written 'Kya Raat Hai' follows a young track again and though the rhythm is certainly better that the one witnessed in 'Teri Aankhen', it still doesn't make you go 'wow'. Yet again, the tune is the culprit here as it hardly brings with it the kind of novelty that one would have expected in an album that is being projected as a launch pad for an upcoming singer. The tune, writing and rendition is such that any other singer worth his/her salt could have been roped in to sing this sung. Abhijeet Sawant has set a benchmark for all upcoming newcomers with his recently released 'Junoon' and any lesser effort would surely come under criticism.
Calypso beats mark an opening of 'Kya Karoon' which is written by Ravu Chhettry. Ok, so by this around you can't help but surrender yourself to the album because it becomes obvious that there is nothing exceptional that one can expect here. The song follows a jingle mode throughout and it seems that the tune was made for an advertisement rather than for a non-film album.
A track about a young boy finding his love and making his dreams for his life with her, 'Kya Karoon' is successful in maintaining the youthful flavor of the album but that's the maximum it ends up achieving. And by the way, what is that funny sound of laughter that comes towards the middle of the song? A complete put-off.
It's time for a rock'n'roll outing with the arrival of Kumaar written 'Main To Aasmaan Hoon'. A song about 'hey, this is me and I am the best', there is an attempt for it to be pepped up with some Western arrangements but that hardly works. A beats based number that maintains a constant rhythm throughout, it is yet another average track that takes a listener to the middle of the music album.
For the first time in the album one gets to hear a different Karunya with the arrival of 'O Ajnabee'. A love song that concentrates on melody more than pep and rhythm (as was the case with each of the four songs earlier), 'O Ajnabee' written by Kumaar at least gets some sanity in the proceedings with some kind of 'thehrav' experienced in the album. Still, does the song turn out to be the USP of the album. Not really, as one still expected a lot more, though at least the song brings in a different flavor in this otherwise monotonous journey.
Kumaar continues to contribute to the album in a major way with yet another track titled 'O Jaan-E-Jaan'. A better composition than 'O Ajnabee' and in fact the best of the lot heard so far, it has a serene feel to it with concentration purely on Karunya's vocals rather than any accompanying instruments and arrangements. Sung in a low pitch with a quite feel to it, 'O Jaan-E-Jaan' is a love soaked track which just has the faint sound of a guitar that plays along with Karunya. A good number written well by Kumaar.
It's back to jamming for Lesle Lewis as Ravi Chhettry written 'Sara Jahan' comes next. A mere follow up to 'Mai
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