Critical Voices: Daft Punk, Tron: Legacy

We’ve been waiting on a new Daft Punk album for a while now, and in late 2009, when the duo announced that they would be creating the soundtrack for the upcoming Tron: Legacy, it sounded like a match made in heaven. Not only would we have the first Daft Punk album in five years (!), it would have a feature-length music video. Few stopped to consider that maybe this would be like any other film score—out of place and banal without the movie it originally accompanied.
So I will come out and say it: the Tron: Legacy soundtrack is just like any other film score. It features a full string orchestra, owes a lot to Hans Zimmer, and establishes strong themes and leitmotifs. But let’s be honest here—who cares? We wanted a new Daft Punk album to put on at parties. Throw this one on only if your party needs the sweeping vistas of “Adagio for TRON” or the frantic minimalism of “Outlands” to accompany some sort of dramatic narrative arc.
Thankfully, there are a few moments when Daft Punk fans get what we were hoping for—retro-futuristic Giorgio Moroder synths, loping beats, and snapping hi-hats. The fantastic “End of Line” is the best example. It’s like Kraftwerk re-imagined with an 80’s influence. And while most of the album could be from any movie soundtrack, this track feels like it couldn’t fit anywhere else and is only suitable for a scene that features glowing men on strange motorcycles. The stellar “Derezzed,” which mixes Daft Punk’s brand of house with another vague hint of the ‘80s—this time sounding more New Order-esque—is another standout.
These moments, however, are few and far between. By the time the album gets to “Tron Legacy (End Titles)” it has waded through countless orchestral numbers that could belong to any composer. The electronic sounds dotting the background are all that keep them from being totally indistinguishable from the work of Aaron Copland or John Williams. This is not a huge problem for the movie’s viewers; clips online reveal that the music accompanies the film rather well. But those of us looking for that new Daft Punk record will have to wait a few more years.

Voice’s Choices: “End of Line,” “Derezzed”