Lady Gaga review, Harlequin: Few songs truly touch the twisted heart of her Joker character

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The role of sexy, freaky Harley Quinn is tailor-made for Lady Gaga. Interview about her role in Todd Phillips' musical sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux38-year-old star-born Stefani Germanotta described how Harley Quinn created a supervillain persona to unleash a “soul built on obsession and fear.”

It wasn't unlike the way she summoned her “Gaga” persona after “something bad” happened to her as a child. The fans she calls “little monsters” love her for celebrating weirdness, darkness and strangeness in big, shiny pop songs. She's also shown off her vocal chops by recording jazz standards with the late crooner Tony Bennett – a covers project she's now recreating alone on her new album Harlequin.

Splattering blood on the Great American Songbook is an old but effective trick. Martin Scorsese has made it his calling card, contrasting the image of his nation's superficially sharp-dressed, witty financial success with the systemic violence that underlies it. Slide for two plays a similar role in the comic universe. The narrative revolves around criminally insane couple Joker (Joaquin Phoenix) and Harley Quinn, who cast themselves as the stars of their own twisted version of a Golden Age musical.

To Harlequin, The only cover that really seems to get into the film's twisted heart is a cover of Charlie Chaplin's 1936 song “Smile,” the title of which evokes Joker's painted, psychopathic grin. Gaga sings to a cocktail piano in a breathy, melancholic tone. Towards the end, the brass turns somber and a guitarist flits his fingers along the fretboard like a thief slipping into a dark alley. These are clever tonal allusions to the madness of Harley Quinn – it's a shame there aren't more of them.

Elsewhere, Gaga belts out and revels through upbeat songbook classics like The Carpenters' “Good Morning,” “Get Happy” and “Close to You.” All are recorded with flair, supported by a cleverly arranged big band. The singer remains on track and sounds like she's still hitting the stage at her Las Vegas residency – there's no hint of a bad romance with Joker. Compared to the more shocking events on screen, the vividness is impressive. When viewed in isolation, the shots appear solid but unnecessary. Even the addition of a rocking electric guitar to “Oh, When the Saints” doesn’t really change the mood.

There are only two original songs on the album, all of which are more successful at projecting an off-kilter tone. “Folie à Deux” is a quirky waltz in which Gaga confesses that she is “crazy in love” while the orchestra envelops her like a full silk skirt. “Happy Mistake” may be reminiscent of Radiohead’s “Creep,” but the gentle sounds of the acoustic guitar seem more suited to their Oscar-winning 2018 film with Bradley Cooper. A star is born.

The only thing she really lets loose is her cover of Shirley Bassey's version of “The Joker,” a full-throated roar that finds her growling and roaring over a raucous guitar riff and a battered drum beat. “This queen has to sing to stir up the crime scene,” she explains casually, before launching into a massive chorus, howling: “The Joker is MEEEEE!” It's funny, full of power and the only essential track on one otherwise perfectly usable disk.