Series: Wentworth (2013-2021)
Genre: drama, thriller
Soundtrack: Come Clean
Wentworth (2013-2021)
Summary: The Australian series focuses on a women’s prison with all the difficulties that entails. While the basic theme has a lot of potential in itself, the series handles the drama and the diverse cast of characters incredibly well. With plenty of twists and turns, and a potentially oppressive atmosphere, it manages to slow down and get lost in the mass of emotions, but just enough to avoid becoming drippy. Often it is not the words but the cinematography, the acting and of course the music that give a scene its essence.
Greg Laswell: Come Clean
What’s worth knowing about the original song? Greg Laswell is an American musician who is primarily an indie and folk rock musician. Come Clean is from his 2010 album Take A Bow, which has this flowing, captivating, slightly lethargic vibe almost throughout. Come Clean captures this feeling too, but with a quite varied build-up. It feels as if the vocals counterbalance either the simpler melodies with their released ache, or when more intensely gripping, restrainedly swallowing the howl. My personal favourite is the slightly dirtier sound in the chorus, and the sounds of the chord changes, which make the music more human.
Why did it seem an ideal choice? I almost answered the question in the previous paragraph. It creates a stunning yet oppressive atmosphere with some parts of the song, and the rest is really painful, almost elevated, so it can fit in with any cut scene. The series runs on several threads that are interconnected naturally, so Come Clean wonderfully weaves the scenes together to create the desired mood. It’s even an ideal choice as it fades out just before the climax…
That particular scene…: Wentworth: S2E6
Briefly about the scene
A death and the agony of characters close to our hearts makes for an excellent conclusion to a series. They also always add wonderfully to the suspense, as the character of the new prison governor, who remains a defining point of Wentworth throughout, is increasingly developed at the very end. I can’t say much more than that, but I don’t want to trivialise the otherwise extremely serious and powerful moments that the series gives us.
How well does Come Clean capture the moment?
First and foremost, it’s the oppressive atmosphere of the instrumental that is prominent throughout the whole album. It provides an opportunity for other sound effects to be incorporated, to complement the song. And the deliberate interruption of the gradually build-up, erupting emotions make the already meaty scenes even more overwhelming.
Compared to Wentworth’s soundtracks, how can it be rated?
As I said, the series is wonderful at setting the mood, leaving the drama to unfold in silence when it needs to, but it is mostly successful in choosing music for the background that not only complements but also enhances the importance of the atmosphere. It is particularly noteworthy that he does not dabble in a multitude of popular, top-list tracks, but decorates the scenes and serious moments with works or arrangements by meaningful, even little-known artists.
by: Fujimi & Wolfy
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