The last Bond theme by a male solo artist was Tom Jones’ Thunderball in 1965.
Of course, that’s not the last time we’ve heard a male voice
on a Bond theme – Paul McCartney, Duran Duran, A-ha and Chris Cornell have all
followed. Yet apparently being male (let alone openly gay) is reason enough for
Sam Smith to be chosen for the latest film, Spectre.
It’s a lazy and obvious choice, as if the producers just looked to whoever was
at the top of the charts with a vaguely soulful voice.
And then you hear the song. And it makes sense.
What Smith’s managed to do, as all the best Bond themes do,
is marry his own style to that classic Bond sound. As such, this is an intimate
love ballad (not necessarily what you’d expect for Bond) but with lush
orchestral production. Strings cascade and swirl, underpinned by deep, bombastic brass,
over which Smith’s falsetto lilts gently and delicately.
If there’s one word to describe Writing’s On The Wall, though, it’s dramatic. With its contrasting
sections, sudden shifts in tone and pitch, it pulls around emotion as much as
Smith’s vocal leaps. It takes us on a journey. After all, this is accompanying
a film. It’s meant to have drama. Smith’s song fits the bill.
Yes, it has its faults. It doesn’t particularly stray away from
conventional soulful bombast. It's arresting for its mood more than an infectious melody. The end of the verses sounds like Michael Jackson's Earth Song. And Smith’s falsetto is on occasion unintelligible. But
if Adele can rhyme “sky fall” and “crumble”, then Smith’s doing alright. If Spectre is anything like Writing’s On The Wall, there’s a tense
emotional rollercoaster on the horizon.
4/5
Listen: Writing’s On
The Wall is available now. Spectre is
in cinemas from 26th October.
