New York Nagaram: Captivated

Before starting this review I would like to ask people a question, “What kind of thoughts or associations you draw while listening to a Tamil song?” If this question was asked to me, I would say that typically a Tamil song would be:
Carnatic
Classical/ Raaga based song
Folk Song ( Kuthu) etc.
Disco, Pop ( Trends started by Mr. Rahman himself)
Well since Rahman is relentless in innovation he thought of presenting his listeners with an exotic gift in the form of this song. Now he introduces another genre in Tamil: “Soft Rock”. With my limited knowledge in music I can classify this song in the rock genre. It is surprising that he introduces such songs in Tamil, gosh this man has guts to do the unthinkable.
This song is even special because the man himself is behind the mike and with his rendition its pure magic. Fasten your seat belts because you are going to embark on the journey of your lifetime.
I have always believed that Rahman as a singer is totally unique. His voice is a blend of a youthful charm, a passionate frenzy and currently a tinge of classical also. This song is from a film called Sillunu Oru Kaadhal starring the famous Tollywood couple Surya and Jyothika. The lyricist is Vaalee and all this I know because of Rahman as I wait eagerly for all his albums irrespective of its language. It sounds cliché but his music truly has a global appeal and transcends all barriers.
Though Rahman’s style has changed over the years one thing has still remained constant. Whenever he composes a track first he creates a base on which the rhythm is placed. This base can be heard right throughout the song. After this he gradually goes on adding layers of music in the form of instruments, chorus, programming and what not. Due to the base provided his songs are rock solid be it in the form of melody, orchestration, rhythm and etc. For e.g. Roja Jaaneman was entirely placed on a bass guitar which played from start to finish.
This song starts with a unique humming sound which is soon taken over by a Hawaaian guitar. The guitar strumming forms the base of the song or in my words it is the soul of the song. A soft piece of bass guitar announces the arrival of the magical voice of Mr. Rahman. Soon Mr. Rahman’s rendition spins a web on the listener and from this moment there is no looking back, it’s a chartbuster written all over. He creates a sombre mood for this song and somehow this feeling is instilled in the listener. His passionate rendition easily infects the listener as well. Without even understanding a single word I get emotionally associated with my beloved while listening to this number. The power of the song lies in the effects produced by the guitar and rendition by Rahman. As if this was not enough he goes on creating layers to form a beautiful bouquet of flowers.
The film was released after Rang de Basanti which created all sorts of records and Rahman won tonnes of accolades for his music. For heavy usage of guitar strumming this song draws a clear reference from Roobaroo. Though both the songs had a heavy guitar influence the treatment meted out to them is completely different.
· If we draw up a comparison Roobaroo as a song celebrates a youthful and a carefree spirit. On the other hand New York has passion and melancholy written all over it.
· Roobaroo is more of a country rock means one gets a feel of a song being played by a desi band. New York is more like a chartbuster single performed by a professional like Bryan Adams or say a group like Coldplay.
· If you close your eyes and try visualising Roobaroo you might get images of a rock band performing this number on a truck moving along the countryside. On hearing New York you would have wished to play the guitar yourself and move through the busy lanes of Times square singing this number. In fact you get a perfect imagery of the city with its tall buildings, busy traffic and a fast moving population.
· The only similarity comes in the form of the outcome since both Roobaroo and New York went on to achieve the status of a youth anthem.

Coming back to the song soft drum beats have accompanied the heavy guitar strumming. Rahman’s choice of instruments has been impeccable right throughout his career. Though he has been daring most of the times but he has managed to create the mood even with the most unusual instruments that anybody can even think of. For. E.g. he used shehnai (an instrument mostly associated with marriages) in the song Yeh Jo Desh Hain Tera (Swades) to create the feel of an isolated and yearning soul.
The effect that it created cannot be described by words but can only be felt.
In this song he uses a Saxophone to create that melancholic mood. Hats off to you sir because again it suits to the mood perfectly and creates an ambience for which words are not enough to express.
The innovations used by Rahman in this song are par excellence to say the least. It is advisable that to absorb the effects use a headphone on your Apple Ipod or a Nokia NSeries phone. I am grateful to my Grandma as she gifted me a Nokia N70(Music Edition) which enriches my listening experience of this particular song. Why I am saying all this? Get a swoosh effect on your headphone when the sound of a helicopter (yes a helicopter) moves from one ear to the other. It just takes you to a different space altogether. His innovations in a song are just mind-blowing. The saxophone piece in the second interlude makes you feel too passionate about your beloved. Well Rahman’s skills in programming, recording, instrument usage and etc. are known to everybody. But this song creates a killer effect due to Rahman’s rendition. I just cant think of anybody else crooning this number. He does absolute justice to this song. Imagine he does a humming sound at the start of the song. Indeed a unique and innovative way to start a song. This man has taken music composition to a different level altogether.
The best part of his innovation is creating a different mood solely on the basis of vocals. First the humming sound forms the background for sometime till the drum beats start playing. Then from the first interlude a sound like ooh ooh forms the major part of the antara. Needless to say the sounds are so fresh and different and yet manage to elevate the taste of the listeners. The 2 antaras are again different in their formats. The first one follows a 4 line pattern and the second one has a 2 line pattern though the tunes are identical. The review would be incomplete if I don’t mention about the chorus. I don’t know the names of the female vocalists but they are awesome to say the least. They sing only a few lines but truly the effect it creates is just too good. In fact it is like supporting a lover who is hurt and sad. It’s a call to the lady to understand the man’s psyche and his pains. Wow!!! What a way to put expressions in the song. Am sure nobody else would even have thought on these lines. Listen to the ending of this song. The sequence is indeed interesting:
It starts of with a saxophone
Slowly the ohh ohh sounds take over
Rahman makes a high pitched sound to form the crescendo
Guitar plays in the background as usual and
Finally all of a sudden the song reduces pace.
Guitar again comes to the foreground to mark the ending of the song and this is what I mean by the base of the song. It starts and ends with the same instrument and this is a trademark Rahman stuff.
In an interview Rahman said that it’s his conscious decision to do something different from the formula masala stuff. The sole objective is to expose the listeners to new sounds, arrangements, instruments, formats and what not. In spite of all this he manages to give chartbusters at every opportunity. Over the years Rahman has also matured as a composer since he composes music to the demands of the script and screenplay. Indeed a tough job but the way his music complements the story is simply amazing.
If you are thinking that you wont listen to this number just because you don’t understand the language you are making a big mistake. Don’t worry about the language part because at the end of the day the entire experience of listening to this number is going to be fulfilling and enriching. Go for it and I assure that you won’t be disappointed. Now even I can sing the first four lines of the song. Happy listening!

N.B.: Am sure you are going to search the internet for the lyrics after listening to this number.