Lawless Soundtrack Preview

Lawless SoundtrackNick Cave and Warren Ellis film scores don’t tend to feature many vocals or cover songs, but on director John Hillcoat’s new project, Lawless, the pair took a decidedly different route: Americana through the lens of art-rock, country, and blues. While traditional bluegrass instruments and a few legends of the genre provide a nod to the movie’s prohibition era, Cave and Ellis juxtaposed that feel against two covers of the Velvet Underground’s “White Light / White Heat” — a folk version sung by the great Ralph Stanley preceded by a faster, fiddle-laden take led by Mark Lanegan — and Emmylou Harris with the Duke Spirit’s Liela Moss singing Grandaddy’s “So You’ll Aim Towards the Sky.” Among a handful of originals come more covers from the set’s house band, the Bootleggers, and guests: Link Wray’s “Fire and Brimstone,” Townes Van Zandt’s “Snake Song,” and John Lee Hooker’s “Burnin’ Hell.” Even Willie Nelson shows up to cap off the soundtrack with a prohibition-themed hoedown.

While not all of the music played in Lawless made the final OST cut, the 15 tracks that did can be previewed in varying lengths and pre-ordered on iTunes right now (click the “view in iTunes” button). Both the film and soundtrack arrive in two weeks, but in the meantime, here’s another look at the trailer.