I’ve been listening to the T-Bone Burnett-produced soundtrack for Inside Llewyn Davis pretty much non-stop since its release. Burnett seems to be some kind of wizard when it comes to movie soundtracks, with credits including the Coens’ O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Crazy Heart to his name. His reputation is unmatched, and this soundtrack will only add to it.
The movie centers on this fictional 1960s folk singer named Llewyn Davis, but there’s very much a folk-blues-country-bluegrass vibe to the entire thing. There seems to be a range of musical influences represented by various characters that appear in the film (I don’t know if I’ve made this clear yet—I haven’t seen the movie yet), but even though it’s a genre that appeals to me, the fact that the stars of the movie performed the songs live is encouraging. Oscar Isaac, in particular, as the titular character has some serious musical chops, as does this supporting player by the name of Justin Timberlake (so I hear).
That “Fare Thee Well” song that is played behind most of the movie’s trailers is probably the crown jewel of the soundtrack, setting a lovely tone for the strange clips and images we’ve been shown. Marcus Mumford’s contributions seem rather valuable too. I know his band has garnered something of a Coldplay-like reputation, but here at least he seems like a worthy collaborator.
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