Drive OST

• Posted: Wed 2 Nov 2011
• By: Keachy

Although it goes against my indie boy good looks and upbringing, as ive got older I have tended to obsess a bit on film soundtracks, often sometimes kidding myself that a movie was okay in order to promote the score to people. This plan falls on deaf ears most of time, as unfortunately soundtracks just don’t do it for the majority of folk, which is a shame really.

Yeah I understand that large amounts of money are passed through hands to create something that can be seen as unnatural with no soul sometimes, but when you think about the scope of trying to bend music round a film and particular scene’s in trying to get the atmosphere just right, I feel that sometimes the credit given just isn’t enough.

Well ive said my piece, so fresh from seeing my favourite film of this year Drive, I thought i'd over indulge like an American at McDonalds and purchase the soundtrack and let the world know how good it really is! This is a mixture of mixed synth chic that sounds like the sandman has taken over the airwaves on opening track Nightcall by Kavinsky & Lovefoxxx. This is just cool 80’s keyboards to the max, with it flipping over to candyfloss female vocals, this is Grand Theft Auto without the violence or parental warnings, its that sort of gem that goes well as an introduction of things to come, like that perfect first song that never happened on that night out you never had with the perfect mates, girls and drugs.

Again this is perfectly repeated on Under Your Spell which is masterfully done by Desire, La Roux you can only dream of getting it is so right as to what the 80’s were all about and sounded like, it wasn’t all about image (although some of the time it was), this is continued with the soundtrack to bratpack nostalgic gem A Real Hero with the big New Order beats.

Things change then though, totally, we’re switched back to a time of Clint Eastwood and Steve McQueen in the true anti hero form when latin diva from the 60’s Katyna Ranieri bellows Oh My Love, a breathtaking journey that is just not made today, it couldn’t for all the magic in the world, something’s will just never be repeated unlike the full circle of youth movements and fashions coming back in after 20 years, this is Enrico Morricone with vocals.

Its at this point where I have to say that to fully appreciate the music and the film, its in this scene where the main character finds out is his true path in life and boy it aint going to be a happy ever after, and just like many parts of Pulp Fiction and how good Quentin Tarrantino was back then, you have to say that Cliff Martinez really got it spot on there.

Its now that we enter to the meat of the soundtrack as the next 14 tracks are all synth infused layers with the vocals calmly put to bed the likes of Eno and Orbital ring true, they layer upon one another with Tick of the Clock like the beating heart of a murder just before its divulged to the victim, its Daft Punk without the cheek, talking dogs or repeating folk of Homework, not a million miles form the soundtrack to Heat, which was also a classic, but now I can't help myself.

I Drive and He Had a Good Time is all a bit avant garde, but don’t let that put you off, if you like early Sigur Ros or wildlife pieces, you’ll love this as you can feel the emotion that is sometimes lost with an orchestra which mixes the same chords over different strings, although please note, its not the sort of thing you’d play at a party or any other time when friends are around. Not that I have this problem.

The other stand out tracks to point to are Wrong Floor which is that atmospheric you want to follow the words and get good and lost in these woods whilst modelling a beard or a winter jumper, and My Name on a Car sounding like the haunting masterpiece that is Laura's Theme from Twin Peaks.

Although it sounds clichéd to use such a phrase, this album really is a musical journey which I thoroughly enjoyed and up until recently I have tendered to shy away from the 80’s throwbacks as much as I could, but when things are done so well you have to really eat humble pie and admit that sometimes things can be done better the second time round.