Another Way To Die

As everyone probably knows by now, the Jack White and Alicia Keys theme song for Quantum of Solace, "Another Way To Die," is now available to listen to online. CommanderBond.net posted a link to a BBC broadcast early yesterday, and since then it's been made officially available, streaming, on White's Third Man Records site. I'm going to need a few more listens to really make my mind up on it, and probably need to see it in the context of the movie's title sequence. My initial reaction, though, falls somewhere between the love I developed for Chris Cornell's Casino Royale theme, "You Know My Name," and my instant hatred for Madonna's wretched "Die Another Day." I wasn't a particular fan of Cornell prior to hearing his theme, but I am a fan of Jack White's. And I'd expected to love this, but it's not there yet. It certainly feels like exactly what you'd expect of a Jack White Bond theme, literally. Half White Stripes song, half James Bond song. (I'm just not sure they combined so well; maybe he should have struck out more in his own direction than feeling so indebted to Bond Past.) My biggest regret about it is that it lacks the traditional hooks associated with either, which is surprising. There's no new, hummable Bond theme music in there, just new reworkings of familiar sounds. Perhaps that's owing to a lack of involvement by composer David Arnold. That said, I do love White's new arrangements of those sounds, played with his signature guitar style. The music is good. Lyrically, I'm not that impressed. Is he really singing about "the player with the slick trigger finger for Her Majesty?" I guess it's no worse than, "Who will he bang? We shall see!" from "The Man With the Golden Gun..."

The "Another Way To Die" single will be available digitally worldwide on September 19, and a week later in North America. A limited edition 7" (pictured) will be available after that.