Artist: Various Artists
Genre: Soundtrack
(Universal Music)
Reviewer: CHESTER CHIN

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THE films in the Step Up premise have always thrived on fancy footwork and dance music bombast, but are somehow curiously soulless for a franchise that supposedly revolves around a bunch of passionate dancers.

In many ways, the same problem seems to plague the soundtrack of the latest Step Up instalment.

While there is a good mix of juddering bass and hands-in-the-air tracks, almost everything sounds like the sort of numbers blaring out of the stereo at a post-midnight party. They’re good for five minutes of senseless ecstasy, but never linger in the brain long enough for any cognitive process to take place.

That said, the compilation of songs on this album would resonate well with the perversion that people have towards dance music these days.

Most of the songs are heavy on cantering electrobeats, sonic squelches and incoherent rap verses that go too fast. They are mostly infectious, almost always dance-worthy and also incredibly low brow.

Thus, when an elegant number by The Cinematic Orchestra makes its way at the end of the soundtrack, you are forced to throw away all negative preconceived notions you might have at the beginning of the album. There might just be a sliver of hope for our current zeitgeist.

Have the party people finally sobered up? Or is this a sophomoric attempt by the film’s music coordinators?

Whatever it is, To Build A Home is a scintillating inclusion in the soundtrack. It’s classy and effortless, and everything the past 12 songs in the album aren’t.

Needless to say, there’s nothing remotely revolutionary about the dance cuts here. Songs like M.I.A’s Bad Girls and This Is The Life by My Name Is Kay will no doubt keep the grooves coming on the dance floor.

Live My Life (Party Rock Remix) by Far East Movement, featuring teen heartthrob Justin Bieber, is so overplayed on the airwaves at this point that it’s been reduced to something you’ll hear on a supermarket playlist.

And on Feel Alive, Fergie’s comeback of sorts to the music arena after the last Black Eyed Peas’ studio flop, the singer sounds remarkably lifeless as she sings over dubstep-esque beats. “Mr Worldwide” Pitbull’s rap contribution does nothing to the song except enhance the lacklustre quality of the track.

The soundtrack also managed to rope in dance diva Jennifer Lopez for a song. Goin’ In, a collaborative effort with Flo Rida and Lil Jon, is a regular Jenny-from-the-block stuff – tiresome and insipid, but still catchy enough for a couple of salsa-inspired moves.

But perhaps nothing is quite as puzzling as Ricky Luna’s remix of Skylar Grey’s Dance Without You. The addition of beatboxing and electropulses only strips the original’s haunting quality.

Unlike the brilliant and memorable flash mob routines in the film, there’s unfortunately nothing drastically fantastic about the music from Step Up Revolution.

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