American Psycho (Koch)

American Psycho

(Koch)

Like most contemporary soundtracks for period films, American Psycho is more intent on revisionism than accuracy. That's why when the album explodes with the Dead or Alive dance classic "You Spin Me Round," it's not Peter Bern's flamboyant original, but White Dope's metal grind. Followed by David Bowie's "Something in the Air" from 1999's Hours, it's clear that detail is not as important as the suggestion of detail. This may work for director Mary Harron's new film, where the grisly subject of serial killing is distracted by a cheeky script and unabashed portrayal of Eighties greed, but it does not translate well as its aural background. Part of that may be because the musical personality of the film lies in two releases, this one with the popular tunes and the one with the instrumental score by John Cale, not scheduled for release on CD until June. Ironically, the version of this soundtrack sent for review includes Huey Lewis & the News' "Hip To Be Square," whose seemingly innocuous presence is being taken off future releases at the artist's request. That song plays an important role in one of the four monologues from the film, spoken by actor Christian Bale over Cale's score and providing the strongest link between this disjointed collection and the film itself. But a soundtrack is just a soundtrack, and in the context of the Eighties, even the presence of New Wave stalwarts like the Cure ("Watching Me Fall"), New Order ("True Faith"), and Information Society ("What's on Your Mind (Pure Energy)") don't strengthen its weak premise. Too bad. Somewhere out there is a killer Eighties soundtrack waiting to be made, but American Psycho just doesn't cut it.