Normal People: Extraordinary Soundtrack

WARNING: This article contains spoilers!

Great TV series are often defined by their soundtracks. You can’t think of ‘Peaky Blinders’ without hearing the brooding menace of Nick Cave’s ‘Red Right Hand’ or experience Amazon’s classic series ‘This is Us’ without the gentle sounds of classic acoustic artists such as Labbi Siffre or Cat Stevens.

The soundtrack to a TV series should be it’s hidden star, matching the atmosphere of the drama unfolding and becoming indelibly linked to the characters and their experiences. When done well, you can never hear the soundtrack without being transported to the way you felt watching the programme. The two go forever hand in hand.

The BBC’s latest drama ‘Normal People’ has been the darling of lockdown television, receiving widely warm reviews from critics and viewers alike. Based on the highly acclaimed novel by Sally Rooney, ‘Normal People’ tells the story of young lovers Connell and Marianne as they navigate their relationship through their young adult life in the Republic of Ireland. It is a beautiful and heart-wrenching story and has provided much needed blissful escapism for many in these strange times.

Whilst the story and the talent of the young lead actors Daisy Edgar Jones and Paul Mescal have been rightly celebrated, the stunning soundtrack to the series, and the impact it has on the story, has not had the acclaim it deserves.

Each song has been carefully picked to match the scene it accompanies and the range and depth of the music is stunning. Many well-known tracks are used to great effect. The tender moment of intimacy between the lovers at the end of episode 2 is beautifully played out to ‘Angeles’ by Elliot Smith (who would have thought that this song could ever be used so well outside of ‘Good Will Hunting’?!) and ‘Only You’ by Yazoo is an upbeat, yet fitting, accompaniment to Connell’s despair as he realises the depth of his love for Marianne and the pain of his betrayal at the end of episode 3.

Whilst it is great to hear the songs you know, it is the lesser known tracks that are the true diamonds on this soundtrack. The soft whispers of Fionn Regan on ‘Dogwood Blossom’ and Nerina Pallot’s delicate re-interpretation of Joy Divison’s ‘Love Will Tear us Apart’ are both enjoyable moments. Perhaps the best though, is Billie Marten’s ‘La Lune’ which so perfectly and sublimely compliments the moment by the pool that Connell works up the courage to publicly display his overwhelming affection for Marianne for the first time in episode 6.

If you haven’t yet, do yourself a favour and get on iplayer and watch the series and then head to Spotify to sample the soundtrack. This beautifully told tale, and the stunning music that soundtracks it, will forever go hand in hand and will be remembered for the depth of feeling and meaning they provided us in these strange times.