Dust fills the open pores of the cotton handkerchief over the c’boys face as he searches for his nemesis across the Cactaceae-ridden wasteland. His horse parched and exhausted from carrying his friend, the sun falls behind a jagged horst on the horizon filling the valley with shadows. The director yells, “CUT!” just as the silhouette lights his last cigarette. Soundtracks can be boring, but the acclaimed Danger Mouse and his Italian composer, Daniele Luppi, create soundscapes that resonate and awe at every turn with crescendo’s built from towers of string and staccato upright bass. Jack White and Norah Jones each lend their tone to three separate tracks creating a sense of continuity and grander. Even the song titles paint pictures, such as the eerie “The Rose with the Broken Neck”. Whether Tarantino or the Coen Bros. are behind the camera won’t matter as this record stands alone in exaltation.

4 out of 5 Stars