Another Day of Sun:

The introduction is upbeat, with a bouncy piano riff and a harmonising female vocalist. I felt warm inside listening to the track and its jazz feel. It feels like something out of a Broadway show or, as I live in England, a theatre show from London’s West End. It’ll certainly get you all dancing. The song ends with a big fanfare, which grows into some car horns.

Someone in the Crowd:

This certainly feels like I am watching a show in the theatre, and I can see many smiling faces around me moving their body and head along to the music. This song also seems inspired by Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida”, and I can hear Chris Martin’s vocals in my head as it bops along to the melody. The breakdown is very sudden and will take You by surprise during mid-song. This is followed by what appears to be clarinets; the trumpets kick in before an array of vocalists can be heard to close the song out.

Mia and Sebastian’s Theme:

A sweet and delicate piano playing introduces (kind of like the ambience You would find in a restaurant to further your experience and enjoy your meal). This is very short and ends with slightly more pace.

A Lovely Night:

The first thing I feel when I hear this is that I am floating on a cloud. Again, a very relaxed song that puts a smile on your face and gets you lost in the moment. I got a sense of Chris Rea’s “Driving Home for Christmas” when I heard this. I love the orchestra; that compliments the jazz piano well. Dare I say it; there’s a slight hint of mild Drum n Bass in this.

Herman’s Habit:

The introduction has a jazzy feel with the Buddy Rich-esque drumming accompanied by trumpets, piano and saxophone. This wouldn’t sound out of place at Ronny Scott’s or the Jazz Café in Camden. Too short for my liking, though. You don’t get a chance to get into it.

City of Stars:

This starts as if it is a lullaby and features the vocals of actor Ryan Gosling. His delivery is done with such conviction that it makes the listener believe he means every word he is projecting with his voice.

Planetarium:

A sweet clarinet accompanied by the harpsichord introduces this song and throughout. It makes me think I’m watching a play somewhere in Italy. After the break, the orchestra takes full effect bringing a very classical element.

Summer Montage/Madeline:

Again, back to the jazz that has featured heavily on this album. I enjoyed this song, albeit it was a short instrumental.

City of Stars:

Part two is with both cast members, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. This song is unique from part one because Emma’s accidental giggle made the final version. When they both sing simultaneously, they appear to be synchronised, which shows that these actors can also sing correctly.

Start a Fire:

The only track written on the album by a man that has been around (at least mainstream) since 2005, John Legend and more than deserves his legendary status despite his short time in the mainstream (I would say that 12 years is relatively short compared to most of the legendary music icons). The introduction features an audience cheering and whooping, welcoming the beginning bars of John’s vocals. This has a typical John Legend feel, complete with backing female vocals. There is even space for a synthesiser solo. His lyrics touch on starting a fire in the sense that their relationship (I’m assuming this is some romantic film) can be more than just standard and that they can show pure love and devotion to one another. He could also be talking about passionate lovemaking.

Engagement Party:

The song title suggests that the romance has reached a whole new level, and one has proposed. This song is likely featured at an engagement party they have put on at their house or some other venue—a short piano riff.

Audition (the Fools who Dream):

The introduction is a spoken dialogue by Emma Stone before turning into delicate vocals accompanied by a piano and then later by a full Orchestra. The lyrics mention various expressive arts occupations and a nod to the dreamers, no matter how unrealistic or difficult it might be to achieve their ultimate goal.

Epilogue:

This is one of the most extended tracks heading towards the album’s end. It features snippets of all the songs I have heard so far.

the End:

The shortest song on the album (a mere 46 seconds) features piano, strings and a celestial choir.

City of Stars(Humming):

This is the third and final part of the song that features Emma harmonising with her humming throughout (except towards the end, she decides to “ba” and “dah”) with a plucked acoustic guitar.

Overall:

I have no knowledge (Nor care) of what the film is about; I only reviewed this album as it was number one in the charts. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the soundtrack and moved my head along with the music. I have a very eclectic taste in music, and I love this album’s jazz and classical feel. I still won’t watch the film as it is not my preference, but I would definitely listen to this soundtrack again. All the songs were great, and the actors also did a good job with their vocals, not to mention it had a very West End production aura. Even if the film is not your thing, I recommend listening to the soundtrack regardless. 8/10