Rahman’s three openers, The Canyon, Liberation Begins and Touch Of The Sun are situational, but what follows is sheer magic! Liberation In A Dream goes beyond its predecessor, while its successor, Liberation soars brilliantly; the kaleidoscope of sounds is enchanting. The splendid Acid Darbari is marred only by occasionally synthetically repetitive vocals, while R.I.P makes tantalizing use of Harshdeep Kaur’s vocals, with a mesmerizing finale! Rahman’s collaboration with Dido, If I Rise, offers a poignant listen and together with The Gleehive Children’s Choir, the soundscape Rahman creates is enthralling! Out of the other tracks, Bill Withers’ spritely 1977 hit, Lovely Day, Esther Phillips’ 1965 English cover of Edith Piaf’s Hymne à l’amour, If You Love Me and Plastic Bertrand’s 1977 punk hit Ca Plane Pour Moi round off the oldies marvellously. Among the more eclectic songs, Sigur Ros’ Festival gets down to their trademark sound as it progresses, while Free Blood’s Never Hear Surf Music Again is middling. Russian pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy’s version of Chopin’s Nocturne No. 2 in E Flat ends the soundtrack on a serene note. This is no Slumdog Millionaire, but it’s heartening to see Rahman and Boyle take their association a step ahead, beyond filmy, song-like templates.
Keywords: A R Rahman, A.R.Rahman, Danny Boyle, Dido, 127 Hours, 127 Hours OST, 127 Hours soundtrack review, 127 Hours music review, Acid Darbari, Slumdog Millionaire