American Psycho (Original London Cast Recording)

With the music for American Psycho, a show based on the Bret Easton Ellis book, Duncan Sheik peers at the underbelly of ‘80s American pop culture and sociopolitical stance. To create a fitting framework for Ellis’ grimly satirical tale, Sheik writes lyrics heavy with dollops of black humor, skewering everything from fashion (“You Are What You Wear”) and fitness (“Hardbody / Hardbody Luis”) to international affairs (“Oh Sri Lanka”). He composes period-perfect synth-pop tracks that are packed with earworm hooks and decadently danceable beats to match.