(Single from soundtrack album, "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack")
From the band whose entire career has played catch-up to fantastic debut hit “Yellow”, comes this, a track from the soundtrack to the new “The Hunger Games – Catching Fire” film soundtrack. It begins just like any other post-2010 potential-hit Coldplay song, with a twinkling piano that springs out melodic oddities and poignant lyrical observations that begin to bring the sound up above the vast majority of today’s dull pop. Aggravatingly, that’s as far as it goes, and, after a frustrating 2-and-a-bit minutes of shallow sonic build-up, a disappointing “Paradise” style synthesiser-backed drop leaves you feeling flat and let down. There’s no memorable riff, no really touching lines, and the overall atmosphere is one of under-achieving, electro-acoustic flimflam, one which feels incredibly unwelcome in the wake of 2011’s massive “Mylo Xyloto” album and the rip-roaring, graffiti-pop hit singles it entailed. I felt this rusting Brit-Pop vibe so badly, that I proceeded to lock myself in a room and listen to “Yellow” at maximum volume, just to end the tired head shaking that a listen to “Atlas” induced. Come on Chris and co. - pull it together…
★★
Versions of "Atlas"
Soundtrack Album/Single Version - 3:56