From sweeping orchestral scores to jazz, blues and soul gems, soundtrack albums are in the spotlight as the awards season approaches. The Mail’s music critic ADRIAN THRILLS picks the best.
THE PROM (Sony Masterworks)
The closest thing to a song-and-dance blockbuster in the tradition of The Greatest Showman is the feel-good soundtrack to Netflix musical The Prom.
Directed by Glee creator Ryan Murphy and starring Meryl Streep, James Corden and Nicole Kidman, the film’s account of self-absorbed celebrities and smalltown romance is accompanied by cracking singalongs, vibrant dance numbers and razzle-dazzle aplenty.
ADRIAN THRILLS: The closest thing to a song-and-dance blockbuster in the tradition of The Greatest Showman is the feel-good soundtrack to Netflix musical The Prom.
Wear Your Crown is one of several exuberant ensemble pieces. It’s out on CD and digitally, with a vinyl LP on March 19.
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TROLLS WORLD TOUR (RCA)
The sequel to 2016’s animated musical Trolls tells of a world divided according to musical preferences — and its hour-long soundtrack is an unholy mash-up of styles.
ADRIAN THRILLS: The sequel to 2016’s animated musical Trolls tells of a world divided according to musical preferences and its hour-long soundtrack is an unholy mash-up of styles.
Executive producer Justin Timberlake appears on eight of the 20 tracks, with Just Sing a likely contender for best original song at the Oscars in April.
With Kelly Clarkson and Dierks Bentley supplying the country flavours, Haim and actress Rachel Bloom adding potent rock and Mary J. Blige bringing the funk, there’s something for everyone.
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SOUL (Walt Disney)
There are two strands to the music in this Disney tale of a jazz-obsessed New York teacher (voiced by Jamie Foxx) who is transported to another world after his body and soul are separated. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross supply new-age electronics. The more earth-bound moments are framed by pianist Jon Batiste’s jazz — and a startling cover of Curtis Mayfield’s It’s All Right. Out digitally and on vinyl, this should feature when the music shortlists for this year’s Oscars are announced on February 9.
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THE MIDNIGHT SKY (Maisie Music)
Alexandre Desplat already has two best score Oscars (for The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Shape Of Water), and he should be in the frame again with the music for George Clooney’s dystopian sci-fi drama, out digitally. The French composer’s scores sometimes pale once stripped of the accompanying visuals, but this one stands up well, even if it is overlong. Made at Abbey Road with the London Symphony Orchestra — as Desplat watched remotely from Paris — its delicate piano themes, strings and electronics are poised but dramatic.
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MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM (Sony Classical)
Jazz and blues feature prominently among this year’s best soundtracks, with the Netflix adaptation of August Wilson’s play about blues singer Ma Rainey a prime example.
Set in 1920s Chicago and out on CD and digitally, it’s brilliantly scored by saxophonist Branford Marsalis. Alongside his jazz instrumentals, there’s a vocal cameo by actress Viola Davis (who plays ‘mother of the blues’ Rainey in the film), plus contributions from Texan cajun fiddler Cedric Watson and Tina Turner’s former backing singer Maxayn Lewis.
ADRIAN THRILLS: Jazz and blues feature prominently among this year’s best soundtracks, with the Netflix adaptation of August Wilson’s play about blues singer Ma Rainey a prime example.
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EMMA (Back Lot Music)
Given that director Autumn de Wilde made her name as an indie-rock video-maker, it’s no surprise that music features heavily in the film version of the Jane Austen novel.
The orchestral score is co-written by Isobel Waller-Bridge (sister of Fleabag’s Phoebe), while the period feel is enhanced by the folk harmonies of The Watersons and Maddy Prior, of Steeleye Span.
ADRIAN THRILLS: It’s no surprise that music features heavily in the film version of the Jane Austen novel
Actress Amber Anderson, a trained pianist, plays Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven with aplomb. It’s out digitally and on vinyl.
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THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 (Polydor)
This courtroom drama chronicles the clashes between protesters and police at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, but its excellent soundtrack has strong British connections.
Composer Daniel Pemberton is a rising star in the film world, and his score mixes brooding instrumentals with 1960s-flavoured guitars, brass and keyboards.
ADRIAN THRILLS: This excellent soundtrack has strong British connections
Central theme Hear My Voice is powerfully sung by Brighton soul star Celeste and could be a best song contender at the Oscars. It’s out on CD and digitally, with a vinyl edition arriving on February 26.
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TENET (WaterTower Music)
Faced with creating a score for Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi thriller in the middle of a pandemic, Swedish composer Ludwig Göransson recorded his musicians in their homes and, in keeping with a film in which things happen backwards, used studio trickery to make the melodies sound as if they were being played in reverse. The results combine industrial noise, pulsating electronics and a futuristic rap number by Texan singer Travis Scott. Out on CD and digitally, it gets a vinyl release on March 5.
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BILLIE (Verve)
British director James Erskine’s new Billie Holiday documentary comes with a soundtrack of the jazz legend’s greatest performances. Classic studio versions of God Bless The Child and Now Or Never convey Holiday’s sense of hurt and her perfect intonation. Wonderfully versatile, she could deliver show tunes like I Only Have Eyes For You and George and Ira Gershwin’s I Loves You, Porgy alongside the haunting Strange Fruit. Out on CD, vinyl and digitally, the album is fleshed out with jazzy instrumentals.
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TOM’S TALKING THE BLUES
Tom Jones explored blues and soul on the trilogy of albums he made between 2010 and 2015, and he delves even deeper into rootsy Americana on his extraordinary new single Talking Reality Television Blues, a gripping six-minute-plus monologue about celebrity.
The song, written two years ago by singer-songwriter Todd Snider, augments his rich, spoken-word delivery with swampy blues guitar and shuffling drums. Given weight by Sir Tom’s presence on TV show The Voice, it’s a taster for new album Surrounded By Time, out on April 23.
Scottish rockers Texas are also back with new single Hi, the title track of a new LP due this year.
An earlier version of the song, out in December, featured raps by the Wu-Tang Clan. The new rendition puts the onus firmly on Sharleen Spiteri’s breathy vocals.
And former Simple Minds backing singer and keyboardist Catherine Anne Davies — aka The Anchoress — today releases the self-produced title track of her impending solo album The Art Of Losing, doffing a cap to Depeche Mode as she mixes confessional lyrics and surging synth-pop. A.T.