Himesh Patel
Yesterday (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Capitol
Jun 28, 2019 Web Exclusive
Richard Curtis and Danny Boyle’s fantasy film Yesterday poses the amusing question: “What if no one remembered The Beatles except this one guy?” Yet, once untethered from the film’s narrative, the soundtrack—featuring the film’s star Himesh Patel performing renditions of “Yesterday” and other Beatles classics—doesn’t offer anything beyond a few standout karaoke covers.
In the first half of the album, these straight-up covers soon become woefully inadequate, considering what masterpieces the originals are. The second half fares better. On “I Want to Hold Your Hold” Patel’s vocals are allowed to stretch and soar, aided by the backing vocals and given more color with the introduction of a female voice—by Lily James (playing his manager/love interest)—in this somewhat, reimagined duet. Equally enjoyable are “Help”-updated with an edgier punk vibe; the lively “Back in the USSR;” and the heartfelt “All You Need Is Love” buoyed by an audience sing-along and brass band.
Yesterday could have benefitted from a couple of deeper cuts to allow that sense of discovery. On “Hey Jude” Patel’s voice proves too thin to fully inhabit the song and he does nothing new to make it his own. By now surely, we need to hear him own these songs. “Summer Song,” the one original that Patel’s character, Jack Malik sings as his own, illustrates that at heart, sweet as he is, Malik is no artist, which does not bode well for a soundtrack.
The film is fun. And imagining a world where John Lennon lives to a ripe, old age is comforting. But when one gets home from the movie theatre, surely it’s the original Fab Four that’s going on the stereo or streaming device and not this soundtrack. (www.yesterdaymovie.com)
Author rating: 5/10
Average reader rating: 4/10
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August 2nd 2019
6:44am
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