When Tum Bin released alongside Aks a year ago, few took it seriously. It wasn´t until the film held its own against Aks, ultimately turning out the real winner did people take notice. With the success of Tum Bin being highly attributed to its music, the expectations for the music of Anubhav Sinha´s next, Aapko Pehle Bhi Kahin Dekha Hai, a romantic comedy, went sky high. Thankfully, the soundtrack is up to par with expectations. The same musical team has been repeated and they have stayed away from re-hashing the music of Tum Bin, but rather, have focused on creating simple and enjoyable songs.

Lightly laced with a regular T-Series jhankar backdrop, Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik sing the title track. The lyrics, music and singing set the mood for the movie, which is that of a light romantic comedy. Sameer´s lyrics for once restrain from being redundant and the effort is quite evident as the song has a number of lengthy verses which catch the attention of the listener. As with all soundtracks, the opener is the key and this opener is perfect.

Following is Sonu Nigam´s ´Kuch Bhi Na Kaha´, a melodious number. Anuradha Paudwal contributes to the song but Sonu Nigam stands out more. The song is one of the more regular numbers as are Sameer´s lyrics.

The highlight of this album ´Aisi Aakhen Nahin Dekhi´ by Jagjit Singh and Asha Bhosle. One can remember the almost perfect ´Koi Faryaad´ from Tum Bin, and the prowess of Jagjit Singh displayed in that song. Here he has for once teamed with Asha to create a soft melody which is sheer magic. This song alone is reason enough for buying this album and it reminds us of the Jagjit Singh - Chitra Singh magic of the 80´s.

´Ishq To Jadoo´ has Alisha Chinoy singing in her inimitable style with Sonu for company. With this song, Alisha Chinoy marks her full return to Bollywood as she has been singing in soundtracks more frequently. However, no composer has truly mastered the commanding use of her vocals as per say Sandeep Chowta. Sameer´s lyrics are also a let down though the song is not bad.

With the focus of Aapko Pehle Bhi Kahin Dekha Hai being on a daughter´s relationship with her father, ´Baba Ki Rani Hoon´ is the mandatory daughter´s tribute/gratitude to her father. Alka Yagnik sings the song to newcomer Rajan Raj´s lyrics. The song is at best time pass.

The theme song ´Chote-The Alternate Trip´ has a techno-beat number with lyrics by Nitin Raikwar. Nitin Raikwar has been known for his tapori styled lyrics and while his lyrics are normal here, the music is catchy courtesy of some great singing of Sonu Nigam and some swift beats.

´Kabhi Khan Khan´ is the ´mehndi´ ceremony´ song by Udit, Alka & Shailaja. The song is melodious, with unique lyrics by Rajan Raj again.

Of course, every ten song soundtrack must have a Punjabi number and ´Sajna Main Hari´ is just that. The song has heavy Punjabi ´heer´ influence and is sung aplomb by Harshdeep, who has strong vocals and sounds like a re-incarnation of Reshma, who rocked the nation with ´Lambi Judaai´ from ´Hero´ in the mid 80´s.

Alisha Chinoy returns with ´Dil Gaya Kam Se´, and again Nikhil-Vinay can not make due of the excellent vocals she has. The song is at best passable.

The last song ´Barsaat´ has lyrics by the late Anand Bakshi, and shows why he ruled for more than three decades. Udit is flawless in his renditions of the emotions as he describes the first "chance encounter/glance". The song is a culmination of the soundtrack in that it has a shade of many feelings, love, laughter, sadness and emotion. Definite rewind.

Like Tum Bin, Aapko Pehle Bhi Kahin Dekha Hai has a song for everyone. It provides a good balance between good music with variety, without breaking any barriers for extreme creativity. Like Tum Bin, it also introduces new talents, both film wise and music wise and the outcome is effective leaving us with several tunes to enjoy.