1 |
Route
12 |
2 |
Picture
Window |
3 |
The
Bright Young Man |
4 |
Hopeless Emptiness |
5 |
Unrealistic |
6 |
Count Every Star |
7 |
Simple
Clean Lines |
8 |
Speaking of Production Control |
9 |
Golden People |
10 |
Night
Woods |
11 |
Crying
In The Chapel |
12 |
April |
13 |
A Bit Whimsical |
14 |
Revolutionary Road (End Title) |
15 |
The Gypsy - The Ink Spots |
SOUNDTRACK REVIEW:
Sure, California born composer Thomas Newman may have set hearts a flutter with his joyful score for Pixar’s animated feature Wall.E (which earned him his 9th Oscar nomination for Best Original Score), but with his latest composition, he reminds us how good he is at breaking hearts – with simple orchestrations of pianos, strings and vibraphones.
If you have been following Newman’s works over the years, you may remember his affecting compositions for films like The Shawshank Redemption (1994), The Green Mile (1999) and Road to Perdition (2002). Upon listening to this soundtrack album, it is not difficult to realize that Newman has taken a similar approach to scoring Sam Mendes’ film adaptation of the classic novel by Richard Yates.
“Route 12” opens the 45 minute album quietly, introducing a three note motif that effectively sets an impression in your mind. This motif is played repeatedly on piano over a range of notes, and is the main theme to listen out for throughout the disc. “Picture Window” paints a lyrical image in your mind, while being sensitively melancholic at the same time. “The Bright Young Man” creates a whimsically mood with running notes, while “Hopeless Emptiness” brings to mind musically how loneliness can be the greatest tragedy in the world.
The three minute “Unrealistic” starts off with a non melodically, but after a minute or so, the piano that introduces itself into the track is one powerful heartbreaker. The cue culminates with strings bringing on feelings that affect listeners emotionally. The other score cues like “Golden People”, “April” and “A Bit Whimsical” may not be bombastic cues that will stick in your head, but these is music that will leave you wanting more, simply because they touch your heart. The score material is rounded up by “Revolutionary Road (End Title)”, a five minute track that indulges your soul. There is something beautifully heartrending about Newman’s music that will make you want to revisit them every so often.
The soundtrack album also contains three classy songs “Count Every Star”, “Crying in the Chapel” and “The Gypsy” which adds to the tasteful elegance of this highly recommended soundtrack album.
ALBUM RATING:
Recommended Track: : (5) Unrealistic
Review
by John Li |
