In the
last year or so, major entertainment publications have referred to much of
today’s mainstream music as “the great folk revival.” It’s true that bands like
Mumford and Sons and the Lumineers, amongst others, have re-popularized a sound
straight out of the 1960s, but it’s probably more accurate to call them
folk-inspired rather than straight-up folk. This distinction has always been a
sticking point for true “folkies” who harp on about authenticity, however, the
release of the Inside Llewyn Davis
soundtrack is proof that folk-inspired can sound pretty, pretty great—if not
better than its original inspiration—when it’s done right.
Inside Llewyn Davis is set to debut in December 2013, but the accompanying soundtrack is almost perfect enough to be a
standalone album. Produced by T. Bone Burnett, who also wrote and produced the
award-winning soundtrack to O Brother,
Where Art Thou? (another Coen brothers’ film), Llewyn Davis proves that O Brother’s success was more than just lightening
in a bottle. Once again, he has taken historical sounds and adapted them for
the modern ear, so much so that the 30s-inspired bluegrass and 60s-inspired
folk music on your iPod make sense alongside anything released in the last 10
years.
The
album is stacked with heavy-hitting talent. Everyone from the mainstream folk
poster boy (Marcus Mumford), to classical bluegrass connoisseurs (the Punch
Brothers), to the single biggest name in folk music (Bob Dylan) appears on the
soundtrack. They offer fresh takes on traditional ballads alongside original
songs that are already song-of-the-year contenders.
Oscar
Isaac is featured prominently on the album, as he plays the movie’s eponymous
songwriter. The soundtrack opens with his rendition of “Hang Me,” a haunting
traditional ballad that seems to reflect what we can glean about Llewyn Davis’s
character from the trailers (lost, forlorn, gritty, in search of himself).
Though only comprised of a voice and a guitar, the song grabs your attention
and sets the stage for what else is to come.
Lucky
are we to have been prepped for the album’s second song, “Fare the Well (Dirk’s
Song),” for it's the kind of stop-you-in-your-tracks
oh-my-god-now-that’s-a-song music that makes this album so noteworthy. This
song pairs Marcus Mumford and Oscar Isaacs with harmonies so special and
wonderful-sounding that they would be doing themselves a disservice to not team
up again in the future. This song is also the album’s first example of folk-inspired
music working for today’s audience: its folk roots are clear (harmonies,
instrumental arrangements), but its lyrics, timing and overall sound feel more
fresh.
The
third and fourth songs are worthy follow-ups. The third, “The Last Thing on My
Mind” features squeaky-clean-sounding Broadway star Stark Sands singing over
impeccable Punch Brothers instrumentals (which, in my opinion, are the best
part of the entire album). The fourth song, “Five Hundred Miles,” has Carey
Mulligan, Justin Timberlake and Stark Sands making harmonies reminiscent of a
Peter, Paul, and Mary-type band. Because these actors appear in the movie, my
guess is that their characters are meant to represent that part of this music
scene’s history.
The
soundtrack experiences a break in its momentum with a cheesy jingle about
President Kennedy, which has to be ripped straight from the movie. Though
appropriate for the movie and because it is, in fact, a soundtrack, I believe
this collection would’ve fared better to leave it off.
From
there, the rest of the album presents a few more songs by Oscar Isaacs and a
few traditional Irish ballads. The last two songs are a never-before-released
version of Bob Dylan’s “Farewell” and a song by Dave Van Ronk. These are appropriate,
as Dylan is essentially the symbol of the folk movement and Van Ronk is likely
the person on whom the Llewyn Davis character
was based.
After a
few listens, a few things become clear. Most of this album’s music is about
leaving, being left, saying goodbye, being said goodbye to, and not returning.
There is also a very heavy Irish influence. What these mean to the movie have
yet to be revealed, but in terms of the soundtrack, they remind us at once that
poignant lyrics have always been a hallmark of folk music and that other
cultures have always influenced music that is decidedly “American.”
This
soundtrack is a workhorse, and it absolutely does its job. The excitement
gained from listening to this kind of music, in addition to the excitement it
sparks to see the movie, are two reasons why Llewyn Davis is fantastic.
Grade: A
