When Macklemore declares his music is "David Bowie meets Kanye sh*t," it's a bit of an oversell on the Bowie side, but then again, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring are also honored as influences during "Ten Thousand Hours," the biographical highlight that opens the Seattle rapper's vibrant sophomore release. These arty name-drops threaten to paint the album as more obscure than it is, but even as glitch electronica and Mad Rad member Buffalo Madonna strange up the breakup number "Thin Line," The Heist comes off as instant, alive, and oh so welcoming. Chalk it up to Macklemore's playful and open lyrics ("When I was in the third grade/I thought I was gay/Because I could draw, my uncle was, and I kept my room straight") or the album's not so secret weapon, Ryan Lewis, the producer who earns his co-billing with a George Martin or Dave Fridmann-sized sense of purpose and an Internet kid's sense of utilizing anything and/or everything. For the music industry takeover "Jimmy Iovine" with Ab-Soul as guest, Lewis' production is a mix of G-Unit gangster music and a Houston hip-hop trunk rumbler, while the pro-gay marriage highlight "Same Love" with Mary Lambert is supported by full-bodied piano and the sound of a bittersweet marching band, all of it familiar yet twisted through a laptop with hypnotic loops and catchy hooks coming out. "Gold" (feeling like "500,000 sold") is joyous and bright mini-electro that feeds the positive side of the soul, while "Can't Hold Us" comes with an irresistible bounce, both tracks being light, lovely, and in contrast to the numbers that deal with Macklemore's addiction issues and other obstacles. These two talented young bucks can't be contained, and hearing them offer one memorable, meaty number after another makes for an exciting listen, but this is unfiltered freshness released on Macklemore's own label, so the concepts of restraint and focus take a slight hit, leaving the is-he-Eminem, is-he-Childish Gambino, or is-he-Grieves question with no clear winner. Here, he's a mix of all of the above with some distinctive qualities, and with Lewis putting that kaleidoscope style underneath, The Heist winds up a rich combination of fresh and familiar.© David Jeffries /TiVo

Composer Michael Giacchino reunites with director Brad Bird on Ratatouille, whose lively and endlessly inventive soundtrack strikes a perfect balance between the old European drama of Ennio Morricone and the unhinged whimsy of Raymond Scott. Like an Old World version of Giacchino's jazz-infused, comic-book-kissed score for The Incredibles, Ratatouille is both elegant and mad, built around a sweet and playful theme called "Le Festin," which is presented both instrumentally and vocally (sung by the charming French star Camille) and is as timeless as the dish for which the film is based. Bird has proved himself a master of the modern animation flick, but without the talented Giacchino, his subtle balance of sentimentality and ageless humor would take a severe blow to the heart.© TiVo

When Macklemore declares his music is "David Bowie meets Kanye sh*t," it's a bit of an oversell on the Bowie side, but then again, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring are also honored as influences during "Ten Thousand Hours," the biographical highlight that opens the Seattle rapper's vibrant sophomore release. These arty name-drops threaten to paint the album as more obscure than it is, but even as glitch electronica and Mad Rad member Buffalo Madonna strange up the breakup number "Thin Line," The Heist comes off as instant, alive, and oh so welcoming. Chalk it up to Macklemore's playful and open lyrics ("When I was in the third grade/I thought I was gay/Because I could draw, my uncle was, and I kept my room straight") or the album's not so secret weapon, Ryan Lewis, the producer who earns his co-billing with a George Martin or Dave Fridmann-sized sense of purpose and an Internet kid's sense of utilizing anything and/or everything. For the music industry takeover "Jimmy Iovine" with Ab-Soul as guest, Lewis' production is a mix of G-Unit gangster music and a Houston hip-hop trunk rumbler, while the pro-gay marriage highlight "Same Love" with Mary Lambert is supported by full-bodied piano and the sound of a bittersweet marching band, all of it familiar yet twisted through a laptop with hypnotic loops and catchy hooks coming out. "Gold" (feeling like "500,000 sold") is joyous and bright mini-electro that feeds the positive side of the soul, while "Can't Hold Us" comes with an irresistible bounce, both tracks being light, lovely, and in contrast to the numbers that deal with Macklemore's addiction issues and other obstacles. These two talented young bucks can't be contained, and hearing them offer one memorable, meaty number after another makes for an exciting listen, but this is unfiltered freshness released on Macklemore's own label, so the concepts of restraint and focus take a slight hit, leaving the is-he-Eminem, is-he-Childish Gambino, or is-he-Grieves question with no clear winner. Here, he's a mix of all of the above with some distinctive qualities, and with Lewis putting that kaleidoscope style underneath, The Heist winds up a rich combination of fresh and familiar.© David Jeffries /TiVo

On the soundtrack to Solo: A Star Wars Story, John Powell became just the third person to compose a score for a live-action Star Wars film, following in the footsteps of John Williams and Rogue One's Michael Giacchino. Without the burden of the official episode saga installments, Powell took the liberty to experiment with fresh sounds (for the Star Wars universe), delivering the most intriguing and nontraditional Star Wars music to date. Powell employs non-orchestral instrumentation, exciting and unexpected rhythmic percussion, and a choir to great effect (especially as a motif for the newly introduced band of Marauders). After Williams puts his trademark stamp on the project with a lone contribution ("The Adventures of Han"), Powell launches into hyperspace, adapting Williams' familiar leitmotifs ("Meet Han," "L3 & Millennium Falcon," "Break Out," "Reminiscence Therapy," "Into the Maw," and "Dice & Roll") and injecting each composition with flair. The rousing "Corellia Chase" and "Flying with Chewie" swoop and sweep, but it's not until "Train Heist" that Powell truly claims Solo as his own. Funky and primal, "Train Heist" pumps the coaxium hyperfuel into Solo and doesn't look back. The sole pop track on the album belongs to vocalist Baraka May, whose slinky and sultry "Chicken in the Pot" sounds more like a trip-hop Bond theme than a Star Wars cantina tune. It's one of many surprises that make Solo a fun, exciting, and engaging experience. Tasked with filling Williams' iconic shoes, Powell didn't simply mimic the master -- as in Giacchino's case -- but instead charted his own course, capturing the outlaw spirit of the roguish Han Solo himself in the process. © Neil Z. Yeung /TiVo

On the soundtrack to Solo: A Star Wars Story, John Powell became just the third person to compose a score for a live-action Star Wars film, following in the footsteps of John Williams and Rogue One's Michael Giacchino. Without the burden of the official episode saga installments, Powell took the liberty to experiment with fresh sounds (for the Star Wars universe), delivering the most intriguing and nontraditional Star Wars music to date. Powell employs non-orchestral instrumentation, exciting and unexpected rhythmic percussion, and a choir to great effect (especially as a motif for the newly introduced band of Marauders). After Williams puts his trademark stamp on the project with a lone contribution ("The Adventures of Han"), Powell launches into hyperspace, adapting Williams' familiar leitmotifs ("Meet Han," "L3 & Millennium Falcon," "Break Out," "Reminiscence Therapy," "Into the Maw," and "Dice & Roll") and injecting each composition with flair. The rousing "Corellia Chase" and "Flying with Chewie" swoop and sweep, but it's not until "Train Heist" that Powell truly claims Solo as his own. Funky and primal, "Train Heist" pumps the coaxium hyperfuel into Solo and doesn't look back. The sole pop track on the album belongs to vocalist Baraka May, whose slinky and sultry "Chicken in the Pot" sounds more like a trip-hop Bond theme than a Star Wars cantina tune. It's one of many surprises that make Solo a fun, exciting, and engaging experience. Tasked with filling Williams' iconic shoes, Powell didn't simply mimic the master -- as in Giacchino's case -- but instead charted his own course, capturing the outlaw spirit of the roguish Han Solo himself in the process. © Neil Z. Yeung /TiVo