Albums these days: They’re generally written, rehearsed, recorded, mixed, edited and put on the shelves every, say, two years or so. Bands rarely start the next album properly before bringing out the current one. Danger Mouse, however, has allowed this Rome project to slowly gestate for five full years, tweaking, perfecting, messing around with the songs, the instrumentalism, the order, everything about it, and you know what? It’s bloody fantastic.
The whole album is a kind of concept album, forming the OST of a movie or theatre production of a spaghetti western set in, or around Rome, with one major difference. The production this is the soundtrack of does not exist, nor will it ever do so. Probably. It’s designed to capture this epic movie-like setting and guide you, through nothing more than audio, through a cautionary tale, presumably so you can visualise your own story. The concept is ambitious and pulled off with exceptional grace.
Beginning with 'Theme from Rome', we have some understated Timpani, spaghetti western acoustic chords and a female vocalist just “oohing” for two minutes. It wouldn’t normally sound like the ideal way to open an album, but upon hearing it, it’s glorious. It’s subtle, moving with small gestures rather than huge swoops. In fact this whole album is designed to be judged on the album as a whole rather than the sum of its parts. This is a thirty-five minute opus with acts rather than a bunch of songs thrown together with the singles first and the chuff following after.
I hate it when bands or record companies, or whoever puts the tracks on the finished record are lazy like that, for the record.
Some of you may have been lucky enough to pick up the 'Two Against One/Black' double A-side which was released for this years Record Store Day. If you did that was just a sampler for what’s in store here. This is a soundtrack to the greatest movie that will never be written. Norah Jones simply fizzes with pure, unadulterated soul during the three tracks she’s involved in, and Jack Whites fragile vocals, especially during 'Two Against One', are totally “him” while sounding little like anything he’s been involved in to date. The vocalists have both been recruited for their pure talent and how they would fit in this ambitious project, and I cannot imagine anyone else being able to fit their roles better. Sadly, there’s no duet between the two, but nevertheless, this is a fresh side to all the collaborators on this record.
So, what does it actually sound like? Nothing that’s already available from my recollection. It takes pieces from all sorts of influences, with intricate guitar picking that could easily feature on a Jose Gonzales LP. It’s got swooping and lifting strings taken straight out an orchestral interlude. It’s got a thick, full, yet subtle bass that comes straight from the 60s Rock & Roll scene. It’s a conglomerate of most things music which could, potentially, have come up a total mess but instead has utterly shined.
Particular highlights, other than the intro and 'Two Against One' include 'The Roman Blue', a three-minute long instrumental string-a-long. Its violins, funky bass and waltzing hi-hats are meticulously put together with expert precision, creating an emotive, unmissable showcase of pure song writing without even having to get a vocalist involved (apart from the last thirty seconds when some more “oohs” break through). You can picture the scene in front of you, what the song’s all about, without seeing anything.
If I had any criticism it would be that the whole thing just seems too short. Another ten minutes would have been perfect. Some of the interludes also seem a little inconsequential, added as a bit of a segue from one song to the next but failing in that respect, really. Many could have been fleshed out into something fuller, with more purpose, but it’s only a minor complaint, really.
Of course, many people will buy this because of the names attached to it. Danger Mouse, Norah Jones and Jack White are all heavyweights in their respective circles. There isn’t a record that Danger Mouse has produced which doesn’t shine. Jack White is the man of a thousand bands who can play a thousand instruments. Norah Jones is the queen of slinky, sultry easy-listening. But this record, somehow, never sounds like it’s about any of those three key names. It’s all the songs. It’s the collection, and the collection is utterly phenomenal.
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The whole album is a kind of concept album, forming the OST of a movie or theatre production of a spaghetti western set in, or around Rome, with one major difference. The production this is the soundtrack of does not exist, nor will it ever do so. Probably. It’s designed to capture this epic movie-like setting and guide you, through nothing more than audio, through a cautionary tale, presumably so you can visualise your own story. The concept is ambitious and pulled off with exceptional grace.
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