Less 'Tattoo' noise would have been more
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' soundtrack for the David Fincher thriller "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" (Null Corp.) is nothing if not complete.
The 39 tracks, which stretch for nearly three hours, run the gamut from potential rock singles and haunting instrumentals to incidental music that feels like filler. The collection could be streamlined into an impressive little stand-alone album -- the way Reznor and Ross did for the soundtrack to "The Social Network" -- but is instead the boxed-set version right off the bat.
Though the first single, an electro version of the Led Zeppelin classic "Immigrant Song" with Yeah Yeah Yeah's Karen O. on lead vocals, is meant to be the attention-getter, it pales in comparison to the poignant ballad "Is Your Love Strong Enough?" from How to Destroy Angels, the Reznor side project featuring Reznor's wife, Mariqueen Maandig, on vocals. The song takes the mix of pretty, powerful vocals and stomping rock that made Evanescence so popular to the next level, especially once the Nine Inch Nails-styled electronic drums kick in.
Most of "Dragon Tattoo" is designed to sound cold and dark, but Reznor and Ross work that to their advantage, especially in the lovely instrumental "What if We Could?" In "Great Bird of Prey," which manages to sound diabolical and gorgeous at the same time, they try to capture Rooney Mara's appeal sonically.
It's a nifty trick -- one that would be far more effective if it wasn't diluted with so much background music.
"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
GRADE B
BOTTOM LINE An all-inclusive soundtrack that stretches from brilliant to ordinary
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