Soundtrack review: ‘The Work and the Story’

Various Artists
‘The Work and the Story’ soundtrack

Produced by Mesa's John Brantley, a longtime participant in the local music scene, “The Work and the Story” soundtrack
features songs by a host of mostly East Valley musical artists. While it accompanies a Mormon film, the album is not overtly religious save for a couple of hymns performed in souped-up rock versions.

The music encompasses a wide variety of styles: heartfelt ballads, acoustic pop, jam band ditties, straightforward rock and pop/punk. Some tunes outshine others, but the performances are uniformly strong and the CD hangs together nicely, unlike some soundtracks which come off like haphazard hodge podges of unrelated tunes. Highlights include Stuart Folly's sprightly “I Wanted to Tell You,” Ethan's Fury's gentle “The Genesis” and Fourbanger's driving “Whiplash.”

The best song is Brantley's own hard-charging title track which perfectly captures the film's theme — delusions of grandeur — in a snappy three-and-a-half minutes. The album is available through www.rooftoprecordings.com. B+

— by Thomas Bond, Get Out