If the rest of the upcoming Wuthering Heights soundtrack is like “House”, the first single from Charli XCX featuring John Cale, then this movie might actually work. Of course, the soundtrack can only take it so far. There are still visuals and performances to consider. But this glimpse into the imagery and potential underlying mood of the film is definitely promising.
Released on November 10, “House” is accompanied by an artfully tense music video. It opens with a monologue from Cale as he walks, faceless, through a maze-like house. Charli alternates between staring intensely, throwing her hair around dramatically in slow motion, and generally looking quite unsettling as the track progresses. Cale eventually reaches Charli as his spoken word comes to an end. He wrings his hands and places them on her head, almost as if trapping Charli where she’s sprawled.
The beat drops, and Charli and Cale join their vocals, the only other words being “I think I’m gonna die in this house.” Musically, “House” is an unnerving blend of orchestral sound and a wall of frazzled electronic noise. It almost catches you off guard when it shifts, blaring through the comparatively subdued vocals like air raid sirens.
Charli xcx and John Cale Unleash the Full Gothic Potential of ‘Wuthering Heights’
Charli XCX first revealed she was in charge of the Wuthering Heights soundtrack this past September. The first trailer for the newest Emerald Fennell film (director of Saltburn and Promising Young Woman) featured a remixed version of Charli’s track “Everything Is Romantic”.
The song, featuring Caroline Polachek, originally appeared on Brat. In the trailer, it serves as the throbbing backdrop against which Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi perform an intricate and gothically erotic ritual. The film releases on Valentine’s Day, and while there was some initial pushback against the casting choices, these new details, along with the initial look at the film’s visuals, show unexpected promise.
Charli XCX released a statement with the song, reflecting on her desire to do something completely different from Brat. “When I think of Wuthering Heights, I think of many things,” she said. “I think of passion and pain. I think of England. I think of the Moors, I think of the mud and the cold. I think of determination and grit.”
Continuing, Charli touched on working with John Cale, expressing her love for The Velvet Underground and Cale’s approach to music. She mentioned that he described music as “elegant and brutal,” and that this was a quote she latched onto. It certainly describes the mood of “House”.
She said of Cale, “That voice, so elegant, so brutal. I sent him some songs, and we started talking specifically about “House”. We spoke about the idea of a poem. He recorded something and sent it to me. Something that only John could do. It made me cry.”
Photo via YouTube/Cadence Films/Charli xcx
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