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Great Gatsby Soundtrack Reviews: Track by Track (Most of them)
"Young and Beautiful" by Lana Del Rey is a powerhouse song that shows off Lana's undisputed vocal ability and her skills as a songwriter. While both versions are well done, I strongly recommend the DH Orchestral Version of the song because of the heart-palpitating build up that just adds to the greatness.
Also pleasing to the ears is "No Church In The Wild" by Jay Z and Kanye West feat. Frank Ocean and The Dream, mostly dominated by rap. But if you look at the lyrics themselves, they are actually deep and the backbeat of the song is quite unique, and reminiscent of the era in which The Great Gatsby took place.
Sia; the amazing vocalist behind the smash hit "Titanium" creates another classic with "Kill and Run". Combined with the uniqueness and incredible range of her voice, Sia creates melodies never heard before with the simplest of lyrics. There is no doubt that this song was used at one of the dramatic scenes at the movie and it could be easily incorporated into a tv promo or television show to heighten suspense.
Relatively unknown artist Coco O makes her big entrance into the industry with "Where The Wind Blows". While the song itself is not all that great, the beat behind it is quite interesting and unique. I believe that her voice has potential but with the lackluster lyrics and vocal arrangement it does not do her justice. Repetitive as it is, the song is relaxing and soothing. With the right team and better songwriters, this girl could become the next star of the industry.
Fergie makes a disappointing comeback with
"A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got)" feat. Q-Tip & GoonRock. Obviously meant to be a dance song, it's popularity stems from the fact that it is EDM, which is currently taking over the charts right now. Yes you can dance to it, but it has no lyrical meaning with mostly rhyming lyrics and repetitive melodies. Fergie's voice in the introduction of the song is unrecognizable and layered heavily with autotune that she does not need. It only goes down from there. After her first section of the song ends, the other two artists attempt to rap but sound more like robots than human beings. Additionally using the special effect of heightening the male voices which has been used in many Nicki Minaj songs as well as other artists.
Additionally the dancebreak of the song is a replica of another song, probably stolen or sampled from somewhere. This is just a pop song and once the hype from the movie has ended, it will fade into the darkness, never to be seen or heard again.
Jack White screams his own version of U2's "Love is Blindness". Comparatively speaking, he definitely made the song his own. The original song is much more mellow and relaxed while White's version builds and shows off his unique sound. Not a fan of metal music, I still enjoyed this track and thought it was one of the highlights of the soundtrack. Both versions being so different from each other, it is hard to say which one is better. Personally, I prefer White's version as the verses are more simplified and it lets his magnificent voice shine through. Additionally I like the build up that the chorus has. Probably the only time I will every say this; but if you have the money, buy both versions. They are both two totally different takes on an amazing song and White's cover is a great way to expose people of my generation to the original song and the awesomeness that is U2.
"Back To Black" covered by Beyonce & Andre 3000 changes everything in the song but the lyrics. I understand why Beyonce chose to change the song up to avoid being compared to the greatness of the original artist Amy Winehouse and the legacy she left behind, but this cover sounds pretty horrendous. While it may sound ok in a scene of a movie, it is not something that you would listen to for the quality of the music. Adding electronics to the song as well as drastically changing up the melody is what did the song in. If I were doing a cover of this song, I would have changed the melody slightly as well as the backbeat to make it my own. Also, including Andre 3000 on the song was a mistake. If you have never heard the original; go listen to it; obsess over it's greatness; obsess over the amazing voice that Amy Winehouse had. Beyonce is an amazing vocalist, but the arrangement of this cover did not do her voice justice. If you like the remix; I would recommend looking on youtube as someone has probably put up a solo version with just Bey and cut out Andre's unnecessary addition.
Will.i.am.'s "Bang Bang" is an atrocity, horrific to the point where it doesn't even deserve that title. Similar to most of his songs, they all have similar or the same beats, lack any melody or lyrical meaning, and make him sound like an autotuned futuristic robot. Why people listen to his music I do not know.... if you listen to him live it is pretty apparent he has no talent and never will.
Florence + The Machine dazzle prospective listeners and moviegoers alike with "Over The Love". Make sure to buy the version with just her! This song is the epitome of perfection and adding any other artist to it would just ruin this stunning work of art. Written by Florence herself, this song is the most true to Fitzgerald's work as it is written in the point of view of a character who went to Gatsby's party during the 3rd chapter and cries while singing the piano. Including vivid descriptions from the book itself, Welch may have been the only songwriter who actually read the book and used it as inspiration. On top of all that, the vocals and arrangement are stunning, crystal clear, and earth shattering. In my opinion, it is the all around best song on the album, and should be inducted into the hall of fame of great music.
Emeli Sande's cover of "Crazy In Love" originally by Beyoncé was just ok. Emeli is a fabulous singer and has a stunning voice that shines in her hit single "Next To Me". The Orchestra did a great job of taking a classic song and putting a 1920's feel to it while still keeping the original melody. I disliked the fact that the melody of the song was sped up. I also feel as though the orchestra overpowered Sande and that she was trying too hard to sound like Beyoncé. I rarely ever say this; but Sande should have sung the song with the same melody as the original. Obviously, she could have changed it up a little, added some riffs or high notes to make it her own. But this girl actually had the voice to cover the song the way it was originally written. With how fast this version is, it limits how powerful her voice sounds and does not do her justice. Props to the orchestra for taking the listener back in time but the arrangement made Emeli sound like a mediocre singer; when she is anything but. I would recommend buying the instrumental if it's available; if not then just listen to it on youtube.
Side Note: It would be difficult for me to review "Jay Z's 100$ Bill" and "Gotye's Heart's A Mess" as neither style of music fits my personal taste in music. Most of the other songs on the soundtrack were included in the review.
American Idol Singles:
Angie Miller: "You Set Me Free" is definitely the best single of the bunch. But that is to be expected considering she wrote the lyrics, the melody, and came up with a musical arrangement. She probably dedicated a lot of time to perfecting this song before she got the finished product. The other singles were probably written in haste after it was announced that the winner and runner up would have their very own singles available after the finale ended. While all of the top 3 have the potential to be big stars, Angie has a great deal of potential due to the fact that she can write her own songs. Writing songs makes them more personal to the singer and they usually come off more relatable to the audience. Angie obviously knows what direction she wants to go in musically. I look forward to her first album. While the studio version differs from the one she performed in Hollywood week, they both are pretty amazing. I prefer the Hollywood version because it is simpler and her voice comes across more clear. This was definitely the right choice for a first single and it should do very well.
Kree Harrison's single "All Cried Out, is a beautiful song that showcases her voice nicely. It is obvious that she hopes to become a country singer and I believe with her unique voice, she can bring something new to the table of country music.
Music To Check Out:
Emeli Sande: "Next To Me", an empowering song that is lyrically and musically genius. Sande's vocal ability reflects like a diamond on this song about faith and the powers above. No matter what you believe, everyone can enjoy this uplifting song. This girl is going to become a star and I look forward to the great things that she will do.
Ms & Mr: A band that is relatively unknown to most of the public deliver somber, beautiful written songs. The lead singer of the group has a voice that could be listened to for days. They just came out with an album called Secondhand Rapture. Their style has been compared to that of Florence + The Machine. I am confident that they will branch off into their own and hope that other people will listen to their great music.
Songs to check out: "Hurricane", "Bones", and "Salty Sweet".
Sara Bareilles: "Manhattan" Bareilles came into her own after the hit single "Love Song" where she famously proclaimed that she was not going to conform herself or her music to earn fans. "Manhattan", obviously written about the beloved New York City is sheer brilliance. Bareilles, who writes and composes all of her songs, knocked this one out of the park. With simple piano and free of any autotune, this soothing ballad describes everything great about the city and the fact that she feels like she has to give it up because she broke up with her boyfriend, who lives in Manhattan. If you listen to her perform this song live, she sounds exactly the same. Sara is a star performer, writer, and composer that will be a part of this industry for many years to come.
Gin Wigmore: This New Zealand artist has a raspy, soulful voice similar to that of Duffy. She got her start after her song was chosen for a Heineken commercial for Skyfall that starred Daniel Craig. Not only was her song used in the commercial, she made a cameo in it herself. With attitude and sass, her latest album Gravel & Wine has a mixture of different songs that show all of the sides of her voice. Songs to check out: "If Only", "Man Like That", "Happy Ever After", and "Black Sheep".
The Good Mad: The Good Mad are an alternative, folk band. A member of the band is actress Allie Gonino from The Lying Game (She plays Laurel Mercer). Gonino obviously is musically gifted and was part of the all girl group The Stunners with Lemonade Mouth star Hayley Kiyoko (Also extremely talented by the way). In their heyday, The Stunners opened for Justin Bieber. The Good Mad writes all of their own songs and the lyrics read like deep poetry about different subjects such as the economy and how life was lived in the simpler days. Gonino plays violin, mandolin, and piano, sings, and writes. Make sure to check out Allie's personal songs on a youtube channel called The Citrus Sessions. She sings them live and her voice is like butter. Songs to check out: "Sail On", "In The Grey", "What Money Paid For", "Coconut Grove", and "Bird In Another Tree".
Delta Rae: Delta Rae. I can't describe how epic their songs are. They are like a high without any drugs. With multiple singers in the group they take turns singing lead and when there not front and center they sing backup as well. Their voices are crystal clear and they have made a variety of different songs. One of their more popular songs is played with just a chain. Songs to check out: "Bottom Of The River" "If I Loved You" "Dance In The Graveyards", and "Holding On To Good".
Ingrid Michaelson: Ingrid first got her success with "Be Ok", an upbeat song about simply having a good day. Ingrid self produces all of her songs. Her most recent single was featured on the season finale of Grey's Anatomy in one of the final, most dramatic scenes. The build up in that song is incredible as well as the power behind the chorus. Songs to check out: "Without You", "Soldier", "Maybe", and "Be Ok".
Sara Jackson-Holman's "Freight Train" from her album Cardiology is the weirdest thing I have ever heard. But it's incredible. Filled with metaphors about life and death that go far beyond normal songwriting, this song tears at your heartstrings. It was also featured on the season finale of Grey's Anatomy. Quite simply, this song needs to be heard.
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