Stream Both The Soundtrack And Score To Scott Pilgrim Vs The World
You probably don't need to be told that Edgar Wright's new film Scott Pilgrim vs the World comes out this week; it's pretty hard to miss. But if you're looking for more of a taste of the film, check out both the soundtrack and score, which are both streaming in full at Spinner.
The score is primarily by Nigel Godrich, while the soundtrack features tracks recorded by Beck masquerading as Scott Pilgrim's band Sex Bob-Omb and Broken Social Scene masquerading as Crash and the Boys. The film's actors do vocals, and the tracks don't sound much like the artists that spawned them. This is a rare case where the in-film music sounds appropriate to the story and the world. The Sex Bob-Omb tracks in particular are great: they're rough and catchy, but still sound like a few kids playing in their living room. ('Threshold', on the soundtrack is a good example.)
If you're on the fence about the film, listen to some of the score. I'm not sure any of the trailers and TV spots get across what heart this movie has, but the score really does. The quieter moments are what keep the film together, and the score underpins those and gives the movie some important moments of warmth.
'Hillcrest Park,' 'Love Me Some Walking' and 'Second Cup' all score some of the movie's more pensive moments, and they're great tracks. If some of the music sounds a bit like Brian Eno by way of Radiohead, remember that Godrich has worked as Radiohead's producer since 1994.
The only problem with the score is that, for those who haven't seen the film and don't know the story, there might be some spoilers in the song titles. And I'd say skip the first track ('Universal Theme') because it's a great little gag that should first be seen with the film to be fully appreciated.