Review Summary: "He called you a cowboy. What did he mean? What are you?"
"Just a humble bounty hunter, ma'am."
With the runaway success of the TV show, it's no wonder the good folks at Sunrise decided to produce a Cowboy Bebop movie. And true to fashion, their marketing team set out to release this five-song EP two months prior to the film's release.
Ask DNA is not so much a sountrack as a teaser for the full
Future Blues OST, due to come out three days before the film's release, but it does hold its own with a handful of good songs.
The Seatbelts return to offer us five high quality tracks in five different styles, a taste of what's to come later. "What Planet Is This?!" is thoroughly upbeat bebop/jazz, with energy and urgency and action and excitement, and (can it be?!) an actual refrain with a rising melodic progression, starting with the low brass then adding baritone sax, trombones, trumpets, altos, and reaching a blaring crescendo. Meanwhile, other instruments (jazz guitar, bass, etc.) just go wild, especially as the song goes on. Add in sporadic shouts of "What planet is this?!" and you've got yourself one damn enjoyable song. Top marks all around.
The EP's namesake (and opening credits song from the movie) is a downbeat but happy pop rock affair, reminding me of Billy Joel and Kenny Loggins tunes from the 80s. Pretty tame by Seatbelts standards, it's still quirky and fun (with lines like "When the truth seems so far away, / Buddha loves you and Jesus saves", how can it not be?). And is it catchy? You better believe it. "Cosmic Dare (Pretty with a Pistol)" is upbeat electronica meets trip-hop with perfectly apropos vocals by Raju Ramayya. While devoid of standard jazz instruments, it does feature some jazz harmonies (sixths, minor sevenths, etc.) which makes it a welcome addition to the Bebop canon. "Hamduche" introduces us to the film's more Arabic influences (director Shinichiro Watanabe allegedly opted for a more Arabesque world since he was unfamiliar with it and hadn't explored it in the show) with Arabic vocals sung over slow lounge jazz in the background; this piece is short but telling. The final track, "Is It Real?", is very melancholy and atmospheric, a moody ballad with gently sweeping strings and synthesized texures layered underneath. At first listen it may not grip you, but this is a well-made song that rewards subsequent listens.
A nicely diverse sample of new Seatbelts material, this EP doesn't skimp on quality. It is certainly a continuation of the Cowboy Bebop soundtrack we all know and love but it sounds like a step in a new direction. Three tracks here are sung in English and all of these have a pretty poppy feel, with "Is It Real?" venturing into new territory for the Seatbelts (something like "Space Lion", but more mainstream). Even the big jazz number—primarily instrumental though it may be—has a verse-chorus structure with hooks that really grab you. Not that there's anything wrong with going pop; the EP itself is mostly an advertisement for the film and full OST. Still, it works. Fans can now rejoice. The Seatbelts are back! Cowboy Bebop is back!
See You Space Cowboy ...
