Album Review: The Great Gatsby - Music From Baz Luhrmann's Film The Great Gatsby

Polarising. When pushed for an adjective to describe Baz Luhrmann's latest film and consequent soundtrack, one might find that word quite apt. There's certainly been no shortage of talk over whether a contemporary soundtrack bustling with hip hop, R&B and indie rock really suits a period drama set in the jazz-proliferating, prohibiton-enduring, racially segregated '20s. One might also use 'eclectic', for in amongst the contemporary tunes are some more period-appropriate numbers. Set aside Jay Z's 100$ Bill and Fergie, Q-Tip and Goonrock's A Little Party Never Killed Nobody, and you find a little bit of swing. Take Beyonce's Crazy In Love covered by Emili Sandé and the Bryan Ferry Orchestra or Coco O's Where The Wind Blows.

The purists might have preferred a roster of 1920s jazz standards, but the reality is, Luhrmann, as is his penchant, wanted to create something grand and exciting, and you just aren't going to execute that for a modern audience with China Boy or the Tin Roof Blues. Besides, tracks like Florence + The Machine's Over The Love and Nero's Into The Past went beautifully with some pretty stunning cinematography. 

As with just about any movie soundtrack, you're not going to have a coherent, linear listening experience. The styles are very mixed, and you might find yourself jarred by the sudden eruption of a club anthem that sounds as though it belongs somewhere in Ibiza interrupting your groove session courtesy of Jay Z, Beyonce and Andre 3000. Having said that, Luhrmann and co. haven't done a bad job of coordinating such a varied selection of tracks into a listenable record. Might want to download selected tunes to your taste though.