A good musical score is vital when introducing a new acting pair and, luckily, Anu Malik doesn’t disappoint with Ab Ke Baras. Actor, Raj Babbar can breathe a sigh of relief that his son, Arya Babbar’s debut film at least has a score worth humming. Director, Raj Kanwar obviously has a keen ear for music and his influence is very evident in this soundtrack.

"Pyaar Mohabbat" employs plenty of Indian percussion to a somewhat dramatic scale; a sound created by Laxmikant Pyarelal for Subash Ghai films. Raj Kanwar has used this style of music to a larger extent in his previous films, Jaan and Ithihaas. Nevertheless, the song is enjoyable and Udit Narayan and Anuradha Paudwal are suitably sonorous. Sonu Nigam joins Anuradha for the ‘sad’ version which is nothing special.

Sonu Nigam and Alka Yagnik shine in the romantic number, "Deewane Aate Jaate". This song is decorated with the very appealing sound of Spanish guitars. The softness of the number is off-set, however, by Kunal Ganjawala’s folk style ranting. The song as a whole, though, is definitely a winner.

Another throw-back to a previous Raj Kanwar film is "Saari Umar Main Rahun Athara Saal Ka", which sounds like a re-working of "Aisa Pehli Baar Hua Hai" from Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega. Despite the lack of ingenuity, the Latin flavour and Sonu Nigam’s Ricky Martin impression energise the song, making it worth repeating!

Bringing together Sukhwinder Singh, Richa Sharma and Sunidhi Chauhan is no small feat. Anu Malik’s blend of Punjabi folk and hip-hop in "Aaya Maahi" is a treat. The trio’s electric performance is noteworthy, leaving you reaching for that ‘repeat’ button again.

Adnan Sami fans rejoice! The ‘unique’ vocals of this over-rated singer are show-cased in the R.D.Burmanesque, "Mujhe Rabb Se Pyaar". Thankfully, Adnan’s languid vocals are propped up by Anuradha Sriram’s perky rendition. Anu Malik’s music is enjoyable and you may even be moved to ‘belly dance’ your way through this one!

Less appealing are, "Main Pyaar Mein Hoon" and "Hoga Hoga". The former suffers due to it’s sluggish pace despite good singing from Anuradha Paudwal and Shaan. The latter is ruined by the dreadful singing(?), or should I say "shouting", by the tone deaf duo Pinky and Preeti! Not even Sonu Nigam’s accompaniment can save this number.

Finally, there’s a five minute mix incorporating all the songs from the film. Credited as "Awaara Dil - Club Remix", it provides snippets from all the songs set to a non-stop dance beat.

Ab Ke Baras is a very good album that seems to have been over looked for inexplicable reasons. Maybe if the film is good, the songs will get their deserved recognition after it’s release.