Fresh talent fails to imbue novelty to the sound of "Parineeta" - a sweet but finally unproductive soundtrack.

Of course, it's a blessing to get an album where the sound is tonally textured to serenade softness. But efforts to recreate the nostalgia and grace from an era gone-by in "Parineeta" are largely sterile.

The tracks are subdued and shaded to offset the onslaught of noisy over-orchestrated babble-bouncers of today.

Of course, Vinod Chopra's always likes to go for the skill. His music for "Parinda", "Kareeb" and "Mission Kashmir" were all pleasant and soothing. His "1942: A Love Story", one of the finest movie soundtracks of the 1990s, was every bit a musical landmark.

If you're searching for old-world charm in the melody design - which made R.D. Burman's sounds in "1942..." so special - you may perhaps stopover take a pert peep at "Parineeta".

But if you hope for what Arun Kumar Mukherjhee did with the old version of "Parineeta", or even what Kalyanji-Anandji did in "Sankoch" (based on the same novel), then the music seems almost weightless in comparison.

While one could walk the wispy waltz with "Ek ladki do dekha" or "Kuch na kaho" in "1942...", efforts to recreate the nostalgia and grace from an era bygone in "Parineeta" are largely sterile.

Shreya Ghosla, though sweet-toned is no Lata Mangeshkar. She and Sonu Nigam are in a filigreed form in "Piya bole" (where you also get to hear Saif Ali Khan), "Kasto Mazza" (which includes superb use of the sound of a chugging locomotive) and "Soona man ka aangan".

But the trembling beauty through melodies that Shreya had achieved to some extent in Bhansali's "Devdas" in absent.

Realizing her limitations, the album brings in Chithra for the least light-hearted melody "Raat hamari toh". The lyrics about the unbearable agony of being in love, is conveyed with her habitually thick Tamil accent.

Sunidhi Chauhan smoulders in the jazz-tinged "Kaisi paheli zindagi". But this isn't one of her most bravura performances.

Veteran Thumri singer Rita Ganguly, who does the raunchy wedding song "Dhinak dhinak dha" is able to do precious little with the restricted space provided by the lyrics.

Partly it's the tune to blame. Debutant Shantanu Moitra is able to bring in the Bengali element but the melody sections needed to be further strengthened.

As they stand, the songs seem to on shaky ground. Lyrics by Swanand Kirkire are self-consciously poetic.

The album comes to us with much expectations. None of it fulfilled. The songs leave you with a remote feeling of dissatisfaction.

It's like rowing down what you think is the Hoogly, but finally turns out to be just a quaint stream from the backwaters.