Review: Original Soundtrack - Windows On The World
Original Soundtrack - Windows On The World
Format: CD and Vinyl / Label: Ropeadope Records
Release Date : August 2, 2019
Text: Peter Marinus
Every now and then a soundtrack pops up, which distinguishes itself from the large selection of soundtracks. That is now the case with the soundtrack for the film Windows On The World, a film by Michael D. Olmos, written by Robert Mailer Anderson.
The film is about a Mexican boy who goes looking for his father, who has been missing since the World Trade Center disaster on 9/11. The film describes the journey from Mexico to New York in which the boy encounters issues such as the immigration problem.
Before I could watch the film, I already enjoyed this very versatile soundtrack. A soundtrack that jumps from blues to jazz and funk.
The opener immediately hits the mark. Inside Of Us All is a song by David Hidalgo, known from Los Lobos, and blues harmonica player Charlie Musselwhite. A wonderfully surging song with a Tex Mex sound, soft beating percussion, a warm accordion, the howling harmonica of Charlie Musselwhite and piercing, bluesy guitar work. This song is reminiscent of the better work of Los Lobos.
Fernando's Theme by David Sánchez is a floating instrumental with a warm double bass and a soulful jazz sax. Singer Emily Braden performs in the smoky, Chet Baker-like jazz ballad Every Tear I Cry in which of course the trumpet of Sean Jones the leading role plays alongside the intimate soulful vocals of Emily Braden.
Lou's House is a song by Eric Harland, Josh Giunta, Dan Bovin, Kaleta & Timothy Robinson . A funky Afrorock song with singer-guitarist Kaleta from Benin as a sort of African James Brown, or, as you wish, as Fela Kuti.
The softly whispering jazz ballad Don't Break My Heart Again comes from The Collective Quintet in which the velvety soft sax by David Sánchez and the sparkling piano by Edward Simon predominate.
Abiodun Oyewole is known as a member of The Last Poets. In New York, New York he proves that he has not lost anything of his powerful jazz rap style.
The Black Lion is also known as reggae artist Jah Lion. However, there is no sign of reggae in Black Lion. A dark grooving hip hop song with a floating Miles Davis trumpet.
There are three acts on this album that fall under the name "unknown but certainly not unloved". The Live Wire is represented with a cutting electrofunk number, Party People. A song that reminds me of Cameo in the distance. New World Order represents the techno dance in Can You See Me Falling. An almost Prodigy-like song with cutting pulsating synthesizers and a hypnotizing groove. The closing is for the unknown 26 Reds with their filthy punky Renaissance Man, which is full of fuzz but also occasionally has a B-52's sound, mixed with a Suicide-like monotony and Iggy Pop-like vocals.
This soundtrack makes me eagerly await the accompanying film. But if I never saw it it would not be a disaster because I am having fun with this beautiful soundtrack!
Tracklist:
01. David Hidalgo & Charlie Musselwhite: Inside Of Us All
02. David Sánchez: Fernando's Theme
03. Emily Braden, Eric Harland, Matt Penman, Taylor Eigsti & Sean Jones: Every Tear I Cry
04. Eric Harland, Josh Giunta, Dan Bovin, Kaleta & Timothy Robinson: Lou's House
05. The Collective Quintet: Don't Break My Heart Again
06. Abiodun Oyewole: New York, New York
07. The Live Wire: Party People
08. New World Order: Can You See Me Falling
09. The Black Lion, David Russo & Lizz Vega: Black Lion
10. 26 Reds: Renaissance Man
Website: Ropeadope Records Windows on the World