Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi

Although big name guests abound, make no mistake: Rome is the brainchild of producer Danger Mouse and Italian composer Daniele Luppi. Utilizing session musicians that recorded many of the iconic Spaghetti western soundtracks of the '60s and '70s, and reassembling the choir from Ennio Morricone's The Good, The Bad and The Ugly score, the duo spent half a decade bringing Rome to life. The result is a lush, sublime score to an imaginary film. Jack White and Norah Jones function as said film's protagonists, each singing a trio of tunes, although it's unclear how their lyrics fit together, as Danger Mouse wrote Jones's, while White handled his. Danger Mouse and Luppi opt for a straighter re-imagining of the Italian western sound, eschewing the iconic samples Morricone used on "The Good, The Bad and the Ugly." But the short interludes and instrumental passages bridging these songs are still the record's best, although "Season's Trees," sung by Jones, makes for a lush, intriguing ballad. While it lacks the energetic grit of White's various projects and the soulfulness of Broken Bells, Rome is a satisfying listen. The sheer cinematic scope of the music demands attention.