#whiptrash

So obviously the soundtrack and score are incredible. For the last few days it's pretty much been the only thing I've listened to, and God, I have to give it to Justin Hurwitz for just how well he did with this. Most fans are probably familiar with Whiplash and Caravan (not by Hurwitz, for clarification), but I implore you to listen to the other pieces featured in the movie, like Too Hip To Retire and Upswingin' (both by Tim Simonec, but also Intoit by Stan Getz).

OKAY ABOUT THE ACTUAL SCORE BY HURWITZ + SYMBOLISM WITH ANDREW AND FLETCHER

Alright, listen to the whole album, please. Just... do that for yourself.

Hurwitz uses drumset as the primary instrument for most of the score (the score, not the soundtrack), which is very obviously representing/referencing Andrew Neiman, the protagonist. While there are a few songs that aren't built on drumset, I think something important to note is that there are specifically only three that are built instead on piano.

The first is Fletcher's Song In Club. Fletcher plays the piano. I don't think it's a stretch to consider it his thematic instrument; not so much because Fletcher's character reminds us of piano--definitely not--but because it's associated with him.

The only other pieces in the score that use piano so prominently--actually, in these cases, it's the only instrument used--are Hug From Dad and Dismissed, which are actually the same piece with very minor changes to the effects. These tracks play when Andrew is at his lowest. It's so interesting to me that Hurwitz made this compositional decision, especially because it was totally unnecessary. He didn't pick piano because it's commonly associated with melancholy; there are other tracks that accomplish the same mood/tone that don't use piano at all. But he chose for Andrew's lowest moments to be accompanied exclusively by Fletcher's instrument: the piano.

“You are a WORTHLESS, FRIENDLESS, FAGG-“

Andrew:

Andrews Christmas gift🔥🔥🔥