lego-batman-movie_sdtk_website_1170x500px_01WaterTower Music, out now

Instead of having to buy separate song and score albums, this two-disc release from Warner’s movie music label gives you the full musical experience of the latest Batmovie. And while there’s nothing as catchy as The LEGO Movie’s Everything is Awesome earworm, there’s plenty to enjoy across the 90-minute run time.

It’s a shame that this album hasn’t been issued as a vinyl album, as that way the opening track could be a snarling Will Arnett claiming: “Black. All important soundtracks are black.” Instead we get Fall Out Boy front man Patrick Stump and Arnett collaborating on Who’s the (Bat)Man (sic) – a cheeky song used in the movie to illustrate just how narcissistic and jumped-up this Batman is. ‘Who has the coolest gadgets? (BATMAN!) Who has the tricked out ride? (BATMAN!) Who does the sickest backflips? (BATMAN!)’ boasts the Caped Crusader.

Elsewhere you’ll find pop tracks including two versions of Michael Jackson’s Man in the Mirror (performed by Alex Aiono and Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine). Classic songs by Cutting Crew and Nilsson sit alongside new cuts by DNCE and Kirsten Arian. It’s a fun 40 minutes covering a range of musical styles that ultimately will result in pillaging for a playlist that works best for you.

The more satisfying Disc 2 is where the real excitement begins – 50 minutes of score by Lorne Balfe. It’s a Batman soundtrack that knowingly apes its predecessor and yet never descends into parody; It’s homage rather than fromage. First track Black begins with the heavy taiko drum percussion associated with Hans Zimmer’s Dark Knight scores, but it’s not long before the Danny Elfman sound comes through. Brassy, heroic, triumphant, it’s eminently hummable and often supplemented by Chad Smith (Red Hot Chilli Peppers) on the drums. And then it switches to Neil Hefti’s Batman and we get a Ba-ba ba-ba ba-ba Batman instead of a Nana nana nana nana. There’s even a bit of David Arnold’s Tomorrow Never Dies thrown in to the mix

The Arrival of Robin introduces a preppy light theme for the Boy Wonder as well as a melancholy theme for the times when Batman feels lonely. The Joker is frequently accompanied by some strident guitar riffs, most notably in Joker Crashes the Party, while No Seat Belts Required introduces a triumphant refrain that comes to the fore when our heroes are winning. And you’ve got to love that the Phantom Zone not only has its only theme, it has a choral declaration of its name.

Sadly we don’t get John Williams’ Superman theme on this album – it’s used as a door chime for the Fortress of Solitude – but there’s a blast of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor.

Verdict: A magpie of a score that borrows, steals, rewrites and still finds a way to adds its own contribution to the pantheon of Batman scores. Stripped away from the kinetic and colourful on-screen mayhem, you get to appreciate Balfe’s work – a holy satisfying experience, Batman! 9/10

Nick Joy