It’s truly a soundtrack capable of standing toe-to-toe with the classic musicals and films that come to mind from past decades. Writer/director Damien Chazelle and composer Justin Hurwitz have struck a perfect balance here, and the result is not only a soundtrack for all moods, but also one that intensifies any particular feelings being experienced throughout.
It’s tracks like these that make up the heart of La La Land’s soundtrack, offering thoughtful moments of introspection and romance to balance out the jazzy, Broadway style of the more upbeat songs. Then there’s ‘Engagement Party’, another stunningly lo-fi piano piece that never fails to deliver emotionally while conjuring up images of a gentle ballroom sway. ‘Planetarium’ is a dreamy piece, floating buoyantly on its playfully elegant, almost flirtatious strings – quickly rising and falling as if to bat its lashes. The gently cascading classical piano notes on ‘Mia & Sebastian’s Theme’ paint a picture of a city skyline, overlooking the horizon on a starry night with a glass of champagne resting carefully on the balcony’s edge.
For as vivacious as the whole experience is, there are also gratifying exhales that enrich the music’s imagery. It’s a defining moment for La La Land.ĭespite all of the swirling jazz, classical, and vocal aspects that characterize La La Land’s brilliance, some of its most rewarding moments are minimal in stature. While ‘City of Stars’ marks a popular highlight and critic’s choice, the best vocal performance by either actor actually comes on Stone’s ‘Audition (The Fools Who Dream)’ – starting as a gentle brushstroke of soothing vocal charm and culminating in the most sweeping, powerful melody of the entire soundtrack. It’s a testament to how the soundtrack, and the people in it, evolve: from loneliness to being in love, and finally reaching a point where words are no longer needed to convey emotions. Both actors put on a phenomenal vocal display, from the Sinatra-like show-tune ‘A Lovely Night’ to the romantically inclined, premium-cut ballad ‘City of Stars.’ That the latter song surfaces in three parts makes it all the more rewarding, and gives the soundtrack a sense of continuity – from Gosling’s initial rendition to the duet version, and finally with Emma Stone’s whistled outro on the final track. They wouldn’t be complete, however, without the addition of Gosling and Stone’s gorgeously intertwined vocals. Songs like these truly feel like they have a zest for life, and are enough to transport you to La La Land. The aforementioned jazz influx also comes early and often, with offerings like ‘Herman’s Habit’ and ‘Summer Montage / Madeline’ recalling 1920s dance joints with their rich saxophones and trumpets all propelled by lively piano lines. ‘Another Day In The Sun’ and ‘Someone In The Crowd’ feel like grand overtures, complete with some of the most upbeat percussive elements on the record and group choruses worthy of a Broadway stage. La La Land exists in a vibrant musical setting comprised heavily of jazz and other classical influences. You don’t need the visual component to enjoy these tracks, and if anything I’m worried that when I do see La La Land, it won’t live up to the vast expectations set by this beautiful, irresistibly warm collection of tunes.
#CS CONDITION ZERO SKINS MOVIE#
The rarest thing about this soundtrack isn’t that I heard it before seeing the film – it’s that the collection of songs is so beautiful and well-orchestrated that it easily stands on its own, movie or no movie. La La Land won nearly every possible award for a film, so the hype surrounding it was impossible to miss factor in that it’s also a musical and you can begin to understand how I – along with many others – came to appreciate the soundtrack before witnessing a single scene from the movie. That’s how I found myself humming along to ‘City of Stars’, totally oblivious to the background or context from whence any of the songs came. That’s par for the course…but when you’re an avid music critic, those roles sometimes end up getting reversed. Typically, infatuation with a soundtrack is a one-way street: go see the movie, enjoy the music, acquire the songs.
Review Summary: Here's to the ones who dream
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