UNKLE - End Titles... Stories for Film Review

Posted by James Palm on 09.08.2008

Seasoned trip-hop act UNKLE have evolved considerably since their original inception, mostly in regards to the sound and the lineup. After the successful War Stories in 2006, head honcho James Lavelle takes a different road, and releases this collection of music "inspired by the moving image". But it's not a new album. He can't stress that enough.

Releasing their long awaited third album earlier this year to widespread critical and commercial acclaim, Portishead delivered the best trip-hop album since...well, Dummy. It seems as though some artists took this as equal to throwing down a gauntlet. Groups such as Gorillaz, or in this case Monkey, have tried to up the ante with their opera soundtrack Journey To The West. One act that has been making soundtracks since the mid 1990’s, though in varying combinations, is UNKLE, currently consisting of founder James Lavelle and Pablo Clements of the Psychonauts. However their soundtracks have no visual accompaniment. On End Titles...Stories For Film as a process, Lavelle says he was inspired by the moving image, rather than one film. His previous work has been quite cinematic; 2006’s War Stories was an epic concept work, though the stories in question seemed to be from far closer to home. Namely, Lavelle’s pants.

As though a male doppelganger to Portishead, UNKLE provide the sex missing from an otherwise serene genre. But the hip-swinging is kept to a minimum on their latest record; the soundtrack to your own imagination. And like any good soundtrack, there is a lot of instrumental bridging. But unlike most good soundtracks, these songs have been cobbled together from 2 years of various projects. This is not exactly an album; it’s a “collection”. Are B-side/rarities releases and the like becoming industry code for covering up a disappointing studio effort? If not, the Dresden Dolls still have a lot to answer for. Regardless, End Titles... covers up the lack of cohesion with said instrumental breaks. Occasionally the album drags though, as the juxtaposition between orchestral compositions and dance punk becomes obvious.

There are clearly songs that were either picked off the War Stories proverbial cutting room floor, or at least intended to follow on the general swagger. The track “Chemistry” from that album gets a reinvention here, with vocals added by frequent collaborator Josh Homme, becoming “Chemical”. He performed a similar feat for albummate “Restless”, and the fusion was superb. “Chemical” sounds too much like a Queens track to be as memorable though. “Cut Me Loose” is more on the money; a true opening credits song if any. It conjures images of a fallen hero and their quest to reverse their fortunes, and take on those who wronged them. This involves a lot of running, if the trippy synth and hurried guitars are to be believed. “Blade In The Black” is all about the sexy swinging bass, however. The hero found a companion on their journey, and this song sets the mood just fine. Try it at home, you’ll see.

Along the way, intriguing elements pop in and out. UNKLE come close to traditional film scoring with “Trouble In Paradise (Variation On A Theme)”, a Hans Zimmer-inspired strings parade. The track sits out a little uncomfortably from the rest of the pack, though it is a glorious composition. The cellos also make cameos on “Nocturnal”, a song that is still very classically structured; only the orchestra is mimicked electronically. It’s another montage song, the hero’s lover possibly abducted and another quest undertaken. Still more strings continue the theme during “Against The Grain”, a tranquil lounge tune, proving that Lavelle still has a soft spot for trip-hop. But the album closer “The Piano Echoes” is the final surprise, albeit the title should be a giveaway; a haunting solo piano ends the ‘film’ on a maudlin note.

The second half of End Titles... dishes up the bulk of the running time. These tracks especially come across as the strongest, and could very well have been a full length LP. The variation continues with the evocative “Clouds” leading into the murky “Black Mass” before cult film director Abel Ferrara lends his talents to “Open Up Your Eyes”. The folk number is another track that falls into the ‘unexpected’ category. With any UNKLE release, the sheer weight of collaborators can overwhelm the project. Writing credits are fairly distributed across the collection, and more than any previous album this feels like the sum of its parts. Granted, these tracks were never envisioned lining up next to each other, so perhaps we can forgive and forget.

For all that you can say about the musicians defining the album rather than the music, and regardless of who takes the credit for what, the songs themselves are still agreeable. Unsurprisingly, the majority of the catchiest songs feature Gavin Clark. Like Homme, Clark’s voice is well suited to the UNKLE template; from dance floor shakers like “Cut Me Loose” to his sublime work on the gospel tinged “Heaven”. Our hero’s story arc reaches its conclusion here. To me, “Heaven” indicates that they hated who they had become in their quest for vengeance, and so they retire to the sunset. Vocally speaking the only drawback to End Titles...is the absence of Ian Astbury. There is plenty to enjoy amongst this collection, but without visual accompaniment, this “soundtrack” ultimately falls short.

The Hit - Cut Me Loose
The Encore - Nocturnal
The Wah? - The instrumental breaks. Nice idea, but out of place.

The 411: While it is pitched as a soundtrack, it suffers for forcing the listener to imagine their own film. This can be a fun exercise, but the album is too disjointed to create one soundscape. At 74 minutes, it is certainly an effort, though it is well suited to relaxing hungover afternoons. There plenty of memorable tracks, but nothing here is groundbreaking. The end title for this film would read "Underwhelming".

Final Score:  6.5   [ Average ]