Off The Tracks

Off The Tracks
  • Blog
    • Interviews
    • Miscellany
    • Special Guests
    • Reviews
  • Podcasts
  • The Vinyl Countdown
  • Back Catalogue
  • About
    • About
    • About the banner image
    • On Song
July 4, 2019 by Simon Sweetman

V/A: Vox Lux [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] 

Various Artists:

Vox Lux [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]

Three Six Zero Recordings/Columbia Records

Straight up, I’ll tell you that I fucking loved this movie! And I would have been prepared to love the soundtrack just for the Scott Walker score. And when I say that I mean just for exisiting – I was on board with the idea before hearing it, or seeing the film. I’m glad I got to the film first and then took in the soundtrack as its own thing after. This is a case of a soundtrack really only working if you’ve seen the film, for the score – and most definitely the songs – are characters in the film.

Sia is the songwriter for this movie. So fans of hers will be on board with that knowledge (but I’d still recommend a viewing of the film). 

Sia’s songs are performed here by the two actors that portray the film’s main character, Celeste. She’s a little post-breakdown Britney, a little pre-breakdown Gaga. You can throw all sorts of things at her if you like, Miley, Taylor…it’s a composite character. And when she’s a teenager she’s played by Raffey Cassidy. As an adult on the comeback-trail she’s inhabited by Natalie Portman.

The soundtrack works backwards, the Portman-sung anthems first, then the Cassidy vulnerability studies and finally Walker’s score (which of course is a thread through the film, popping up in and around the songs. Sometimes we hear that ghostly voice, other times its strings. There were no sides of beef slapped – or even herded – in the making of this score!) 

I’m sure I’ll watch Vox Lux again (and again) but in the days (and days) since I saw (and reviewed) the film I’ve been re-watching it in my mind with this soundtrack providing the triggers, the accompaniment.

Now, I can appreciate Sia’s writing – it’s known she’s been a hitmaker for others as well as for herself – but I am not actively a fan. That might change with this soundtrack compilation.

She writes so well for the character/s here – and Portman is ace in her delivery. EKG is wonderful, as is Firecracker and on Sweat and Tears we get a reminder of the rap-star that SNL unearthed with their wonderful parodies where Portman spat venom. 
 

Maybe, though, the best ‘songs’ and certainly the ones with emotional weight are those Sia composed for Cassidy to sing. Your Body Talk could be a Florence and the Machine banger and Hologram (Smoke and Mirrors) trumps that. 

This is the sort of pop music I wouldn’t normally bother with – but would totally respect if it caught my ear, but the way it was served up, in-character, as part of the script basically, as a living breathing part of a film both somehow insular and immersive, well, I’m hooked on the tunes.

And then, as mentioned, there’s Walker’s score. The deep bowed cellos of Prelude, the Gorecki-like light and shade of the Opening Credits, his Anthem and Yearning reminiscent of Clint Mansell’s Kronos Quartet-played score from Requiem For A Dream.

So of course I’m in heaven. 
You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron

Posted in Blog, Reviews and tagged with [OST], Album Review, Film, Movie, Natalie Portman, Raffey Cassidy, Score, Scott Walker, Sia, Songs, Soundtrack, Three Six Zero Recordings/Columbia Records, V/A, V/A: Vox Lux [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack], Various Artists, Vox Lux, Vox Lux [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack], You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron. RSS 2.0 feed.
« Sweetman Podcast # 175: Sophie Hambleton
Poem: All This Trouble In The World  »

Popular

  • The Sad Story of Bob Welch: Fleetwood Mac’s Most Undervalued Member
  • Janna Lapidus Leblanc: Four Years In Pictures
  • The Best Guitarist in The World: # 8 – Mark Knopfler
  • Neil Peart Was The World’s Most Overrated Drummer
  • Try Three: # 1 – Roots, Reggae, Soul
  • Revisiting Live at Knebworth (1990)
  • Short Story: The Year of The Rat
  • What A Good Score! – #17: Dead Man Walking by Various Artists
  • Try Three – New Series
  • R.I.P. Ronny Jordan

Archives

Tags

Album Review Auckland Blog Book Book Review Chat Compilation DJ Drums DVD DVD Review EP Film Film Review Gig Gig Review Guest Blog Guitar Interview Jazz Live Live Gig LP Movie Music NZ Podcast Poem Poetry Record Records Simon Sweetman Soundtrack Spotify Stub Stubs Sweetman Podcast The Vinyl Countdown Vinyl Want more? Check out my Substack You can also support Off The Tracks via PressPatron Wellington Wgtn Writing You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron [OST]

Categories

  • Back Catalogue
  • Blog
  • Interviews
  • Miscellany
  • Mixtapes
  • Playlists
  • Podcasts
  • Reviews
  • Scene Of The Day
  • Special Guests
  • The Vinyl Countdown

Off The Tracks is the home of Sweetman Podcast, a weekly interview/chat-based pod. It's also home to my reviews across film, TV, music and books and some creative writing as well.

Off The Tracks aims to provide quality reviews and essays, regular blog updates about the shows, albums, books and movies you should be experiencing.

It's a passion project. Your support will help to keep Off The Tracks online.

All content © 2022 by Off The Tracks. WordPress Themes by Graph Paper Press