La La Land: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Various Artists (Vinyl LP) * * *

Standard Black Vinyl Pressing

Written and directed by Academy Award nominee Damien Chazelle, critically acclaimed  film La La Land tells the story of Mia (Emma Stone), an aspiring actress, and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), a dedicated jazz musician, who are struggling to make ends meet in a city known for crushing hopes and breaking hearts. Set in modern day Los Angeles, this original musical about everyday life explores the joy and pain of pursuing your dreams.

The film's integral music and score, a sublime combination of pop, jazz and show tunes, comes courtesy of composer Justin Hurwitz whose creative partnership with Chazelle began on the director's previous films Whiplash (2009) and Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench (2014). Academy Award winner for Best Original Score and Best Original Song, Hurwitz says that he and Chazelle looked for ways to bring a contemporary language – musical, visual and emotional languages – to a genre that runs the risk of nostalgia.

"The idea of doing not just a musical, but a musical that is about the realities of love and dreams in today's L.A., energized me and Damien," the composer says. "Musicals are so heightened and we adore that about them but we also loved the idea of capturing a real feeling of current life within that heightened world."