Grade: 77/100
The challenge in creating a movie soundtrack is having a product that complements the film and retains the ability to act as a stand alone album. Under the control of dream pop singer Lorde, “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part One — Original Motion Picture Soundtrack” tries to accomplish both while bringing in a heavy roster of artists.
There are some unlikely combinations on “Mockingjay Part One” such as Miguel collaborating with The Chemical Brothers and Major Lazer joining forces with Ariana Grande. The biggest surprise is that these strange pairings work out in favor of the album.
Miguel’s song with The Chemical Brothers, “This is not a Game,” may very well encapsulate the image the movie is trying to portray. These talents, which would usually never come together, have joined to create a track that supports standing up for the unheard voices.
The super-collaborative intro track, “Meltdown,” receives a little love from the likes of Pusha T, Haim and Lorde herself. It could easily serve as the movies outro track, but it sets the pace of the soundtrack for a pretty angst filled ride. Each artist clearly understands the direction the film is going in and although the song may sound like a catchy hook at first, there’s a level of lyrical depth that shouldn’t be overlooked here.
Unfortunately, the 14 song soundtrack features a few forgettable tracks such as XOV’s “Animal” or Bat for Lashes’ “Plan the Escape.” Neither song sounds as if it could fit into the scheme of the movie and compared to the stacked list of artists the rest of the album presents, these songs get swept under the rug.
Even the soundtrack’s single, Lorde’s “Yellow Flicker Beat,” finds itself overshadowed and a little out of place compared to the dance multiple dance tracks on the album. For a movie that surely involves a massive war, there appears to be a lot of upbeat music which is good for the soundtrack, but also asks the question of where certain songs fit into plot of the movie.
Not a lot of attention is placed on soundtracks these days, but when they do gain some buzz, it’s usually for good reason. No. “Mockingjay Part One” is not the next “Titanic” or “Les Miserables” of movie soundtracks, but for its targeted young adult audience, it does everything it’s expected to.