Album of the Day

Some thirty years after its first big screen adaptation, Roald Dahl's CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY got darker and weirder in the hands of director Tim Burton, star Johnny Depp and composer Danny Elfman. The fresh approach is audible on the 2005 film's soundtrack, which mixes orchestral themes with vocal tracks as distinctive as the movie's characters - “Augustus Gloop” recalls a Bollywood musical, while “Veruca Salt” channels 1960s sunshine pop (Elfman sings all the songs, his voice modulated to sound different on each). By turns zany, mysterious and joyful, the CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK is Danny Elfman at his best, and we'll give the collection another spin now to celebrate his birthday.