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SOUNDTRACK REVIEW

Batman and Harley Quinn: Music From The DC Universe Original Movie
Studio: WaterTower Records
Release Date: October 6, 2017 - Physical, Digital Release

Synopsis: A looming global catastrophe forces Batman and Nightwing to partner with an unlikely hero in Batman and Harley Quinn. Spawned from an original story by animation icon Bruce Timm, Batman and Harley Quinn finds Batman and Nightwing forced to enlist Harley Quinn to catch Poison Ivy, Harley’s BFF and frequent partner-in-crime. Music is produced by Dynamic Music Partners, which consists of composers Michael McCuistion, Kristopher Carter & Lolita Ritmanis.

Batman and Harley Quinn: Music From The DC Universe Original Movie Track Listing:

1. STAR Labs Infiltration - Michael McCuistion
2. Batman & Harley Quinn Main Title - Michael McCuistion
3. STAR Labs Investigation - Kristopher Carter
4. Nocturnal Activity - Lolita Ritmanis
5. Have You Seen Her - Michael McCuistion
6. Superbabes - Kristopher Carter
7. Hiding From Society - Lolita Ritmanis
8. Alleyway Encounter - Kristopher Carter
9. Forensic Clue - Michael McCuistion
10. Turning Up The Heat - Lolita Ritmanis
11. Awkward Afterglow - Michael McCuistion
12. Harley Is Mad - Lolita Ritmanis
13. Prom Date Chase - Michael McCuistion
14. Off To Bludhaven/Please Pull Over - Michael McCuistion
15. In Jeopardy - Lolita Ritmanis
16. Injection Trial - Michael McCuistion
17. Breakthrough And Discovery - Kristopher Carter
18. Surprisingly Genuine - Lolita Ritmanis
19. Tuber Tripping - Kristopher Carter
20. Feeling Kind Of Down - Lolita Ritmanis
21. A Very Shirley Batwing - Shirley Walker
22. Into The Swamp - Kristopher Carter
23. Peril In The Swamp - Kristopher Carter
24. Serious Girl Fight - Lolita Ritmanis
25. Forest Fist Fights - Michael McCuistion
26. Ivy Is On The Fence - Lolita Ritmanis
27. Ivy's Choice - Kristopher Carter
28. Swamp Thing Returns - Michael McCuistion
29. Serious Shrub Problems - Kristopher Carter
30. Batman & Harley Quinn End Credits, Pt. 1 - Michael McCuistion
31. Batman & Harley Quinn End Credits, Pt. 2 - Lolita Ritmanis & Michael McCuistion
32. Afternoon Special Style - Lolita Ritmanis
33. Get Healthy With Harley - Michael McCuistion
34. Reality Like - Lolita Ritmanis
Get Healthy Wrapup - Michael McCuistion

Review by James Harvey:

Light-hearted and fun, the score to Batman and Harley Quinn recreates the atmosphere of the film perfectly. Sounding jazzy and, at times, reminiscent of the 1960s Batman, Dynamic Music Partners nicely capture the tone of the recent zany animated feature. Punctuating action scenes with right amount of flare and adding an upbeat feel to the more quirky moments of the film, the composers superbly provide the film's backbone and nicely tie everything together.

Starting with the tense, bombastic "STAR Labs Infiltration," which helps to set up the high stakes of the film, the score establishes it's 'serious' side before moving into a more light-hearted tone for the majority. Listeners will get an idea of just how light and occasionally wacky things will get with the jazzy, 1960's-inspired "Batman and Harley Quinn Main Titles" track, which wouldn't sound out of place on a live-action Batman episode. "STAR Labs Investigation" does play out like a traditional Batman: The Animated Series track, but it's one of the few compositions that sound more serious (for lack of better term) than the majority of work on this soundtrack. It's serious and straightforward, but not overly dark, keeping in tone with the lighter tone of the movie.

However, starting with "Have You Seen Her," things do start to sound a little lighter (which makes sense given that Harley Quinn starts to make her presence known in this movie at just around this time). That lighter tone does take awhile to full come to the front. In the movie, Harley Quinn takes her time joining Batman and Nightwing on their search for Poison Ivy, and that's reflected here in the score. Harley's at a low point in her life, somewhat in the dumps, and the score here relays that. Once she joins Batman and Nightwing, things do lighten up as she becomes a regularly fixture on screen. Of course, things get a little jazzy and sultry (see "Turning Up The Heat") before that happens.

We get our first taste of that, really, with "Prom Date Chase." It's a jazzy, at times almost goofy take on the traditional chase tack. And that's a fair assessment for a lot of what viewers will hear on this soundtrack. A lighter, sometimes goofier spin on the type of music we'd expect to hear for an action-adventure track. The whole soundtrack isn't like that, of course, as things do get serious on occasion, especially when we're reminded of the high-stakes of the film's plot, but even those tend to be punctuated with jazzy sound to shift us back to film's more comedic side. "Breakthrough and Discovery" is one of the rare tracks that plays serious throughout, and actually builds up to a moment where a sense of dread is just dripping from every chord and beat. It's a marvelous track that sells the threat our heroes face.

Much like the film, there are a few surprising moments. "Surprisingly Genuine" is a quiet track that nicely helps to sell a poignant moment with Harley Quinn and a dying victim. "Tuber Tripping" is another stand out track that sounds nothing like the dominant music style of the score, instead coming off as somewhat unkilter and a little off (given the nature of the scene, however, it doesn't feel out of place). "Feeling Kind of Down" starts to slowly move things in a lighter feel, gradually. It's not abrupt, but slow...with hints of a lighter undertone coming out the quiet, serious overtones of the track.

Just to note, "A Very Shirley Batwing" brings back a very familiar theme that should have more than a few fans cheering.

And, as the film moves toward its climactic fight, the soundtrack leans a bit more toward a more traditional, serious sound. For those looking to hear music similar to scores heard during the DCAU era, you'll find it all here. In fact, there are more than a few times when things sound downright creepy, such as in "Peril In The Swamp." Sounding epic and ominous, this portion of the soundtracks shifts along with the movie, focusing on the very serious threat our heroes have to face, and it works. But there's still some lighter moments sprinkled here and there to remind listeners that Harley Quinn shares the spotlight here. "Serious Girl Fight" sounds much lighter in comparison to "Peril," but it's also an action-heavy track with plenty of guitar and quick beats. It's serious, yeah, but serious for Harley, which is definitely lighter than a serious action composition for Batman. That said, the action beats with The Floronic Man get an appropriate epic, bigger-than-life sound to them (see "Forest Fist Fights"). Also worth noting "Ivy Is On The Fence" is another quiet, subdued character-driven track that's reminiscent of "Surprisingly Genuine" that works to nicely sell the bond between Harley and Ivy. Swamp Things also gets a heroic, ethereal theme for his brief appearance in the film.

The varied skills of the Dynamic Music Partners are on display here. Just listen to the last four tracks on this score, which cover the post-credits sequence. It's insane how different that sounds from the rest of the content on the soundtrack (these tracks definitely need a little context, so be sure to watch the movie before listening to this soundtrack), and how they're able to pull it off with ease. This whole score, actually, is a testament to how they can just tackle any style with apparent ease. It's amazing.

A more light-hearted score, but nothing without both a few serious moments and some genuine surprises, Dynamic Music Partners deliver a score unlike any animated Batman feature before it. It's manages to bring a cohesive feel to the film, which itself sometimes wildly veered between serious moments and comedic gags. This score ties it all together, making sure that even some of the film's few quiet moments and odd surprises (such as Swamp Thing) don't feel jarring or out of place. For those worried about this score being overly wacky, the wackiest score moments easily belong to the main titles and end credits. And while this soundtrack may be lighter than most animated Batman fare, it has its fare share of intense compositions and tracks that sound more like traditional Batman beats. For those looking to add another animated Batman score to their collection, Batman and Harley Quinn should not be overlooked. It's a little different, yes, but it's still absolutely solid. Highly Recommended!


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