Piya Piya
Times Music, Rs 150
The first point that strikes you about the album is the painstaking arrangements in almost all the tracks. This gives a robust, largely acoustic sound and canvas to the mixed album, whose best tracks are Soniye meethi meethi (L.Narayan-Uma Shankar-Pandit) and Jhir mir jhir mir (Roopkumar Rathod-Pt. Bhawani Shankar), it brings us to the second point that is spotlighted - the individual songs are not credited with the singers’ names on the inlay cover, but only inside! Why is this?
Piya piya (Ustad Sultan Khan-Hanif Khan-Tarannum) is an interesting lead track, but Chitthiyan (Richa Sharma) is too familiar. Honestly, Richa should now get out of her standard groove and show whether she can be versatile too. Inspiration also seems to run dry after five tracks - the rest are just bearable, like Tuta tuta and its remixed version.

Maika Piya
Times Music, Rs 150
Lalitya’s voice has a strong individuality and that cuts both ways - in some songs here it adds to the charm, but it also detracts from some others. The lead track is a vintage number heard in Sur-Sangam while the last, Yaad piya ki aaye is a Shobha Gurtu thumri that was heard in Prahaar. Add two more covers from Dastak and Amar Prem as songs that film music buffs are familiar with and we are left with five first-time tracks, from which Albeli stands out.

Najam
Frankfinn Music, Rs 125
The umpteenth Pakistani artiste cuts an album in India - but thankfully, Najam is one of the better ones. However, the songs are a mixed bag, and the best track, ironically, is Menu tere naal (reworked and - we now must confess about hearing the original - well-augmented by Kunal Ganjawala and Anu Malik in Murder).
From the rest, the best tracks are Mera yaar bina dil lagda nahin and Aajana. The album is let down by very predictable lyrics that seem to be tailored more to metres and populism rather than the intended depth.

Bollywood Themes
Times Music, Rs 225
At three CDs packed with themes of films from the 1964 Kohra to the 2003 Jism, we think this is one too many “Bollywood themes” at one go. There is nothing standout here , except the daring of making tracks from Kohra itself, Kismat and Kareeb. The better ones include Karz, Baazigar, Don, Shaan and Karma. The others - and as said they are in overdrive - include Sholay, Maine Pyar Kiya, Deewaar, Yaadon Ki Baaraat, Hum Kisise Kum Naheen, Darr, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... .