Hey all!
Two days ago I had the pleasure of picking up the original soundtrack for Star Wars: Rogue One on disc (yes, I'm a tad old-fashioned). After giving the entire CD a listen, I've come to the conclusion that, at least as far as the year's blockbuster franchises go, this is arguably the best film soundtrack to come out of 2016. Allow me to elaborate.
This is the first Star Wars film to have utilized a composer other than John Williams for its score (though Williams's themes do appear at times throughout the score). Instead, the reigns were handed over to modern composer Michael Giacchino. I was quite pleased to hear about this, as I've been following Giacchino's work since his first production- the score for the Lost World Playstation 1 videogame. Since then, I've watched him tackle bigger and bigger projects until he landed the unenviable (or arguably very enviable) task of filling some very large shoes by taking on the Star Wars franchise. I'm happy to report that his work does not disappoint in the least. We still have Williams's brassy tones and heroic, brooding, and peaceful cues, but these are mixed in with Giacchino's signature incorporation of a variety of percussion instruments. Seriously, the guy loves his drums. In addition to building on classic thematic cues, the central musical theme for Rogue One is an extremely versatile musical signature, able to sound triumphant, hopeful, or in some of its most effective cases, wistful and a little sad.
If there's any indication of how seriously Michael Giacchino took this project, it's in the song titles. Normally, his track list is full of puns and humorous names, but these are all serious titles, in keeping with the franchise's other pieces so far (though I was happy to note that he released his own version of the track list on the inside jacket, which I'll attach below. In classic Giacchino style, it's highly amusing).
The two standout tracks for me where "Rebellions are Built on Hope," which adopts that sadder tone after about the one minute mark:
Rebellions are Built on HopeAnd of course the grand finale, "Your Father Would be Proud," which manages to hit all the feels throughout its runtime:
Your Father Would be ProudIn conclusion this is a highly fitting tribute, and indeed somewhat of a love letter to a franchise enjoyed by many. Even if you're not a fan of Star Wars, I'd highly recommend giving a few of these tracks a listen. You will not be disappointed!
