A lot of fans of the “Dirty Harry” franchise like to name “The Dead Pool” as the worst film in the franchise, but I'm not so sure. I enjoy it a good deal more than the nasty “Sudden Impact”, even if the film is a real lightweight in contrast to the original “Dirty Harry” film. While the popular Eastwood character began as a bitter vigilante hellbent on vengeance, we find a much different take on Harry Callahan in “The Dead Pool”. Sure, he's still grumpy and violent, but generally much friendlier, funnier, and easier to be around. The film doesn't take itself too seriously, containing a delightful spoof of “Bullitt” featuring a tiny remote-control car and amusing supporting performances from Liam Neeson, Patricia Clarkson, and even a young Jim Carrey.

Composer Lalo Schifrin returned to the series for the fourth time (he was unable to score “The Enforcer” due to scheduling difficulties, and Jerry Fielding did a fine job filling in for Mr. Schifrin on that particular installment), but the results are disappointing. While “Dirty Harry” and “Magnum Force” both featured terrific Schifrin scores, things took a turn for the sour and synthetic in “Sudden Impact”. Everything you didn't like about that score is on even more prominent display in “The Dead Pool”, which overwhelms a handful of strong moments with uninspired action material.

The CD opens with the beautiful theme that highlighted the end credits of “Sudden Impact”, but it's much less impressive here. Schifrin throws some unfortunate synths into the mix, and the track becomes very cheesy by it's conclusion. The “Main Title” relies on awful electronic slashes and swoops that would make Jerry Goldsmith blush, and similar synthetic noises prevent “The Pool” from reaching it's full potential as an action piece. “Time to Get Up” offers a mildly interesting bit of dissonant suspense music, as does the beginning of “High and Day” before dissolving into a piece of wretched “oriental rock” dreck.

I breath a sigh of relief when “Something in Return” arrives, the sort of gently entertaining jazz source cue that Schifrin does oh-so-well, and “The Rules” follows this up with some pleasant if somewhat slight variations on the opening theme. “The Last Autograph” is a mixed bag of ideas ranging from impressive to awful, with the worst bit being a rock cue in the midsection. The best piece on the album is arguably “The Car”, a very effective action/suspense cue that keeps the cheesy synths to an absolute minimum in favor of employing the sort of lean, mean suspense music that made Schifrin's earlier efforts so effective. “Kidnap and Rescue” also plays down the electronics, though it's not nearly as interesting. A very cheesy cue called “Harpoon” concludes the action portion of the score, while “The Pier, the Bridge, and the City” offers a reprise of the opening cue.

If you haven't heard any of the other “Dirty Harry” scores, I recommend checking all of them out before you consider picking up this one. It's moderately interesting as a companion piece to the others, the five scores combined provide an interesting study on the changing nature of film scoring throughout the '70s and '80s. On it's own, “The Dead Pool” is one of the weakest efforts in the career of a generally reliable composer.
Rating: ** (out of five)
Track Listing

Review: Death Defying Acts
Composed by: Cezary Skubiszewski
Year Released: 2008
Released by: Lakeshore Records
Length: 52:02

These days, there simply aren't many composers that come along and surprise me. Today, when I get a score for a movie by a composer I have not heard of, four times out of five that score will be bland synthetic droning by the last electronics engineer. Every once in a while, someone will come out the blue and surprise me, which has happened here. I've never heard anything else by the simply-named Cezary Skubiszewski, but I was genuinely surprised by "Death Defying Acts". This is an intelligent, melodic, and deeply enjoyable album of music, one of the true hidden gems of 2008.

The music here is attractive and elegant, with a welcome dose of mystery floating through the proceedings. "The Great Houdini" offers up an a theme for the famous magician, a tantalizing piece that's quite enjoyable. I'm typically not too enthusiastic about eastern source music, but "Prices Kali" is quite a nice listen. "The Star Picture House" offers a piece of old-timey piano music, the sort of dramatic material that would have accompanied a silent film in the '20s. "Hello Edinburgh" presents a very Elfmanesque choral idea, while "Houdini's Angel" is an exceptionally intoxicating follow-up. "You're the One" is a lovely romantic selection, too. Really, most of the cues on this album have something interesting to offer.

I really like the enchanting source cue "Foxtrot Foxtrot", which leads into the sinisterly atmopsheric "Love or Money", a really engaging piece of suspense writing. A great little tango can be heard in "Maid Does the Dishes", while "Just Like Falling" turns the Elfmanesque choral material into something that resembles Philip Glass (not a long journey). The gentle and very warm "You Saved Me" is a very nice selection. The album is bookended by two very enjoyable suites, which make ideal compilation pieces.

This really is a charming score. It's quite attractive, but in a mysteriously romantic way that I think gives it additional appeal. Let's hope this composer gets more projects in the future, because "Death Defying Acts" is an excellent effort. It's got just a little bit of everything, and I imagine that the vast majority of film music fans will find it very appealing if they ever get around to hearing it. A solid recommendation.
Rating: **** (out of five)
Track Listing
1. Death Defying Suite (07:43)
2. Immoral Souls (02:04)
3. The Great Houdini (02:57)
4. Princes Kali (02:58)
5. The Star Picture House (01:37)
6. Hello Edinburgh (01:10)
7. Houdini's Angel (03:10)
8. My Immortal Soul (02:11)
9. The Audition (02:37)
10. You're The One (02:54)
11. Scott's Monument (02:10)
12. Benji's Nightmare (01:53)
13. Foxtrot Foxtrot (02:12)
14. Love Or Money (03:41)
15. Maid Does The Dishes (02:13)
16. Just Like Falling (02:44)
17. You Saved Me (02:33)
18. The Final Curtain (05:15)

Review: The Dark Knight
Composed by: Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard
Released by: Warner Bros.
Year Released: 2008

When famed film composers Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard collaborated on the score for "Batman Begins", the film score community went into a frenzy of excitement. Both composers were quite talented, one could only imagine what a collaboration might produce. When the score was finally released, the overall reaction was disappointment. Some liked the score, some loved it, some hated, but few felt that it reached the level of potential two talented composers like Zimmer and Newton-Howard were capable of reaching. Nonetheless, the hype around their score for "The Dark Knight" has built to a fever pitch once again. This may prove to be the most popular score since Zimmer's own "Gladiator", with the composers performing live in concert and going to autograph sessions across the country. Combine A-list composers with a highly anticipated summer blockbuster and you're bound to get results... but Zimmer has a way of attaining popularity that even surpasses the usual for this sort of thing. This kind of hype didn't surround the John Williams score for "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull", or the Danny Elfman score for "Hellboy: The Golden Army".

The score's immediate popularity has been fueled in part by interviews with Zimmer and Newton-Howard, who have made great claims about the score. Indeed, both gentlemen have typically been modest and humble in the past, but here they are both convinced that they have achieved something remarkable. Zimmer went so far as to claim that nothing as challenging and dissonant as his material for the Joker had ever been heard in a summer blockbuster. When asked the usual questions about why the score didn't have a more memorable thematic hook, both composers adamently insisted that Christopher Nolan's Bat-world was not open to such things. The composers wanted to keep a lot of shades of gray around Batman, which musically translates into "using lots of percussion but avoiding other instruments when possible." There's no question that the two composers have been reigned in a bit by Nolan's disappointing aversion to melody. However, this time they have managed to create more than mere sound design, building upon fragments of ideas from the first score and fleshing them out into interesting and mature musical compositions.

First things first. Let's begin with the brand-new material. The opening piece, "Why So Serious?" (note the more accessible track titles on this album) is an immediately striking ambient composition by Zimmer. It spotlights a "theme" of sorts for the Joker. I put the word theme in quotation marks because I'm not really sure you can call it that. At best, it's a motif... a one-note siren, an ominous calling card. It serves as the starting point for a whole host of (mostly electronics) experiments, jabs, stabs, and screeches that create an extremely dark and disturbing musical world. Though this is territory that I tend to avoid in most cases, Zimmer actually does quite a good job of it. This material bears a noteworthy resemblance to Elliot Goldenthal's more intense material from "Heat", which Nolan admittedly used as inspiration for "The Dark Knight". The piece does tend to be just a bit overlong at nine minutes, but it's still quite solid. I imagine many film score fans may decide to skip past it, though.

Next up we have a somewhat more disappointing piece, "I'm Not a Hero". As this is placed in the middle of two character suites (one for the Joker, one for Harvey Dent), one might assume that this is a suite for Batman. One might also assume that the thematic material would be best-developed here. Sadly, that is not the case. This is the one piece in the score that doesn't really go anywhere interesting. There's a very engaging deep string line early in the piece that sounds like it could lead somewhere exciting. Nope. It gives way to a see-sawing string piece that builds and... disappears into drum loops. The drum loops go back to material from "Batman Begins", which starts to cook, and then... piddles off into those "whooshing" Bat-cape sounds. Then the piece starts to pick up again with another "Begins" motif, touches on the two-note theme, and ultimately concludes with a very brief statement of the completed "Batman" theme. It's just a disappointing piece that never takes off.

However, things are strong again in "Harvey Two-Face", which is the only distinctly James Newton Howard cue on the album. It spotlights the sort of low-key and warm string, trumpet, and piano writing that Howard does quite well. As you might expect for the character, shades of dissonance and danger are lurking around the corner, as are threatening performances of the theme, a nice touch. Curiously, the theme is not entirely original to "The Dark Knight", but seems derived from a composition by Howard that first appeared in "Batman Begins", which did not feature Harvey Dent. Very peculiar, but it is what it is. This piece builds up to a very nice string climax that Howard fans will adore.

Now that we're done with the character introduction (for Dent and Joker, anyway), it's time to move into the rest of the album. "Aggressive Expansion" continues to hold back on the Bat-material for a bit, starting off with a thunderous performance of the two-note theme, but ultimately giving way to drum-pad sound design and low string rumblings. "Always a Catch" is a low-key Zimmer piece that quickly gives way to the Howard-dominated "Blood on My Hands", a lovely moment. "A Little Push" has a slight horror vibe to it, effective atmosphere but little else.

The score doesn't really take off until "Like a Dog Chasing Cars", the kind of cue that will make Zimmer fans leap with joy. It begins with a motif first heard briefly in "I'm Not a Hero", and ultimately launches into a full-length, energetic and unashamedly heroic performance of the fully developed Batman theme. Boy, it sure packs a punch in the middle of this atmosphere-driven album. It's a glorious moment, backed by racing strings courtesy of "Molossus" from "Begins". Interestingly, "I Am the Batman" avoids any strong thematic statement, while "And I Thought My Jokes Were Bad" is a solid action cue that packs a pretty solid punch. Interestingly, this piece and others that feature elements of the Joker theme seem to capture that "biker gang" feeling better than the "Kraken" cue in "Pirates 2" (which supposedly was attempting to capture such a sound).

"Agent of Chaos" is a very well-modulated piece, bringing in a very exciting and moving variation on the main theme just after four-minute mark that dies off all too quickly. This piece culminates with a very touching and minimally-orchestrated piano performance of the "Molossus" theme, which cuts through the audio chaos very effectively. "Introduce a Little Anarchy" is the score's final action cue, tossing in elements of the Joker theme and Batman's theme to great effect. Electronics that seem to be borrowed from "Crimson Tide" are lathered all over this piece, which doesn't really bother me but may be a detriment to some. "Watch the World Burn" is a brooding, "Gladiator"-style string elegy that comes to a particularly wrenching finale. I don't think the piece as a whole is as good as similar stuff written for "Gladiator" or "Hannibal", but it sure finishes well.

The score concludes with it's strongest piece, the 16-minute "A Dark Knight", which offers a reflective and meditative contemplation on the title character that truly does do a very fine job capturing the dark and morally conflicted nature of Batman. Zimmer takes his simple thematic idea and examines it from numerous angles... mournful, dark, strong-willed, etc. This piece is everything that I was hoping the "I'm Not a Hero" suite would be. Some may complain about the sheer lack on enthusiasm is a detriment. I haven't seen the film, but I imagine it sounds cold and broken for a reason. The only possible complaint here is that Zimmer seems to have stepped about fifteen years back with his synthesizers, giving the piece an immediately dated quality before it's due date.

Overall, I approve of "The Dark Knight". For all of it's flaws, I found it to be an absorbing and intelligent listen, a small step up from "Batman Begins" and (I assume) entirely appropriate for Nolan's film. However, I can't help but wonder what these guys might come up with if ever they are given a thematic green light on one of these films. The very thought is enough to make one salivate. In the meantime, they have produced an impressive album within the somewhat strict confines of their musical world. They are required to produce sound design first, memorable music second, and that hurts the album a bit (even if it helps the film). Nonetheless, what Zimmer and Howard are up to here is a whole heck of a lot more complex and rewarding than the shallow likes of "Iron Man" and (to a lesser degree) "The Incredible Hulk", and I recommend it.
Rating: **** (out of five)
Track Listing
1. Why So Serious? (09:14)
2. I'm Not A Hero (06:34)
3. Harvey Two-Face (06:16)
4. Aggressive Expansion (04:35)
5. Always A Catch (01:39)
6. Blood On My Hands (02:16)
7. A Little Push (02:42)
8. Like A Dog Chasing Cars (05:02)
9. I Am The Batman (01:59)
10. And I Thought My Jokes Were Bad (02:28)
11. Agent Of Chaos (06:55)
12. Introduce A Little Anarchy (03:42)
13. Watch The World Burn (03:47)
14. A Dark Knight (16:15)

Review: Iron Man
Composed by: Ramin Djawadi
Released by: Lions Gate Records
Year Released: 2008
Length: 54:02

It has been a good summer for comic book movie fans. There have been no less than five films based on comics released this summer, and and honorary sixth member if you want to count the comic-movie-inspired "Hancock". The first of these films was "Iron Man", centering around Marvel hero Tony Stark, a rebel billionaire who builds a deadly suit of steel and becomes a hero. The film won a lot of very good reviews from critics, mostly thanks to the performance of the now-hot Robert Downey Jr. in the title role. Downey was supported by a particularly good turn from Jeff Bridges as the villain, and Jon Favreau had a welcome tendency to favor character development over action.

However, one notably sour element of "Iron Man" was the score. Listening to the album, one might easily imagine that the film is an uninspired summer movie that is simply going through the motions. The music is composed by Ramin Djawadi, who might as well be named "Not Hans Zimmer" at this point. The music here is incredibly derivative and unoriginal, borrowing borrowed pieces of scores by other Zimmer proteges. There isn't a single moment in the entire score that makes one sit up and say, "Hey, that's nifty!" The familiar elements are all here... low electronic cellos, sawing motifs that give off a tired macho vibe, and electric guitar riffs vomited all over everything. This is just lazy writing from start to finish.

I would say the score is as bad as "Transformers", but that simply isn't the case. It's worse than "Transformers". At least "Transformers" stayed busy the entire time. During numerous moments, "Iron Man" simply gives out and wanders around in a haze of electronic ambience that is entirely personality-free. As for the action, it is quite problematic. I suppose by fusing orchestral sounds with rock music, the score hoped to capture the "bad boy" nature of Tony Stark while also reflecting the superhero aspects of the movie. Unfortunately, what we get is poor orchestral writing and half-hearted rock music that Stark would undoubtedly scoff at. If you're going to play up the bad boy aspect, really mean. Come at the audience with some hard-driving, guns-blazing rock music that gives the character an edge. This grunting and grinding business doesn't cut the mustard. If you're going to make the character heroic... well, for one thing, how about giving this original character a theme that doesn't sound like a rejected idea from "The Rock"?

I can only wonder what happened here. Was it Favreau's idea to hire Djawadi? Previously, Favreau had collaborated successfully with John Debney on "Elf" and "Zathura". Now, Debney is no master composer, but surely he could have topped Djawadi's accomplishments? Debney has all ready proven that he can write a kicking orchestral rock score (check out "The Scorpion King"), and his heroic orchestral writing can be terrific at times ("Cutthroat Island" is one of the great scores of the 1990s). Perhaps someone will suggest a change of composer in time for "Iron Man 2". If this were just another popcorn series (say, like "Transformers") I wouldn't care so much. But "Iron Man" was a classy movie that felt slightly cheapened by a weak score. One of the worst major efforts of 2008.
Rating: * (out of five)
Track Listing
1. Driving With The Top Down (03:09)
2. Iron Man [2008 Version] (01:05)
Performed by John O'Brien & Rick Boston
3. Merchant Of Death (02:14)
4. Trinkets To Kill A Prince (03:07)
5. Mark I (03:53)
6. Fireman (02:09)
7. Vacation's Over (03:34)
8. Golden Egg (04:12)
9. DamnKid (01:12)
Performed by DJ Boborobo
10. Mark II (02:47)
11. Extra Dry, Extra Olives (01:43)
12. Iron Man (03:30)
13. Gulmira (04:05)
14. Are Those Bullet Holes? (02:00)
15. Section 16 (02:33)
16. Iron Monger (04:45)
17. Arc Reaktor (03:55)
18. Institutionalized (03:49)
Performed by Suicidal Tendencies
19. Iron Man (00:20)
Performed by Jack Urbont

Review: Iron Eagle
Composed by: Basil Poledouris
Released by: Varese Sarabande (limited to 3000 copies)
Year Written: 1986
Year Released: 2008
Length: 52:11

I've never seen "Iron Eagle", and on the basis of the liner notes this new CD presents, I don't think I want to. It is described as an action movie about "kid empowerment" in which a teenager gets control of an jet fighter and blasts away bad guys while playing hot '80s tune on his Walkman. Count me out. The score was provided by composer Basil Poledouris, who could do this sort of thing well enough (though it wasn't really his forte). The score stands as a slightly more enthusiastic companion piece to Poledouris' work on "Red Dawn". Both scores feature a generally patriotic orchestral vibe accompanied by somewhat dated electronics. Additionally, both films have been described as distinctive products of the Reagan era, right-wing blockbusters about guts and glory.

Poledouris kicks things off with the pleasant "Main Title", which presents the appropriately "soaring" main theme that soars just a little less than one might hope. Nonetheless, it's a pleasant theme. Gentle and low-key material is heard in "Shot Down" and "Hallway", while synth tapping introduces a short suspense piece in "Ted on Trial". Some warm militaristic writing appears in "Three Days/Minister Sinister". A slightly threatening (and almost laughably simplistic) theme shows up towards the end of the cue, and is further developed in "The Gallows/Flight Line 1", a kind of dull piece that is one of the score's low points.

You'd think the score would start to pick up around this point, but it still remains low-key for a while. That's not really a bad thing, as Poledouris' sensitive writing avoids electronics and takes the composer into a warm and pleasing place musically. Still, I can't help but think this material sounds more like filler, practically inviting the listener to hope the pace will pick up soon. That finally happens in "Flight Line II/The Coast", which is one of the better performances of the main theme backed by unobtrusive electronics. Some noble brass material in this piece is more than welcome. "Chappy Gets Hit/Chappy Crashes/Chappy Talks" takes us back to that simplistic theme for a while, as does "Ted to Tarmac/The Tower", unfortunately. "Doug and Dad" is an okay action piece that leads into the insufferable "Top Gun"-style electronics in "Think You Can Handle the Music?" Everything wraps up with "Missing Man/You've Earned Them", a satisfying finale.

The score has it's moment, but one gets the sense that it could have been a lot more. A series of alternate cues are of little consequence, while a small handful of source cues are entertaining but very lightweight. Basil Poledouris was a very skilled composer who wrote some wonderful scores, but sadly "Iron Eagle" isn't one of them. It's not the worst thing the composer ever wrote, but it still is an album that will be most appreciated by Poledouris completists and fans of cheesy '80s scores. A disappointment.
Rating: **1/2 (out of five)
Track Listing
1. Iron Eagle - Main Title (01:59)
2. Shot Down (01:15)
3. Hallway (01:41)
4. Ted on Trial (01:28)
5. Three Days / Minister Sinister (02:37)
6. The Gallows / Flight Line I (03:33)
7. Chappy's Story / Appetite (03:30)
8. Iron Eagle Story / Flight Line II / The Coast (04:12)
9. Chappy Gets Hit / Chappy Crashes / Chappy Talks (04:16)
10. Ted To Tarmac / The Tower (02:26)
11. Doug and Dad (02:41)
12. Think You Can Handle the Music? (02:49)
13. Missing Man / You've Earned Them (02:29)
tracks 14-17: Alternates
14. Three Days / Minister Sinister (03:54)
15. Flight Line I (02:25)
16. Flight Line II (00:54)
17. Chappy Talks (01:49)
tracks 18-20: Source Music
18. Slappy's Place (04:25)
19. Slo-Slappy (01:29)
20. Army Air Corps (02:19)

Review: Standard Operating Procedure
Composed by: Danny Elfman
Released by: Varese Sarabande
Year Released: 2008
Length: 53:44

The immensely talented documentarian Errol Morris has tackled some fascinating subjects in his films, ranging from pet cemeteries ("Gates of Heaven") to Robert S. McNamara ("The Fog of War"). His latest film is "Standard Operating Procedure", which examines cases of abuse in an Abu Ghraib prison. The film has garnered very high praise from critics, who have deemed it a thought-provoking study of a very serious subject. Morris is also one of the few remaining documentarians who doesn't make himself a central subject in his films, which is a noteworthy attribute as far as I'm concerned.

In the past, Morris has worked a great deal with composer Philip Glass, who provided fine scores for "The Thin Blue Line" and "The Fog of War". This time, Morris has made the surprising move of hiring composer Danny Elfman. Of course Elfman can write very good music for serious films, but he's hardly the first person you'd think of to score a documentary like this. However, Morris' decision seems to have paid off quite nicely. Most critics have been very complimentary of Elfman's contribution to the film. How well does it work as a listening experience on album?

I would say it works very well. Three things about this score are somewhat surprising. First of all, Elfman mimics the style of Philip Glass more than a little bit in "Standard Operating Procedure". Second, Elfman also lifts sections from his concert work "Serenada Schizophrana", which Elfman claims was partially inspired by Glass. Third, Elfman steers away from attempting to score the film from an ethnic standpoint. Rather than emphasizing location, Elfman puts the spotlight on universal emotion, creating moving cues that attempt to capture the human spirit.

As you might expect, "Standard Operating Procedure" is quite a sad score, but a genuinely moving one. It's not a difficult listen by any means, but don't expect to feel cheerful when it is over. My favorite piece may be the six-minute opening cue featuring the score's primary theme. It's a superb composition that ranks as one of my favorite Elfman themes of recent years. The theme appears elsewhere occasionally, but not enough to wear out it's welcome. Though Elfman does indeed borrow some Glass trademarks, I am pleased to note that he never loses his own equally unique voice over the course of this score. Elfman occasionally employs some strange electronics to impressive effect, particularly in "Dogs", "The Table Breaker", and "What Is Going Here?". A uniquely strange yet lovely composition closes the album, "Oli's Lullaby". This is an immensely sad score, but it's also very empathetic... there's such warmth and humanity flowing through many of these cues. "Standard Operating Procedure" is a superbly conceived patchwork quilt of ideas from Elfman, and this ranks as one of the finer film music albums I have heard this year. Very highly recommended.
Rating: ****1/2 (out of five)
Track Listing
1. S.O.P. Theme #1: Standard Operating Procedure (05:56)
2. The Infamous Pyramid (03:48)
3. Photos (02:56)
4. The Shooter (03:26)
5. Dogs (03:42)
6. The Wolf (01:11)
7. Saddam’s Egg (03:30)
8. Main Titles: Vacation in Iraq (02:07)
9. S.O.P. Theme #2: Amnesty (01:33)
10. What Is Going On Here? (02:32)
11. Gilligan (03:02)
12. Story of the Ants (03:36)
13. The Table Breaker (01:01)
14. S.O.P. Theme #3: Feelings & Facts (05:26)
15. Unusual, Weird & Wrong (02:32)
16. A Bad Feeling (02:22)
17. Birdies (01:38)
18. S.O.P. End Credits (01:26)
19. Oli’s Lullaby (02:00)

Review: Definitely, Maybe
Composed by: Clint Mansell
Released by: Lakeshore Records
Year Released: 2008
Length: 33:47

Clint Mansell has always been a rather hit-and-miss composer for me. I admired much of "Requiem For a Dream", and portions of "The Fountain", but both felt like missed opportunities (particularly the latter). His score for "Smokin' Aces" hit tremendous highs during select moments, but the rest of the time it was remarkably boring. In fact, the only truly satisfactory Mansell score I have heard is the generic-but-entertaining action score "Sahara", though many have argued that the success of that score is owed to orchestrator Nicolas Dodd. Mansell's latest effort is a romantic comedy score, which certainly seems like fairly new territory for the composer.

The film is "Definitely, Maybe", a weepy/happy/sappy/sweet concoction starring Ryan Reynolds and Abigail Breslin. I fully expected the score to take the standard approach that composers are asked to take for this sort of film: twinkly piano passages, soft acoustic guitars, pleasant and forgettable themes, etc. Mansell offers a genuine surprise here, working pretty hard to dispense with schmaltz as much as possible. While he's not 100% successful in that department, the results are still pretty admirable. At last, a romantic comedy score that doesn't sound like a standard-issue romantic comedy score.

But as much as I would like to commend Mansell for providing a score that breaks away from the formula, I also must express concern about the fact that Mansell doesn't really provide a terribly interesting substitute. Sadly, the score becomes more noteworthy for what Mansell doesn't offer than what he does offer. If this is the substitute for a typical romantic comedy score, it's almost tempting to say, "Why not just go back to a typical romantic comedy score." Almost, but not quite. Though the results are hardly thrilling, there are some moments worth noting in the score.

The guitar-driven opening piece "Will Hayes for President" is one that has grown on me, a slightly rough but accessible composition. "An Evening at the Odeon" is a nice piece spotlighting some smoky keyboard writing. "The Candidate" is probably my favorite cue from the album, with some pretty cool electric guitar and brass licks that sounds like something from a spy movie. Elsewhere, the gentle and quiet cues do employ the pianos and acoustic guitars, but almost always in an understated manner that doesn't push the point. Still, when the album ends, you forget about it almost immediately. There's nothing here that sticks in your head and keeps you coming back for more. Additionally, the album is quite bitty, schizophrenically jumping through eighteen tracks in a half hour. The score is commended, but not recommended.
Rating: *** (out of five)
Track Listing
1. Will Hayes For President! (02:56)
2. Here Comes Summer (02:26)
3. For Emily (Whoever She May Be...) (03:40)
4. April (Come She Will) (02:41)
5. Jane Eyre (02:50)
6. Panic Stations... (00:40)
7. An Evening At The Odeon (02:04)
8. Sunday, Sunday... (00:38)
9. Cometh The Hour, Cometh The Man... (01:27)
10. It’s April (00:48)
11. Summer’s Over (01:20)
12. The Candidate (04:08)
13. Second Thoughts (01:07)
14. Maya Knows... (00:53)
15. The Happy Ending Is You (02:41)
16. Brooklyn Bridge (00:56)
17. Countdown (01:09)
18. April's Story (01:23)