Various Artists-Drive OST

The soundtrack to Nicolas Winding Refn’s 2011 film Drive is a largely electronic-driven record filled with 80s style synth-pop music meshed in with moody electronic pieces from the film’s score composer Cliff Martinez. The soundtrack adds to Refn’s unique yet dark visual style for a film about a driver who drives criminals to rob banks at night as Refn wanted an 80s musical style to the music. Featuring additional music from Kavinsky with Lovefoxx, Desire, College with Electric Youth, the Chromatics, and Riz Ortolani with Katyna Ranieri. The album is one of the best film soundtracks released in 2011.

Opening the album is Nightcall by Kavinsky featuring CSS vocalist Lovefoxx. Featuring a smooth, throbbing beat with wailing synthesizer riffs, distorted vocals, and Lovefoxx’s seductive vocals as it’s a chilling yet evocative song. Desire’s Under Your Spell is a hypnotic cut featuring swooning synthesizers and Megan Louise’s dreamy vocals that plays to the driver’s interest towards Irene in the film. A Real Hero by College featuring Electric Youth is an upbeat yet dance-driven song featuring bopping synthesizer melodies that is followed by fluid keyboards in the background and a mesmerizing female vocalist that plays to the driver’s chivalrous behavior.

Riz Ortolani and Katyna Ranieri’s Oh My Love is a somber yet operatic song where Ranieri sings to the song’s longing lyrics as the song plays to a key scene involving the driver taking charge. The Chromatics’ Tick of the Clock is a smooth mid-tempo instrumental with pulsating synthesizers and a bopping beat that changes back and forth from this chilling piece to a more ambient-like cut. The next fourteen tracks on the album are instrumental score pieces by Cliff Martinez with the ambient-driven Rubber Head kicking things off with its soothing keyboards and wailing feedback along with sprinkling synthesizers to play up the energy of the film.

I Drive is another ambient cut with ethereal keyboard textures and swirling bass to play up to the world of the driver. He Had a Good Time is another short ambient cut with swooning keyboards and high-pitch wails to emphasize the driver’s new bond with Irene and her son Benicio. They Broke His Pelvis is a chilling ambient track with swirling guitar textures and a flowing keyboard as it serves as a key piece between the driver and Irene’s husband Standard as trouble is brewing. Kick Your Teeth is a haunting piece filled with swooning keyboards, low bass, and a pulsating beat to the driver's dark personality. Where’s the Deluxe Version features more swirling keyboards and low bass that is followed by pulsating synthesizers to play up the planning of a heist that the driver is involved in.

See You in Four has soft, clanging beats that is surrounded by its atmospheric keyboard and screeching sounds to play up the suspense of the heist. After the Chase is a dark yet brooding piece filled with swooning keyboards, heavy bass, and soft metallic beats to play up the calm after the storm as well as the tension that surrounds the driver. Hammer has soft, swirling keyboards that is followed by pulsating yet smooth beats and synthesizers to play up the driver getting ready to handle his business. Wrong Floor is a soothing yet evocative piece filled with lush keyboard textures to play up the romance between Irene and the driver. Skull Crushing is an eerie yet heavy track filled with soft but pummeling beats, droning bass, screeching sounds, and soothing keyboards to emphasize the driver’s protective behavior.

My Name on a Car is a dark yet haunting piece filled with low keyboards and swirling textures that heightens due to the drama between two key characters in the film. On the Beach is another haunting piece filled with scratchy electronics, soft yet distorted beats, and soothing keyboards to play up the tense yet harrowing feel as the driver targets one of his adversaries. The closing track is Bride of Deluxe as its soothing synthesizers, high-pitch wails, pulsating synthesizer riffs, and driving guitar melodies play to the finale of everything that has happened.

The soundtrack to Drive is a superb yet intoxicating soundtrack that features an amazing score by Cliff Martinez. Fans of the film should definitely get this as it serves as a great companion piece to the film. Particularly for those that likes electronic score pieces and 80s-style electro-pop music. In the end, the soundtrack to Drive is a hypnotic yet enriching soundtrack album.

Drive

© thevoid99 2011