Surround Sound

By Aoife Carnevale

Whether it’s a perfectly crafted playlist or a composition that is made for and thus becomes synonymous with a certain project, soundtracks are the unsung heroes of movies, games and shows. Obviously there are the iconic soundtracks of all time that we all know like, Star Wars, Mamma Mia!, or the Rocky movie series. However, there are meticulously musical accompaniments to some of our favourite things that go under the radar. 

1. Yellowjackets

It’s easy to get distracted by the gore and twists of this relatively new show, although it does have a seemingly cult following, myself included. In between the gasps of horror, disgust and genuine shock, I noticed the soundtrack is absolutely perfect!  The genius behind the score in season 1, lies at the hands of Craig Wedren (Shudder To Think), Anna Waronker (That Dog) and Theodore Shapiro. With music from Alanis Morissette, Jane’s Addiction, and The Cranberries to Florence and the Machine, Yellowjackets embodies the universal and hellish experience of being a teenage girl that transcends generations, although hopefully being stranded after a plane crash isn’t a canon event. 

The theme song is truly terrifying, with an eclectic meshing of sounds, in the nicest way possible it’s almost hard to listen to, I usually skip it out of fear. Alongside the imaging it’s incredibly eerie although absolutely perfect for the setting and feel of the show.

2. Gilmore Girls 

Not an underrated show by any means, growing in popularity steadily despite being released back in 2000. Gilmore Girls has been a comfort TV programme for many, for years. The iconic theme song by Carole King has immediately conditioned me to resort to an immediate state of calm and bliss. And all Gilmore Girls fans will know exactly what I mean when I refer to the iconic la la la la las that transitions from one scene to another, a different one for each mood. But in addition to the backing tracks, the playlist perfectly encapsulates a show that is obsessed with referencing pop culture. My favourite songs from the show that I highly recommend if you walk around your small town with a book in one hand and a coffee in the other and live out your Rory Gilmore dreams, are, Reflecting Light (Sam Phillips), If I Could Write (Sam Phillips), Fade Into You (Mazzy Star), Wedding Bell Blues (The 5th Dimension), Fell in Love With a Girl (The White Stripes), My Darling (Wilco), and Earn Enough For Us (XTC). 

3. This Is Us

One of my all time favorites, I rarely hear people talk about this show, let alone appreciate the genius of this soundtrack. This Is Us jumps back and forth between the life of young Jack and Rebecca Pearson and aged Rebecca with her triplets following the death of her husband. The music of each episode perfectly encapsulates the shift between time periods and is full of heart. A lot of the music encapsulates the father-child relationship, with songs from Yusuf/Cat Stevens and Alexi Murdoch. But beneath the surface, the soundtrack follows Rebecca, her relationship with music and singing, her relationship with her children and how her dreams are translated to her daughter Kate. Bonding through artists like Joni Mitchell and Alanis Morisette, it perfectly blends the tastes of a mother growing up in the 70s and her daughter following in her footsteps in the 90s. 

I have to devote a little bit of time to the seamless teasing of the theme song, The Forever Now written by Taylor Goldsmith and composed by Siddhartha Khosla, a wordless melody that leads to a full cover of the song toward the show’s end by Mandy Moore (who plays Rebecca Pearson) in a heartbreaking and nostalgic scene at her daughter’s wedding in which, after being diagnosed with alzheimer’s disease, Rebecca manages to “find her rhythm” at the piano again and play the melody she played for her children growing up. And that’s what comes to mind when I think about this soundtrack. Nostalgia and Family.   

4. Feel Good

Mae Martin’s semi-autobiography, Feel Good starring themselves and Charlotte Ritchie, is one I’m constantly rewatching and it always takes me by surprise how perfectly suited the music is to each scene. And in some ways wasn’t always what i expected. For example Mae and George (Charlotte Richie) dancing to Don’t Dream It’s Over by Crowded House is an especially poignant scene. Almost as beautiful as ending the series finale with Phoebe Bridgers’ Motion Sickness as Mae and George sit on the cabin porch. Some of my other music recommendations from the series are as follows; Transatlantic Flight by Leif Vollebekk, Fake Empire by The National and Then Again by Half Moon Run. 

5. Bad Sisters

A criminally underrated work by Sharon Horgan, Dave Finkel, and Brett Baer! After just finishing the second and most recent season of the series, I was struck by the soundtrack here as well. Particularly enthralling is the theme song by PJ Harvey (although originally written by Leonard Cohen), Who By Fire. As well as this theme, the series utilises music by PJ Harvey across the seasons, including the songs, Execution and Shitty Volvo. With artists like First Aid Kit, Wet Leg, and The Velvet Underground, the best description I can fathom for the sound of Bad Sisters is edgy folk. It perfectly encapsulates the darkness and intrigue that runs alongside the lives of a close knit band of sisters in the Irish countryside. 

6. Jane the Virgin

This Latin American dramedy makes some bold style choices that I absolutely adore, in honour of the classic telenovela structure. The backing audio is a big part of this, an incredibly peppy score runs in the midst of most episodes to build the suspense and play into these cliche genres that the show utilises as a satirical means of humour. But in a more sincere tone, there are two “cues” I want to discuss, Jane’s Love Song and Moody Jane, both incredibly beautiful, lulling pieces that give the show so much warmth and comfort. I want that love cue played at my wedding. It was produced solely by Geek Music and composed by Kevin Kiner. The moody cue however was composed by Jared Foreman, and is a personal favourite. I have that piece on repeat whenever I need to relax or focus. I can’t recommend these works enough, despite being lyricless, they make the most soothing and nostalgic palette cleanser in any playlist. 

This isn’t an exhaustive list and by no means are these examples niche or under the radar, however the work of the songwriters and composers behind the scenes of each one did a brilliant job.