The Sin City film was released to great success in mid 2005. The film's soundtrack was designed to capture the feel of the Basin City that was displayed in both the original comics and the film. The film included and all star cast and a unique look, very true to the comic book. In a smart move, the soundtrack includes no big name artists, only the score and a track by the little known electronica artist Fluke.
Sin City's soundtrack was composed by:
Robert Rodriguez
John Debney
Graeme Revell
"Walk down the right alley in Sin City and you can find anything"
Sin City's soundtrack certainly does sound like walking down an alley. The soundtrack to the movie has a great mix of music for a listener to enjoy on it's own, as well as being a perfect accompaniment to the film. There are a few main "Sin City" themes which run throughout the soundtrack to great effect. There are quite a few different styles represented in the music and the soundtrack is surprisingly (and refreshingly!) low on string dominated orchestral pieces. The most common sound is new jazz music. Although it has a very modern sound to it, it's a good fusion of the modern and the feeling that you are walking through a seedy 1940s backalley. With sexy gravely and distorted saxophone sounds that double as street noises (like a certain John Coltrane piece), this soundtrack perfectly displays the feel of the comic book and the streets of the film.
An interesting note is that there are three different parts of the movie. Along with these parts, there are three different sections of the soundtrack. First there is Marv, the tough outcast. Then Dwight, the murdurer with a new face. And finally, Hartigan, the nearly retired cop, one of the few honest ones on the force. And although the stories are different, they are all set in the same city and all have paralells. The same applies to the soundtrack. The themes for each story are different, but there are paralells that are placed on nearly every track. For example, the grooving basslines with drumming to match. The album's basslines in general are highlights. One of the best parts of the album is when the intro track drops out from a massive blast of noise to a grooving "Peter Gunn" style bassline. Other highlights include the eerie ambient piano and synth tracks that are often heard. Dirty, gritty and often sexy, the soundtrack of "Sin City" is perfect for remembering the movie, reading the comics or walking down a dark street at night. For diehard Sin City fans, this is an essential cd. But others will also find much to like.
Pros
Fresh "dirty jazz" sound
Creepy sounds are used to great effect
Flows extremely well
Cons
22 tracks of film music may get tiresome
This is a score, not the easiest thing to listen to
Reccomended Tracks
Sin City
Marv
Jackie Boy's Head
FINAL RATING: 4/5