SOUNDTRACK: POP/ROCK
Chemical Brothers, "Hanna" (iTunes)
Electronic-music pioneers from the 1990s continue to make inroads into the film industry. Last year, for example, Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails collaborated with Atticus Ross on the score for "The Social Network," and innovative French duo Daft Punk scored "Tron: Legacy." Reznor ended up winning Golden Globe and Oscar awards for his work. Daft Punk essentially just diverted fans with the cinematic sidetrack.
Chemical Brothers are following the Daft Punk lead with the soundtrack to "Hanna." The film stars Saoirse Ronan as the titular character, a teen assassin, and the score reflects the premise with a creepy combination of foreboding and occasionally frenetic sound mixed with childlike whimsy.
The soundtrack is suitable for a score, with distinctive signatures and welcome subtleties, but it's not the stuff fans of the British duo of Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons have come to expect.
"Hanna's" best includes the propulsive darkness in the purposeful grind of "Escape 700" and the rhythmic kick-out of "Quayside Synthesis," contrasted with the music-box vibe of "Hanna's Theme" and the clock-shop ambience of "The Devil Is in the Details."
On the other hand, some tracks lose their way and there's generally not much substance in about half of the 20 cuts.
However, "Hanna's Theme" is evocative with its wordless vocal harmonizing, dreamy melody and quirky fidgets. That cut alone is enough to stir interest in something else new, and more conventional, from the Chemical Brothers.
