Jonny Greenwood - There Will be Blood (Nonesuch)
4/5
By: Charlie Potter
As you might expect, writing for a site called rockfeedback, I know next to nothing about modern orchestral music. But I do know that Jonny has come along way since Bodysong, the chamber jazz style of which being replaced here with a much more conventional, fuller orchestra, something I would say is incredibly brave on Mr. Greenwood's part. And although I think it is true that this is very much styled like a soundtrack, Jonny has showed that he really takes the traditional forms of orchestral music very seriously in themselves too.
There is probably not a single thing that Jonny Greenwood could do to stop other orchestral composers looking down their noses at him, but with this record he's clearly decided he doesn't care, and is evidently doing it for the music.
It's impossible to stop the alluring palatability of the second track - future states jump out you and clutch on for the first few listens to this album, its strident, violent, stabbing strings with playful yet considered off shoots are so addictive it almost makes you not really feel like paying attention to the comparatively gentle counter parts to the album. But if you give it a go on the headphones, you'll hear that all the compositions have a very strong unifying aesthetic to them, whether it's creepy, terrifying, sad or reflective. What's more, this album really has virtually nothing to do with Radiohead.
Unfortunately I have not had a chance to see the film There Will Be Blood, but hearing the soundtrack makes that quite an exciting prospect, not only for the chance to hear this on some good speakers, but also any film with this soundtrack will be one of the most intense films your ever likely to see - especially if Bodysong is anything to go by.
Without trying to sound oddly patronising, there is a certain sense of pride that I get when a skinny wrist support wearing closet weirdo like Jonny (not that I am any better) can make truly terrifying, powerful music. There is something about the way his music operates on such an emotional level, it makes you think that he's constantly looking at life from a distant position, trying to work out what it means to be alive. Perhaps it's because said theme is made so explicit in the film of Bodysong, and there are undoubtedly recurring themes from that soundtrack here musically, but this album puts the viewer into a position of intense meditation on the human condition, the overwhelming arc of birth life and death, although There Will Be Blood is not explicitly about any of those things.
One thing that Jonny has undoubtedly got right is the subtlety of the recurring themes throughout the album - melodies do come back, but only ever really the very basic shell of the melody. A lot of the time he will hint at another melody within the score then take you to another surprising but appropriate resolve, this is of course a timeless, classic music trick, but here Jonny Greenwood has got it right, and I think it is one of the big things apart from the arrangements that proves that the boy really knows what he's doing.
There Will Be Blood is a great little album that has significantly widened my palette with virtually no pain or hardship. I certainly look forward to seeing the film.
Watch the trailer to There Will Be Blood HERE.
Artists in this article: Jonny Greenwood
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