There's a narrative to the soundtrack for
Bradley Cooper
's 2018 remake of
A Star Is Born
, one that mirrors the one told in the movie. Often, the album features dialogue ripped from the screen -- a full 15 tracks, actually, amounting to seven minutes of this 74-minute album -- which means
almost plays like a
Disney
record from the '60s or '70s: it's designed to tide listeners over until they get a chance to see the movie again. Of course,
is a musical, so its soundtrack is filled with full-fledged songs, all of which serve the story that the dialogue gooses along. Strip out the distracting dialogue tracks and the plot of
is still evident, as the music moves from the grungy Americana of
Cooper
's character, through his affecting duets with
Lady Gaga
, toward her flashy pop, and then culminating with "I'll Never Love Again," the song where the two estranged lovers reunite. Each of these phases is expertly executed.
Lukas Nelson
assists
in the rangy grunge of "Black Eyes," while
Jason Isbell
's spare "Maybe It's Time" is an affecting slice of Americana. The second stage, where
Gaga
is duetting with
, fuses their sensibilities seamlessly, particularly on the aching ballad "Shallow" and loping country-rock of "Music to My Eyes," which was co-written by
Nelson
and
. Her pop section plays like its own EP, and it's snappy, stylish, and savvy, particularly on the retro-disco of "Why Did You Do That?" and soulful "Heal Me." All the songs make sense narratively and on their own, so they hold together well and amount to a first-rate soundtrack. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine