Music Review: Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!

Album: Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!

Director: Dibaker Banerjee

​Music Director: Madboy/Mink, Sneha Khanwalkar, Dibaker Banerjee, Blek, Peter Cat Recording Co. (PCRC), Joint Family, IJA

​Lyricist: Madboy/Mink, Sneha Khanwalkar, Dibaker Banerjee, Rishi Bradoo, Sandeep Madhavan, Akshay De, IJA

Ratings: ***1/2

​From the house of Yash Raj Films here comes another film that brings back the nostalgia of bygone eras like Dum Laga Ke Haisha did for the 90s. Again after NH 10, Bollywood music has dared to take the path of indie bands instead of the routine chartbusting musical composers. This time the gamble might just pay off for Dibaker Banerjee.

The collaborative effort that is Detective Byomkesh Bakshi! soundtrack comes with handpicked composers like Madboy/Mink, Peter Cat Recording Co. (PCRC), IJA, Joint Family, and Sneha Khanwalkar. Out of this rag-tag band of, well bands, only Sneha Khanwalkar is a well-known face. This means that the rest may have been waiting for a chance at the massive platform that Bollywood provides and have managed to make most of it.

Detective Byomkesh Bakshi! is set in contemporary Kolkata of 1940s where a young college graduate is pitted against a genius mind hell-bent on destroying the world. The album takes you through this chase of evil very well.  It gives modern touch to the old  world charm of Kolkata.
 

Calcutta Kiss - This one is 20s flapper number. Composed by Madboy/Mink, the song uses Spanish guitars and drums to accompany piano to give you that jazzy zing. It's a far cry from other 'Jazz' numbers set in Kolkata. (Remember 'Kaisi Paheli Zindagani' from Parineeta?) Sung by Imaad Shah and Saba Azad, the song has lyrics by the composers Madboy/Mink themselves. One of the brightest song in the album where Saba Azad's voice feels fresh.

Bach Ke Bakshy - The best thing I liked about this one is the use of rapping. At least for me, this is the first time I heard no-nonsense rap in Bollywood music. Smokey the Ghosht and Craz Professa have nailed it. Sneha Khanwalker is at her best and doesn't hold back with the tempo. This is the song in which takes you through the plot of the movie. A good thing Dibaker Banerjee opted for rap otherwise would have been a very long song.  The song is the second most enjoyable after 'Calcutta Kiss'.

Byomkesh In Love - Some marvellous beats from Blek invite you into this romantic ballad. Semi-classical hook by Usri Banerjee is a perfect compliment to Rishi Bradoo's breezy singing. After 'Calcutta Kiss', 'Byomkesh in love' is an odd number that you want to keep on humming. Blek, a band from Malad in Mumbai, presents you with a heady cocktail of drums and guitar and all you want to do is keep the tab open.

Jaanam - This one could be the bitter one in an otherwise exciting goodie bag. Lyrics by Suryakant Sawhney are good but vocals and music by Peter Cat Recording Co. (PCRC) feel a little chaotic. Use of violins, accordion, and the piano reminds you of something you might hear in a 1950's carnival scene in an old Hollywood movie. 

Chase in Chinatown - Mode.AKA bring you a perfect chase song. The steady bass lays sound ground for the heavy vocals of Vyshnav Balasubramaniam, Sandeep Madhavan, and Manas Ullas. It is dark, it has urgency, and it has high-octane voices. What else would you need to chase someone through Chinatown?

Life's a Bitch - A keen observer will see that the album is building towards noir. After absolute rock number now we have heavy metal on our hands. Joint Family doesn't hold back on drums and guitar. Akshay De's gritty voice will force you to bang your head the way you might do at a Metallica concert. 

Yang Guang Lives - Detectives work around mysteries. IJA's husky, whispered voice enhances that mystery in the song. It's mostly an instrumental song with hushed whispers. The song slowly builds this up with percussion beats and electronic tunes. You don't want to miss this one.

Verdict - This album is a radical move in the Bollywood music scene and does not fail to impress. We might soon see the names in this album become popular. If you want to challenge your palette and go the way of exciting, you just cannot miss the Detective Byomkesh Bakshi! tracks. As the film says, 'expect the unexpected' and trust me you won't be disappointed.