Lorde’s ‘Mockingjay’ soundtrack gets dark

Various artists
“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, Original Motion Picture Soundtrack”
(Republic Records)

It was only a matter of time before Lorde graduated from contributing a song for “Catching Fire” to taking over the soundtrack for the latest “Hunger Games” soundtrack in which the 18-year-old chanteuse curates a concoction of dark magic, enchanting tunes and revolutionary feelings. As the world of Katniss Everdeen gets darker with sacrifice, violence and revolt, in “Mockingjay Part 1,” the soundtrack follows suit with a medley of offbeat and oddly appealing synths, pianos and guitars.

Lorde’s own vocal touch appears in “Yellow Flicker Beat” as she growls her way through introspective chants. The eerie remix by Kanye West takes the original‘s chorus and slows it down to an ultrasound heartbeat. “Dead Air” by Chvrches speeds it up with Blade Runner-esque synths.

For the rest of the 14-track album, she enlists an unlikely collection of stars -- Grace Jones, Simon LeBon, Chemical Brothers, Bat for Lashes, Pusha T and Diplo among others.

Whether it’s a ’70s sampler mixed with dissonant drums like Grace Jones’ “Original Beast,” Chemical Brothers’ catchy pop descent into madness in “This is Not a Game” or Major Lazer’s dance beat “All My Love,” there’s always a unique hint of sinister bubbling underneath.

Tinashe’s melodious “The Leap” and the playful piano of Charli XCX’s “Kingdom” offer a short but needed respite in all the darkness. And when you manage to come up for air to get away from it, you feel the itch to go back under again for more sorcery. (AP)



‘Listen’ up, David Guetta is all grown up

David Guetta
“Listen”
(Atlantic/Parlophone)

David Guetta has proved again and again he‘s the master of the dance floor hook. The Frenchman’s sixth album, “Listen,” brings an army of reasons to support this without veering too much into club territory - from the myriad collaborators that elevate the dance tunes to a collection of well-crafted tracks to the mix and match of genres.

”Dangerous” starts off the record with an urgent piano that suggests the possibilities are endless, while “Lovers on the Sun,” featuring Sam Martin, is an unlikely Western spaghetti dance tune that touches on post-modernist sensibilities. It‘s the album’s standout track.

Sia, who worked with Guetta on the massive hit “Titanium,” works a double shift on the new album. She contributes to “Bang My Head” and “The Whisperer” and presents two faces of the same coin: techno euphoria on the one hand and piano soulfulness on the other.

The album‘s chill out factor comes from three Caribbean-flavored tracks: the catchy “Lift Me Up,” the tongue-in-cheek yet affable “No Money No Love” and the dull if feasible “Sun Goes Down” with MAGIC! Nicki Minaj and Afrojack deliver a startling R&B bump and funk gem in “Hey Mama,” and John Legend, another uniquely gifted performer, offers another brilliant reason to love this album -- his ballad “Listen” wrangles both the ears and the hips into action.

Guetta may be a club kid at heart, but his music has managed to grow up. (AP)



Wu-Tang look to cement legacy on new album

Wu-Tang Clan
“A Better Tomorrow”
(Warner Bros.)

Old Dirty Bastard once proclaimed: Wu-Tang is for the children. On their sixth album, “A Better Tomorrow,” U-God reinforces the sentiment: We “construct these jewels so they can live through my descendants.” On “Never Let Go,” Method Man echoes the feeling, but reminds listeners: “The hood is what made me.”

Looking to the future by remembering the past is a feeling that pervades the album. It’s been 20-plus years since The Wu entered the stage with “36 Chambers,” and they have stayed true to the foundation.

The family affair is only part of the tale. This is still protect-your-neck, chase C.R.E.A.M. chess boxing. Masta Killa is “like Justin Tuck how they ducking the rush,” while INS bombs “like he “No. 81 from Detroit.” Ghostface Killah tabs himself Dragonfly Tone, sports karate slippers and rhymes “scarier” with “Syria.” Chef Raekwon lays in the cut “drinking scotch with the Muscle Milk.”

RZA is still the unifying center, and the production is massive. On “Ruckus in B Minor,” he seamlessly flips the underlying script for every rapper, delivering each MC a personalized cinematic backdrop. In other spots he bum-rushes the hook, deploys darting strings and digs up a choice O’Jays sample. The sure shots are “40th Street Black/We Will Fight” with its marching-band momentum and “Crushed Egos” with its classic break and filthy organ loop.

GZA, the Clan’s resident sage, encapsulates the Wu-Tang evolution: “The emergence of the earliest atoms/Transform to a level that is hard to fathom.” And the saga continues. (AP)