The Best Scores Of The Year . . . So Far

10. The Taking Of Pelham 123 by Harry Gregson-Williams: Harry reunites with longtime director and collaborator Tony Scott for the first time since Deja Vu. This time the score is a little less thematic and more atmospheric. You still have plenty of Harry’s signatures throughout. While it’s not nearly anywhere near his best work it still provided the film with it’s identity and made it a “Tony Scott Film”.

9. Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince by Nicholas Hooper: Nicholas Hooper returns to score his second Potter film. This time the score is more brooding than anything else. It never steps up to be anything great but provides just enough thematic material to squeak into the list of this mid-season check in.

8. Up by Michael Giacchino: The summer of Giacchino was a pleasant one. With three high profile scores to kick off the summer Up was a fresh and heartwarming emotional journey that was uplifting (no pun intended). The score has a wide range even if it isn’t all that thematic and that’s why it’s a notable one.

7. District 9 by Clinton Shorter: I love surprises. I wasn’t expecting anything going into this film, but what accompanies the story was an intense and emotional score that comes out of nowhere from a nobody. Clinton Shorter (who?) has some experience but this is his first high profile work. The score is surprisingly emotional with the use of vocals and simple thematic material that brings to mind Hans Zimmer.

6. Public Enemies by Elliot Goldenthal: Elliot Goldenthal working with Michael Mann again was sort of a huge deal since the last film they did together was Heat. The thing with Michael Mann, which must be challenging for composers is that they compose a score knowing it will be interwoven with songs. Mann is known for handpicking his song selections beforehand and he usually always uses them in the film. Goldenthal does an excellent job of working with the songs to create a sonic landscape. The score is clearly influenced by Zimmer’s The Thin Red Line (Mann even used a track from the score in the film and Hans got special thanks in the credits). Overall there isn’t much score, but what’s there works and works well.

5. The Brothers Bloom by Nathan Johnson: Nathan Johnson is a relatively new composer to the industry. He scored Brick which was directed by his cousin. This time around his cousin had a completely different film at his helm. The score oozes with a jazzy ragtime feel. It bleeds with a unique voice and definitely establishes itself early and keeps itself in the spotlight. This is his only his 3rd score ever so I’m sure we have a lot to look forward to.

4. Star Trek by Michael Giachino: When J.J. Abrams was announced as the director it was also assumed that Giacchino would be the composer. Instead of looking back at what Goldsmith did for the series he went back to what Courage did for the series on the original television show. The score is all Giacchino and brings to mind his scores to the Medal Of Honor game series. His theme is grand and in charge without being campy. It was a great summer score.

3. Angels & Demons by Hans Zimmer: Hans follows up his score to The Da Vinci Code in what can best be described as angelic music mashed with demonic music. He blends electronics to represent the science aspect of the film and religious chants to represent the historic and religious aspects of the film. The score is extremely aggressive. It hits the ground running and stays that way, which is necessary since not a lot is happening on screen. It’s thematic, it’s loud yet surprises you with moments of beauty that call back to The Da Vinci Code. It’s everything a summer Hans score should be.

2. Sin Nombre by Marcelo Zarvos: Here is the first score of the year that I can honestly say should be in the Oscar race. Marcelo Zarvos is an extremely talented composer and hear he shows just how he can carry a story solely through sound. Ethnic themes carry most of the score but just listening to how it plays out from beginning to end one can easily envision the story in their mind. Foreboding tension is placed within the arrangements and it’s what progresses everything forward. This is a high recommendation. Everyone should check this score out.

1. Moon by Clint Mansell: The last time Mansell composed anything for “space” was for The Fountain and I truly feel that score is one of the best composed in the last decade. I wasn’t going in expecting anything close to The Fountain, but what I discovered was a score so radically different yet emotionally fulfilling. A mix mash of electronics with the piano taking precedent over any other instrument. I guess one could call it a minimalist score especially based off the solo listening experience, but the layers it builds are impossible to describe in words even though Mansell strives on simple melodies. It creates the sense of isolation, the sense of living in one dimension, the sense of confusion but most impressively it allows you to feel what it’s like to have a big huge something missing from within and what it feels to have the desire to fill that void. Clint Mansell is an amazing composer and this is one hell of a score for one hell of a movie. You won’t see this score nominated, but it’s most likely gonna stay at the top of the year for me come December 31st when I recount the entire year.

Public Enemies by Elliot Goldenthal (Review)

Elliot Goldenthal reunites with Michael Mann for the first time since Heat. Goldenthal is a very talented composer and with Public Enemies he provides a very simple full sound to support the film.

Now with Michael Mann you can expect lots of handpicked songs by him as evident with his recent films. In fact most of his films except for Last Of The Mohicans utilize songs just as much as score. He definitely uses them as an editing tool and you can tell in the film. With Michael Mann though he makes sure the score works hand in hand with the song choices. You can watch Collateral and Miami Vice and see how they blend together to create the sonic identity of the film, which is the same case with Public Enemies.

Score-wise there isn't that much, but what's there is fantastic. It's tense and brooding and slowly growing and growing until the final piece that closes out the film. There are a lot of strings and they swell in and out. One theme uses a solo piano. It's a very simple score. I'm guessing that every piece of music is here on the soundtrack, because honestly there isn't much else in the film. You also get a selection of period songs and some modern interpolations of classics such as "Bye Bye Blackbird". Zimmer collaborator Bruce Fowler did some orchestrations and provides one track of music too.

What makes this CD worth owning is the piece "JD Dies", which is the capstone of the score. It's the piece that accompanies the climax of the film, which on its own is one hell of a scene. The tone and structure reminds me very much of The Thin Red Line by Hans Zimmer. Clearly that score was influential here since Michael Mann used a track from The Thin Red Line in the film and thanked Hans Zimmer in the end credits. Goldenthal's piece slowly builds and builds and erupts with a tragic downturn and an abrupt end. Those who have seen the film know exactly how well this piece works in the film; it carries the entire scene.

Anyway, even though there is only a minimal amount of score in the film what's there is pretty good. It's simple and effective, which is all you can ask for. It's not a great score that will be remembered, but it definitely stuck with me after I saw the film.

Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen by Steve Jablonsky (Review)

Probably the most anticipated blockbuster score of the summer right up there with Giacchino's Star Trek and Hooper's upcoming Harry Potter score. Well, I waited to write a review until after I saw the film since this release is only a pathetic 44 minute sampling of a 121 minute score.

What we have on the CD is all of the new stuff Jablonsky did for the film, and originally I thought all of the great themes he established in the first score would appear in the film. Sadly they only pop in once in awhile. We do have some good stuff here. The "new" theme can be heard right off the bat in "Prime". That theme is echoed in tracks like "Infinite White" with vocals by the lovely Lisbeth Scott. Then there's the standard action staple of the heavy male chorus that defines the Decepticons, which Hans made famous with his 90's action scores.

Overall there are some great tracks here in full Jablonsky style, but it's lacking that structure that I loved from the first film and the first score CD. After watching the film and listening to the CD it was pretty much anticlimactic. I was waiting for it to go rise and rise, go full throttle then bring us back down like the final battle in Mission City from the first film. We don't get that here, and not even in the movie. I loved the first movie but thought this one was pretty bad. The score never rose to the occasion and level as the first film and was lost amidst the poor structure, pacing and story of the film. It's honestly a better standalone listen than in the film. The tracks with Lisbeth Scott are amazing.

Another thing that really hurt this score was Linkin Park's involvement. I don't know whose idea was it to toss them in the scoring process, but it's really rediculous. Fine, they wrote a song for the end credits but let's keep it that way. I don't need the heavy rock to emerge every few scenes as the "NEST" theme. So, we have some good stuff but it's not at all what I was hoping for. I enjoyed the score, but not the movie. There is so much left to be desired here and I hope a more complete release is coming down the line, but for now I guess this release will have to do.

Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs by John Powell (Review)

John Powell returns to score the light animated fare, Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs. The first film was scored by David Newman and was completely forgettable. Powell brought his fresh sound and style to the series with Ice Age: The Meltdown in what was one heck of a score. I still listen to that one all the time.

In the second film he established some themes that he touches base with in this score. So, we get lots of variations on these well known melodies that ooze with Powell's style. He has two trademarks that define him above all other composers; one is the way he strings his melodies in a sort of descending notion and the other is of course his percussion. Many of you may remember his amazing "Mini-Sloths Sing-A-Long" from the second film which is a perfect example of his percussive style. He goes a bit easy on the percussion with this score, but it's there (just a bit subtle) and I love it.

I guess one could argue that this score is just more of the same, but so what? Scores are one of the most important aspects of tying franchises together. Yes, there are the occasional "copy and paste" scores, but don't worry because you never get that with John Powell. Another complaint some people may have are the incredibly short track times. Yes, there are 44 tracks with some only 30 seconds long, but Powell fans should come to expect this. His score albums are gapless so they are meant for continuous listening. There are a few long tracks that provide a better solo listening experience, especially "End Credits" which sums up the album nicely.

Overall I'm happy to have another John Powell score in my hands. When stacked up against the second score and all his other animated scores this one does fall short, but that doesn't mean that this isn't an incredibly fun listen. I found the second one to have more emotionally driven music that really defined him as a composer, but this one almost gets there with the last few tracks. So, enjoy this one because we won't get any John Powell till Paul Greengrass' Green Zone.

The Last Confederate by Atli Örvarsson (Review)

Atli Örvarsson's The Last Confederate sees the light of day on CD and digital download. Probably a film that many have never heard about but Atli's score here is a real hidden gem. The score is subtle and very quiet. The main theme has that timeless feel to it and it truly does transport you. A few solo instruments backed with strings make up the majority of the score.

Those familiar with Atli Örvarsson's style may be surprised at the overall soundscape of the music. The simple melodic cues are reminiscent of his style, but the score overall has a delicate atmosphere that we haven't heard from him before and in that sense it's incredibly refreshing. Tracks like "A Defining Moment" definitely have his action style imbedded within it, but it's all done with a traditional feel.

Overall this was a great little treasure to be finally released. If you're looking for a CD hard copy versus iTunes lesser quality digital release then go to cdbaby.com to order it. It's worth taking a chance, especially if you're fans of period pieces. I think anyone who liked Jones' & Edelman's work on The Last Of The Mohicans or Zimmer's The Last Samurai should enjoy Atli's work. That's not saying that all films that have "Last" in the title have similar scores though. Overall an astounding subtle score that creates larger emotions through small and simple melodies.

The Taking Of Pelham 123 by Harry Gregson-Williams (Review)

Just as X-Men: Origins leaves theaters we have another Harry Gregson-Williams composed film entering theaters. This time we have another Harry and Tony Scott collaboration. Off the bat I have to say that Tony and Harry are one of the best Director/Composer collaborators working in the industry today. All of Tony's movies have a distinct soundscape and you can thank Harry for that. This is the 7th Tony Scott film in a row that Harry has composed for. Quite a testament.

Fans will recognize all the Harryisms that are present in all of Tony Scott's films. It's not as blatant as in Domino, but there are a few pieces that will stick out to those who know them. Quite honestly the score is pretty subdued for what I was expecting, and not in a bad way. This isn't a loud score like Man On Fire or Deja Vu. There are some percussive action cues, but nothing too grand. There isn't a real theme that you can grasp onto either, which in my book immediately drops it in my ranks.

I love Harry and I love it when he composes for Tony Scott, but looking at the other 6 scores he's done for him this one doesn't stack up to say Man On Fire or Deja Vu. So, those expecting a Spy Game, Man On Fire or Deja Vu score may be a bit disappointed. In Harry's defense though the score works well in the film. It doesn't step over the great acting that's happening on the screen. This is a very enjoyable score but a lack of any real thematic material may make it unmemorable for some as a standalone listen. It's a casual listening experience. Nothing too intense or emotional. Recommended for Gregson-Williams fans only.

Angels & Demons by Hans Zimmer (Review)

Well, here it is. Hans' long awaited follow up to his amazing score to The Da Vinci Code. Now, The Da Vinci Code was a flawed film adaptation but it wasn't all bad. I can honestly say it would have been a terrible bore without Hans' score. The motifs carrying through that lead up to the wonderful CheValiers De Sangreal segment were breathtaking. It had a very classic feel in a modern way.

Hans takes the themes and atmospheres from The Da Vinci Code and turns them on their side a bit for Angels & Demons. We still have this angelical religious atmosphere but you can feel the darkness biting on its heels every step of the way. Some of the tracks are incredibly intense. The choral arrangements are breathtaking and the score has a pulsing life to it. There are some percussion segments that felt uncharacteristic of Hans and more along the lines of Harry Gregson-Williams, but they keep the pace moving. Zimmer fans will find some arrangements similar to his score for Hannibal, which I guess not coincidently was a score to a film that took place in Florence.

Hans has a few soloists featured on the score. Most notably is Joshua Bell on the violin, which I'm sure was recommended by James Newton Howard after he used him for Defiance. Longtime collaborators Heitor Pereira is the featured guitarist and Martin Tillman on the cello. Each of them providing personal performances to their instruments as they accent Hans' music.

The album finishes off with a variation on the popular CheValiers piece that closed The Da Vinci Code. You can also get a bonus non-album track titled "H20" by going to angelsanddemons.com/soundtrack. You have to sign up for updates, but once you do you immediately get the bonus track. Overall, this is a great score by Hans. It doesn't feel like a rehash of The Da Vinci Code, which I think some people were expecting. It's a great continuation on the themes, moods and atmospheres he built with the first score. It's definitely more aggressive and bleeds of the Zimmer style. Bravo.