For The Great Gatsby - Flashback Fridays

I haven't seen The Great Gatsby film but I am admittedly curious about it. I mean, anything with Leonardo DiCaprio as the lead actor has got to be amazing, right? He's been amazing in pretty much everything he's been in these last few years.

Based mostly on that level of excellence, I ventured to check out The Great Gatsby OST.

The soundtrack is an eclectic mix of genres, artists, and sounds. Taking that into consideration, we delve in.

"Hearts A Mess" is the first song I will speak on. The track is sang by Gotye. When I listen to the album I imagine the songs were chosen to impart the feel of that era. The subtlety of this song is what is key. Gotye's voice doesn't tend to rise above a whisper. Additionally there is a haunting quality that seeks to identify into the depths of the song. There is almost not need for production on this one.

"Back To Black", originally sung by the late Amy Winehouse, is remade to great effect by Andre 3000 and Beyonce. If you've never heard the original, this may be your first foray into understanding the genius. The always iconic Andrew 3000 adds a depth to the song with his unique and one of a kind sound. Here he plays like a spoken word genius because he enunciates in the right places. When you think of Beyonce, you mostly think of a vocal powerhouse. Here she displays that yes is in fact more, adding a seductive nature to it.

"A Little Party Never Killed Nobody" is a perfect embodiment of the reckless fun that you get from the novel. It is a party anthem that features Fergus, GoonRock, and Q-Tip providing the voice  of the hedonistic party. It's fun when you need fun.

Also take a listen to tracks like "Kill And Run", "Over The Love", and "100$  Bill". They are equally well put together.

The job of a good soundtrack is to embody the mood of the film. This one does it in spades.

-written by Lucius Black for Street Thoughts/Royalty Magazine 2013