Kill Bill, Vol. 2

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Known in music circles as much for his racy soundtracks as for his even racier films, director Quentin Tarantino extends that reputation with the second installment in the Kill Bill saga, compiling yet another set of oddball tracks that imbue his story of vengeance with a cinematic flourish. As he did on the prior volume, Tarantino leans on his longtime love of rockabilly, once again dipping into the Charlie Feathers canon for the echo-soaked "Can't Hardly Stand It." The director also taps renowned spaghetti western composer Ennio Morricone for inspiration by way of three pieces: "Il Tramonto," shaded by lightly plucked acoustic guitar; "L'Arena," with its rich mix of mariachi horns and an unobtrusive military cadence; and the foreboding "A Silhouette of Doom," which juxtaposes rumbling timpani and a gradually building string arrangement. Many of the highlights, however, come from lesser-known talents such as Shivaree (the Chris Isaak–flavored noir of "Goodnight Moon"), Spanish folklorists Lole Y Manuel (the spirited flamenco of "Tu Mira"), and Italian film composer Luis Bacalov (whose breezy "Summertime Killer" grooves along on a funky bass line and chicken-scratch guitar). The only track directly connected to the film's martial arts theme is the lush "Urami Bushi," sung by actress Meiko Kaji. As usual, Tarantino adds snippets of movie dialogue, which, coupled with the eclectic music selections, makes Kill Bill, Vol. 2 an ass-kicking soundtrack. Dave Gil de Rubio