Two of the most dynamic performers in modern music are at it again. Nick Cave and Warren Ellis have composed some of the most moving and emotionally driven film scores of the last decade, and now the two have collaborated once more. The newest film from David Mackenzie Hell or High Water will be in theaters on August 12, and Milan Records will be releasing the movie’s soundtrack on the same day.
Hell or High Water stars Chris Pine and Ben Foster as a pair of brothers who turn to crime when their mother’s land nears foreclosure. Jeff Bridges plays the Texas Ranger following the two as they rob banks and do everything they can to cover their tracks. The film’s screenplay is written by Tayler Sheridan who is best known for his work on Sicario and Sons of Anarchy, and from what we can see in the trailer this looks to be an intense and captivating action-thriller.
Nick Cave is no stranger to crafting powerful music and lyrics. Anybody familiar with the work of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, The Birthday Party and Grinderman knows that the man can tell a story unlike any other. Influences including Johnny Cash, Tom Waits, John Lee Hooker and Leonard Cohen have all been credited as having influenced the songwriter, and each band he has performed with is notable for containing some of the most skilled and eclectic musicians working today.
The music Nick Cave and Warren Ellis have created and helped define the mood and tone of each film the two have worked on. John Hillcoat’s The Proposition, Lawless, The Road and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford are all films that contain incredibly moving pieces that blend elements of ambient, orchestral and experimental music. Warren Ellis’ work as a violinist and composer has always worked to complement Cave’s focus and intensity, and if this new collaborative effort is anything like their previous work together, Hell or High Water will be all the better for it.
