Andrew Grey Upside

For Jonathan Segal’s new movie, Norman, the director tapped looping violinist extraordinaire and indie singer-songwriter Andrew Bird to create the soundtrack. One of the publicity blurbs describes Norman as a movie about “a self-aware and darkly funny teen,” which could mean the music goes with either an introspective hipster vibe or angst-ridden hard pop/metal. Given that Bird is the composer, we get the former, with a number of typically mellow and beautiful Bird folk/rock/pop tunes on here, the standouts being the acoustic and impassioned “Night Sky” and the electrically charged rocker “Darkmatter”. Additionally, there are a few choice outside contributions from the likes of The Blow and Wolf Parade.

Arthur Sullivan is best remembered today for his Savoy Operas with W. S. Gilbert, but during his lifetime Sullivan was also famed for his church, concert hall and stage works. These three sets of incidental music show his versatility in the genre. The music for The Merry Wives of Windsor has a joviality and lightness that matches its pantomime mood, while the concert suite for Macbeth weaves together nervous tension and impending tragedy. By contrast, King Arthur required one of Sullivan’s specialties, a sequence of choruses, edited after his death into this evocative suite.