Puss In Boots Soundtrack Review

• 18th Dec 2011

The Shrek phenomenon shows little sign of disappearing any time soon – already there’s been three follow-up films, a stage musical, every product imaginable. The latest release is the spin-off for the eponymous ogre’s adorable but deadly sidekick, Puss in Boots. Fans of the smooth-talking kitty will love the album artwork, showing Puss in all his furry glory – a credit to his creators at the Dreamworks studio – and a dreamy shot of him atop a mountain at sunset.

There’s a generous twenty four tracks, ranging from 22 seconds to seven minutes 56! Noticeably absent is the Pitbull song used in the film trailer. In fact, unlikethe Shrek series, the soundtrack doesn’t boast any modern artists or comical cast covers of well-known songs. Instead it’s a collection of creatively-titled, rousing instrumentals laced with traditional Spanish guitar and heroic intros – the opening track ‘A Bad Kitty’ swells with culture and is a stirring start. The two tracks which are not credited to Henry Jackman – Rodrigo y Gabriela’s Diablo Rojo and Hanuman – are an impressive accomplishment for the guitar duo, sounding modern yet traditional.

While all the films the Shrek franchise has spawned are ‘for kids’, there’s always an element of innuendo and subtle humour included for the grown ups. This soundtrack is one of those subtleties. Young children are unlikely to find this soundtrack particularly enjoyable on long car journeys, but classical music lovers will find this very easy-listening. It captures perfectly the spirit of the adventure and rises and falls in such a way the listener is taken on their own journey.

Perhaps the traditional style of this score is a step to disassociating Puss with Shrek and help establish him as a protagonist. If this is the case, this energetic and action-packed soundtrack will indeed lend Puss its own, fast-paced identity!

Lauren Felton