Award winning composer Steven Price has produced a number of scores for movies and also has worked on documentaries and shorts, one of his latest scores is from the motion picture Last Night In Soho, the soundtrack release opens with a really laid back and downbeat arrangement of the song Downtown, which is performed by one of the stars of the movie Anya-Taylor Joy and although the melody is familiar the performance is very different from the original recording by Petula Clark the song which was penned by Tony Hatch back in the 1960’s takes on a more sinister air in this rendition, with vocalist Taylor Joy adding a breathy and sensual touch to the proceedings. Although it is rather unsettling its still remains entertaining and also gives the song a new lease of life. which is fresh and unexpected.
There are two soundtrack releases for Last Night In Soho one being a song compilation which features just one score track, and then there is the score album, which does also contain a few songs again though these are arranged wonderfully to suit the movie and although they are also classic hits from the 1960’s when we hear them in this form and entitled the Soho Version they take on a whole new persona that is menacing and unnerving.
The songs that get a new lease of life in the movie are Your My World, which was originally a big hit for Cilla Black, and There’s Always Something there to Remind Me performed by Sandie Shaw but again this has the Steven Price touch placed upon it.
The score itself is masterful being melodic and haunting but at the same time containing a malevolent atmosphere. Directed by revered filmmaker Edgar Wright this psychological thriller, focuses upon Eloise, an aspiring fashion designer, who is mysteriously able to enter the 1960s where she encounters a dazzling wannabe singer, Sandie. But the glamour is not all it appears to be and the dreams and occurrences from the past start to fragment and develop into something far darker. The film has an impressive cast, with Diana Rigg, Terence Stamp and Rita Tushingham making appearances as well as Matt Smith, Thomasin McKenzie and Anya Taylor-Joy being the main players.
The composer has fashioned a score that at times evokes the style of the music created for many of the Italian produced Giallo movies, the use of female voice and a gasping sound being used throughout to establish a mood of apprehension and foreboding. At times I was reminded of Morricone’s The Bird with The Crystal Plumage, and the music and the sounds of composer Claudio Simonetti, when he worked on classics such as Suspiria, and Deep Red. there is a real tension conveyed by the score, with Price making excellent use of strings, solo piano and supporting these with, half heard voices, whispers, jagged brass and sharp but layered synths that add eerie and highly effective elements to the work. There is also another side to the work, with Price incorporating and introducing a kind of John Barry-esque sound at certain points, which is welcomed and effective.
This is a score that oozes class and is also one that I know once heard you will want to return to many times, it is inventive and innovative, with the composer combining sounds and mixing musical colours and textures to get the perfect consistency. I see more accolades for Mr Price come Award seasons in 2022. Recommended.
MOVIE MUSIC INTERNATIONAL. (MMI) . 