By Forris Day Jr.
Crime dramas are awesome. I’ve always loved them. In my youth I watched the TV show “The Rookies” and I still watch “TJ Hooker” with my wife in reruns. Yea…I know…boring right? Well that’s me. Police crime dramas have come a long way as is evident with the movie “End of Watch”. This is as gritty as they get. The story focuses on two cops who steal drugs and money from a powerful cartel and now there is a hit out on the officers. Here is a link to the trailer so you can get an idea for the feel of the story.
Now what many people don’t even think about is the music in a movie and how it directs your feelings towards the characters and the situations. Watch a movie, particularly a scene with no dialog, then re-watch it with the volume down and you’ll see what I’m talking about. Different isn’t it? Maybe even try watching it with a different movie soundtrack! Even more different right? Most every movie releases a soundtrack and Relativity Music Group has also done so with the original motion picture soundtrack for “End of Watch”. The music is as much a part of the movie as the visuals and actual dialogue is. It affects your viewing experience, good and bad.
The music on the CD…well download, but I’m Old School and I’m calling it a CD (For crying out load I JUST stopped calling them albums!) has a very urban yet ethereal feel to it. The disc opens hard with a crankin’ track by Public Enemy called “Harder Than You Think” Can I say crankin’? Well I just did. It then moves into the more mood setting sounds wonderfully created by the great soundtrack composer David Sardy, who did most of the music for the movie. As I listened to Davids tunes I felt as if I was going on a journey, the music going from soft and relaxed to suddenly picking up tempo as if I were being chased, and then finally finding safety. You can visualize what the scenes might be even if you haven’t seen the movie. You’ve heard David Sardy’s work in many other TV shows and movies including “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Zombieland”. Sardy has nailed the emotion, the fear, the suspense that is “End of Watch”. Great work!
The Delftonics chime in with the melodic “Hey! Love”. A very smooth jazzy sounding song, this one needs to be added to your MP3 mix. Love it! The Latin Rascals make an appearance with their song “Lisa’s Coming”. It’s a neat Techno sounding piece that has a nice rhythm that any Techno fan will appreciate. Overall, a wonderful group of songs and music to add to your collection, especially if you are a movie fanatic.
Rating: 8/10: “Music soothes the savage beast…and sometimes represents it”