By Sometimes the best part of a movie is its soundtrack.
“21,” starring Jim Sturgess, Kevin Spacey and Kate Bosworth, follows the lives of six MIT students as they undergo card-counting training in order to win millions at Las Vegas casinos.
The movie’s soundtrack starring LCD Soundsystem, MGMT, Peter Bjorn and John, and Rihanna form a collective of edgy, electronica, dance beats that you’d expect at a popular indie night club in Hollywood.
If you find yourself religiously listening to Indie 103.1 FM or KROQ 106.7 FM Afterhours then you’ll be a fan of this soundtrack. It’s like an orgy of experimental sounds for the raver in you.
The first track is a remix by Soulwax of The Rolling Stones’ legendary song “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” Mick Jagger’s voice, raw and crisp, settles on top of a swarm of synthesized notes making for a funky rock sound. It’s a perfect remake of one of the most influential songs of the late 1960s, early 1970s; it brings new wave hip with old school talent.
“Time to Pretend” by MGMT is a college-nostalgic collaboration of cool conversational singing and trippy studio sounds.
“I’m feeling rough / I’m feeling raw / I’m in the prime of my life,” which are the opening words to the song, set listeners for a chant-like four minutes about the sometimes overwhelming job of growing up – missing mom and dad, getting a job, the boredom and freedom of college. It may sound depressing, but the relaxing song leaves an overall message that life can always start anew.
Infectious whistling and catchy lyrics make “Young Folks” by Peter Bjorn and John one of the most recognizable songs on the CD. From the 2006 album “Writer’s Block,” “Young Folks” features vocals by Victoria Bergsman from The Concretes. The song is a back-and-forth dialogue between two close companions about sticking together no matter what the “young folks” or “old folks” say. It’s a chipper song that will get stuck in your head long after hearing it.
“Mad Pursuit” by Junkie XL featuring Electrocute infuses provocative, angelic, falsetto singing with contrasting creepy lyrics about stalking in “mad pursuit” of a lover.
“You’ll try to skip town / she’ll find you / Track you like a hound / behind you,” these lyrics, although disturbing, are blended so well into the cool kat vibe of the music that you’ll hardly notice the demonic viewpoint of the singer.
One of the slowest songs on the CD is “Hold My Hand” by Unkle. Vocalist James Lavelle’s voice is so reminiscent of famed singer/songwriter/musician Moby, it’s scary. Although slower, the song’s strong and constant bass line give it momentum. It’s one of those songs you can close your eyes to and fall into a deep, head-bobbing trance.
The rest of the 15-track soundtrack is equally as entertaining. New music from pop-sensation Rihanna, soothing industrial sounds on song “Giant,” and the heavy electronic beats from Get Shakes on “Sister Self Doubt” round out the CD with each aspect of the ever-growing indie/electronica/trance genre of music.
The various songs on the CD, although different, share the similar quality of causing involuntary foot-tapping and, of course, being part of the motion picture “21.”
