Ricki and the Flash Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Various artists
(Republic Records)
Three stars
Meryl Streep is simply unstoppable. After dipping her toes in the musical genre in the past decade (Mamma Mia!, Into the Woods), Streep goes full-on rock star in upcoming movie Ricki and the Flash – and she manages to pull it off with presence and charisma. As lead vocalist of the eponymous band, she rises to the occasion, singing on 10 of the 14 songs on the soundtrack album. Streep lends her growly voice to Cold One, written by Jenny Lewis and Johnathan Rice especially for the movie, and performs nine cover versions with varying degrees of success. Her voice is sometimes drowned out by the rock arrangements, but in general she acquits herself admirably on tracks such as American Girl and Wooly Bully, showing a surprising flexibility and range. Mild misfires include reworkings of Bad Romance and Get the Party Started, two songs with strong original pop identities that do not translate well into rock. Streep's son, Henry Wolfe, contributes For the Turnstiles, a mellifluous harmonica-infused tune that nicely counterbalances all of the rock posturing. Emmylou Harris also brings her brand of mellow with Here I Am. All in all, the album nicely showcases Streep's more than adequate vocal talents.
