Kailas Menon: Alare Neeyennile is a more laid-back love song

After delivering memorable tracks like Jeevamshamaayi in Theevandi and Nee Himamazhayayi in Edakkad Battalion, Kailas Menon is back with Alare Neeyennile from Arjun Ashokan-starrer Member Rameshan 9th Ward.

Though not instantly hummable as the other two, the song begins to grow on you after repeated listening. Kailas agrees. "The reason for that is, this time, the pallavi is not in the usual format. So it will only register after one listens to it three or four times. Even though it's a melody, it takes time," he says.

One also sees the flute and saxophone having a more dominant presence in Alare when compared to Kailas' earlier works. Their inclusion enhances the song. On using them, he says, "Sax is not usually heard in Indian tracks. And in the rare instance that we hear it, it's a western-style rendition. We have opted for an Indian one. It has its own beauty." 

Alare has lyrics by Shabareesh, to which Ayraan and Nithya Mammen lent voices.

When asked how he manages to compose different tunes for multiple love songs with similar picturisation, Kailas explains, "Well, I try to find the one element that differentiates all these songs. Jeevamashamayi was about pure, divine love. Nee Himamazhayayi was more intense. There was an undertone of sadness - a sense of pain and foreboding. The lyrics used in it increase its depth. Alare, on the other hand, is simpler and more laidback - a pleasant romance, positive vibes, that sort of thing. As a piece of melody, it's not too complicated, even though its pallavi is. One may not feel it while listening, but I reckon it would be a bit of a challenge to sing, unlike the other two songs. The pallavi segment has a lot of minute detailing." 

In most cases, Kailas composes his tracks before the shoot. But in the others, he goes through the visuals to get a better understanding of the situations. Oru Theepettikum Venda, from Theevandi, is one example; the climax track from Edakkad Battalion is another. 

Kailas likes doing that because the feeling he gets from the scenes helps him establish a clearer connection with the lyrics. "I used to do that while working on ads. In such cases, the visuals help us improve the music. But it also makes sense when filmmakers need the music firsthand because it inspires them when making the film." 

Among Kailas' upcoming works are Sibi Malayil's Kothu and Vishnu Raghav's Vaashi (starring Tovino Thomas and Keerthy Suresh). He has also completed working on the background score for the Soubin Shahir-Dileesh Pothan starrer Kallan D'Souza.