Various Artists

The Namesake

Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

(Rounder / Fox Music)

Record Review by Adam McKibbin

It’s surely been adequately discussed elsewhere, but film music—left to survive in the wild on its own—is a strange beast.  Studios and labels dream of the soundtracks that work their way into cultural consciousness (i.e. Singles or O Brother or Swingers).  The soundtrack for Mira Nair’s The Namesake blends that mixtape approach with the actual score for the film, composed by Nitin Sawhney.  Sawhney has a classical compositional background and plenty of scoring experience, but is also popular in trip-hop and dance-club circles.  He’s been employed by Cirque du Soleil, Nike, and London’s Royal National Theatre; he’s a natural accomplice for a film devoted to the blur of cultures in the 21st century.

But the perfect score usually isn’t meant to demand attention on its own; it’s meant to enhance the world of the film, just like the locations and the lights.  Sawhney’s score is gentle and textured, making for a warm accompaniment for whatever the listener may be doing, but the soundtrack comes to life in its mixtape sections.  In a direct nod to India’s film heritage, Geeta Dutt’s “Jhiri Jhiri Choyetali” is the first non-score song on the album.  Light, playful and bursting with flirtatious personality, it leaves no mystery as to why the Bengali singer was such an icon in films as a young woman (she was later derailed by a broken marriage and alcoholism, and died in middle age).  The other clear standout is the stylish fresh coat of paint that Susheela Raman gives to “Ye Mera Diwanapan Hai,” a love song from the ‘70s.

Sometimes the cultural juxtapositions feel forced (Judgment Night syndrome).  Of course, sometimes cultures don’t mesh, but while that’s an interesting topic to pursue in a film or book (The Namesake is based on the novel by Pulitzer winner Jhumpa Lahiri), it’s not worth proving the point with music.  Mykill Miers drops a disruptive 1:30 of hip-hop on “The Chosen One,” clashing with the backdrop of traditional music.  Argentina’s Federico Aubele is one smooth cat, and his “Postales” is first-rate, cosmopolitan electro-pop, but seems awkwardly placed.  To be fair, perhaps its presence is justified by the film—which has been getting glowing reviews, incidentally.