Himesh Reshammiya might have had drawn a lot of flak for his acting abilities, but lets be honest, when it comes to composing music, he has delivered practically every time.

There are hardly anyalbums by Himesh, which didn’t do well and trust us, The Xpose is equally rocking. This album is filled with a series of chart busters all put together in retro Bollywood style. Let us have a song by song review of the album and find out which ones we like and which ones we loathe.

Ice cream

Sung by Himesh Reshammiya, Yo Yo Honey Singh and Palak Muchhal, this song may have the worst starting title ever, but the rest of the lyrics, by Shabbir Ahmed, are pretty catchy and addictive. The tune sticks onto your lips right after the very first hear. It is a full on B-town retro song, which will remind you of the RD Burman tracks of the ’60s. Even though this song begins with a quick rap by Yo Yo Honey Singh, it is Himesh’s composition that rules the track. Himesh and Palak’s singing style also resembles that of Mohd Rafi and Asha Bhosle.

Dard dilo ke

Sung by Mohammed Irfan, this song is a very soulful and melodious number. Although the song is unknowingly similarly to Arijit Singh’s Tum hi ho from Aashiqui 2, the song is magically romantic. The unplugged treatment of the song is quintessentially superb and it is Sameer Anjaan’s lyrics that make you listen to the song over and over again.

Hai apna dil toh 

Sung by Yo Yo Honey Singh and Himesh Reshammiya, this is another retro song. The opening lyrics remind you invariably about the Dev Anand song, but the song is no rip off of the original. Himesh’s voice is completely different in this song as he has fully sung in low pitch, which you will love to the core, although Yo Yo Honey Singh keeps interjecting throughout the number.

Catch me if you can

Sung by Himesh Reshammiya, Mika Singh, Mohit Chauhan, Neeti Mohan, Shubhangi Tiwari and Shalmali Kholgade, this song is the core theme of the movie. The song seems to be inspired from a gamut of songs like Dan te nan from Kaminey, Shake it like Shammi from Hasee Toh Phaseeand some others. The similarities end with just the inspirations as Himesh just power blasts his way into the album with such a beautiful ensemble of singers. Written by Kumaar this song is an out an out foot tapping number and will be a huge hit in discotheques.

Suroor

Sung by Himesh Reshammiya and Shalmali Kholgade this is another soft sober number, which might just be the only weak song in the full album. The composition is superb in every way and so is Sameer Anjaan’s superb lyrics, but it is just Himesh’s voice that doesn’t suit this soft mellifluous track. Himesh should have ideally got this one sung by Mohammed Irfan or Arijit Singh. Shalmali Kholgade joins in the middle and instantly impresses. This song although is a slow grower and will take time to give you the soothing romantic feel.

Sheeshe ka samundar

Sung by Ankit Tiwari of Sun Raha Hai Na Tu from Aashiqui 2 fame is impressive. This is more of a ghazal blended with contemporary tune. Sameer Anjaan’s lyrics are fantastic all because of his poetic touch. The track is heartfelt and the composition is wonderful. This song also has a reprise version sung by Rekha Bhardwaj, which is yet another memorable number.

Theme of Xpose

The song is sung by Neeti Mohan and has Irrfan Khan’s heavy voice reciting a few lines. The theme is powerful and impressive, which introduces is to the film’s title and that adds the necessary zing to the track. The club sound in this fast piece is superb.

The Xpose Mashup

This is a recap of all the songs that are there in the album. It is fulfilling as practically all songs have the retro feel and are audibly superb. The mashup reminds you of the songs that made an impression and the ones that didn’t also sound good because of the fast tempo and the thumping beats.

Verdict: Himesh Reshammiya’s music is always good and in The Xpose he doesn’t disappoint. It is a full on commercial album, which is laden with retro numbers, which is the need of the movie. Reshammiya is on fire in this album and there is no stopping him. The resources that Himesh has used in this album are awesome, whether it be singers, lyricists or the technical team. The album is  a beautiful collage of numbers with soft and fast tracks intermingled pretty well. Our recommendations are Dard dilo ke, Catch me if you can and Hai apna dil toh awara!

Rating:3.5 out of 5