"Burnt" Soundtrack Lyrics

"Burnt" Soundtrack Description

Questions and Answers

Is there an official soundtrack album?

Yes. Lakeshore Records issued the “Burnt” soundtrack digitally and on CD, with a deluxe digital edition adding one extra song.

Is there a separate score album?

Yes. Rob Simonsen’s score was released digitally in late January 2016 (announced for Jan 22 and listed with a Jan 29 date in catalogues).

What’s the song that blasts in the trailers and over the credits?

“Fire” by Barns Courtney — the film’s breakout needle-drop and a calling card for the chef’s redemption arc.

Which cue plays during Adam’s early team-building run through London?

“Fade Out Lines (The Avener Rework),” whose pulsing groove fits the hustle of recruiting and rebuilding.

Does Bradley Cooper actually perform on the album?

Yes — a cheeky micro-track titled “Ode to a Sous Vide,” credited to Bradley Cooper.

What’s the track at Reece’s swanky reopening scene?

Bonobo’s “Flashlight,” used to underline the cool, controlled rival-chef vibe.

Notes & Trivia

• The deluxe digital edition adds Bonobo’s “Flashlight,” which isn’t on the basic digital release (as reported by Film Music Reporter).
• Multiple cues were recorded at Abbey Road and Air Lyndhurst in London — a classy match for a Michelin-star plot (per AllMusic credits).
• Bradley Cooper appears on the album as performer of “Ode to a Sous Vide” — a 24-second in-joke for kitchen obsessives.
• Several scenes borrow Michael Andrews’ Donnie Darko score cues (“Cellar Door,” “Carpathian Ridge,” “Gretchen Ross”) — a rare case of a prestige food drama dipping into cult-score ambience.
• Barns Courtney’s “Fire” gained mainstream momentum after the film — according to the Recording Academy, the song became a career springboard.
• Composer Rob Simonsen talked about blending chamber orchestra with treated electronics — a restrained palate to offset all that kitchen heat (as shared in label press notes).

Overview

Why does a sleek London kitchen sound like a pressure cooker and a love letter at the same time? Burnt answers with a soundtrack that keeps the burners low and steady: modern downtempo, bluesy swagger, and crisp chamber-score cues that let the clatter of knives and flames take the spotlight.

Rob Simonsen’s score moves like a line cook during service — economical, focused, and quietly tense — while needle-drops (Barns Courtney, The Avener, Bonobo, RY X) add texture: swagger when Adam peacocks, pulse when he hustles, softness when he finally breathes. It’s a plate built for balance rather than fireworks — and that restraint is exactly the point (according to Kinetophone’s album notes).

Genres & Themes

• Electro-blues & reworks (The Avener): penance and propulsion — grooves that mirror Adam’s obsessive pacing.
• Indie/alt-blues (“Fire”): redemption fuel; the grit behind the chef’s bravado.
• Downtempo / trip-hop (Bonobo): polished cool for rival-chef mind games and VIP rooms.
• Minimal chamber score (Simonsen): strings, piano, and light electronics — the heartbeat under service, romance, and recovery.
• Ambient cult cues (Michael Andrews): anxiety fog; when perfection curdles into panic.

Tracks & Scenes

“It Serves You Right To Suffer (The Avener Rework)” — The Avener & John Lee Hooker
Where it plays: Cold-open minutes (~0:01). Over Adam’s self-mythologizing return, the rework slinks in as he frames past sins and fresh ambition; non-diegetic.
Why it matters: Sets the penance-to-perfection tone — old blues spirit with a glossy new coat.

“Dream” — Autograf
Where it plays: Early kitchen run (~0:19). Adam tests a weary brigade while fielding complaints; non-diegetic.
Why it matters: A propulsive, glassy pulse that sounds like prep lists ticking down.

“Fire” — Barns Courtney
Where it plays: Adam’s drive to the prison intake and again over the end credits (~0:22 and at credits). Non-diegetic.
Why it matters: The film’s signature needle-drop — a flinty redemption stomp that bookends the story.

“Flashlight” — Bonobo
Where it plays: Reece’s restaurant reopening (~0:42). Lobby glamour and ice-cool rival banter; non-diegetic.
Why it matters: Slick trip-hop sheen to highlight status games — control as a sound.

“Love Like This” — RY X
Where it plays: Post-party comedown (~1:04). Adam slips out, trailed by a familiar ghost from Paris; non-diegetic.
Why it matters: Whisper-intimate vocals puncture the armor, hinting at the man under the chef’s jacket.

“Fade Out Lines (The Avener Rework)” — The Avener (feat. Phoebe Killdeer)
Where it plays: Multiple moments — including a breakfast test and Helene cycling to work; also during Adam’s London recruiting sweep. Non-diegetic.
Why it matters: The city-stride groove: method, momentum, and that elusive flow state.

“Adam Arrives to London” — Rob Simonsen
Where it plays: Fish-market dawn after a bruising reunion. Score, non-diegetic.
Why it matters: A lean motif that resets the palate — humility before the next service.

“Birthday Cake” — Rob Simonsen
Where it plays: The kitchen’s gentle pivot as Adam bakes for Lily. Score, lightly diegetic-adjacent as the brigade slows to watch.
Why it matters: The first true warmth — sweetness as character development.

“The Next Menu” — Rob Simonsen
Where it plays: Planning montage with Michel and the brigade. Score, non-diegetic.
Why it matters: Metronomic focus — menus as equations, teamwork as tempo.

“Cellar Door” — Michael Andrews
Where it plays: In Reece’s kitchen and again when a sabotaged service spirals; non-diegetic.
Why it matters: Borrowed unease from a cult classic: the air thins, paranoia flowers.

“Walk in the Trees” — Rob Simonsen
Where it plays: By the Thames/London Bridge after the third Michelin star — the exhale. Score, non-diegetic.
Why it matters: A contemplative landing; family-meal serenity becomes the story’s final taste.

“Ode to a Sous Vide” — Bradley Cooper
Where it plays: A brief, cheeky stinger within the album program. Non-diegetic in film feel; meta-diegetic as an Easter egg for fans.
Why it matters: A wink from the lead — yes, the chef gets one tiny cut on the record.

Music–Story Links (characters & plot beats)

“Fire” frames Adam as a man who burns bridges and then forges knives from the ashes; by the credits, it reads as earned combustion — the heat he can finally control. The Avener’s reworks (“It Serves You Right…,” “Fade Out Lines”) give his rebuild a strut without letting him off the hook, while Bonobo’s “Flashlight” scores a rival’s cool theater — a mirror reminding Adam what swagger looks like when it’s not self-destructive. Simonsen’s cues (“Birthday Cake,” “The Next Menu”) track the pivot from solo genius to we, and those Michael Andrews drops are the panic that creeps back when perfection becomes a prison.

How It Was Made (supervision, score, behind-the-scenes)

Composer Rob Simonsen approached the film like a tasting menu: small-ensemble strings and piano with looped and treated electronics for movement and lift — intimate rather than bombastic (as shared in label press notes). Several sessions took place at Abbey Road and AIR Lyndhurst in London, venues whose acoustics flatter chamber textures (according to AllMusic’s album credits). Music supervision on the film was handled by Dana Sano, while Lakeshore Records curated the commercial release. The end result is as much mise en place as music: cues that clear counter space so performances and plating can shine.

(as reported by Film Music Reporter) the standard soundtrack and the deluxe digital/physical editions were staggered across November–December 2015; the stand-alone score followed in late January 2016.

Reception & Quotes

Critics were mixed on the film but frequently singled out the sonic restraint and the smart needle-drops. The album itself drew solid, if tempered, notices, and “Fire” became the crowd-pleasing anchor (as noted by the Recording Academy).

“A mellow score… enjoyable enough, but [it] didn’t stir any strong emotions in me.” — Darren Rea, Review Graveyard

“Food porn… might leave you hungry for a meal you’ll be hard-pressed to afford.” — Glenn Kenny, RogerEbert.com

“We wanted something elegant, but with movement.” — Rob Simonsen, album notes

Technical Info

• Title: Burnt — Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (plus separate Original Score)
• Year / Type: 2015 / movie
• Composer: Rob Simonsen
• Music Supervision: Dana Sano
• Label: Lakeshore Records (standard digital; deluxe digital; CD)
• Release context: OST rolled out Nov–Dec 2015; stand-alone score released late Jan 2016
• Recording: Abbey Road Studios; AIR Lyndhurst (London)
• Selected notable placements: “Fire” (credits/opening drive); “Flashlight” (Reece’s reopening); “Fade Out Lines” (recruiting/bike & breakfast beats); “Cellar Door” (meltdown)
• Album availability: Streamable on major services; CD available via label partners

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: Film Music Reporter; Kinetophone; Review Graveyard; AllMusic; The Numbers; IMDb; What-Song; SoundtrackRadar; GRAMMY/Recording Academy; RogerEbert.com; Wikipedia (film entry).

October, 26th 2025