Soundtrack/Review Nick Norton-Smith - I Get Knocked Down (original soundtrack)
Nick Norton-Smith is an established composer/multi-instrumentalist with a multifaceted career in film, TV, and the performing arts. His work ranges from iconic TV themes and factual and entertainment shows to RTS, BAFTA, and Academy Award-nominated films. Nick studied composition with Amit Sen (Head of Arranging and Composition, Royal Academy of Music) and began his career as a saxophone/woodwind player with the Oxford University Revue featuring Patrick Marber.
Nick Norton-Smith's “I Get Knocked Down (original soundtrack)” is a complex and thought-provoking accompaniment to the documentary of the same name, which explores Dunstan Bruce and the complex legacy of Chumbawamba. The main conflict of the movie is reflected in the album: a former radical battling disillusionment, obscurity, and the question of whether action can be reignited in middle age. In addition to the story, Bruce's journey of self-discovery, atonement, and reawakening is reflected in the music's agitated tempo changes and sincere tones.
The band's own history of shapeshifting is reflected in the soundtrack's delightfully varied musical selection. Pop hooks pay homage to the anthemographic success, punk hardness contrasts with folk introspection, and world-music flourishes and delicate electronic textures provide unexpected depth. This diversity is thoughtfully chosen to reflect the various facets of dissent—angry, tired, hopeful, and occasionally ridiculous—rather than feeling haphazard. The production by Norton-Smith capitalizes on the story's oddities while providing emotional support, enabling candid confessional moments to coexist with sarcastic criticism.
The humanity of the “I Get Knocked Down (original soundtrack)” is its greatest strength. It doesn't provide simple answers or romanticize the past. Rather, it contains room for annoyance, insecurity, and the obstinate will to get back up after being "knocked down" but never completely vanquished. This is an engrossing, unexpectedly poignant account of what it means to remain involved when the world seems broken, for listeners who are drawn to music with narrative spine and cultural diversity.