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What Is The Last Score You Listened To From 2021?


Jay

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I sort of appreciate what Safina and Salinas are trying to do - that twangy rock sound that wouldn't be out of place in an early Robert Rodriguez film (or the game FULL THROTTLE) with a little bit of oriental colour, but ultimately it comes off as rather stale and without much dynamic. Album is about 20 minutes too long.

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Brian Tyler speaks on Facebook about this being a very personal project, but I don't find the same kind of intimate connection that I do his wonderful 2013 score STANDING UP -- his best score to date, IMO. There are still too many "trailerisms" going on. I do like the broad, Vangelis-like sounds, though.

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2 minutes ago, Thor said:

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Brian Tyler speaks on Facebook about this being a very personal project, but I don't find the same kind of intimate connection that I do his wonderful 2013 score STANDING UP -- his best score to date, IMO. There are still too many "trailerisms" going on.

Listening to Standing Up now, much better than anything else I've heard from Tyler. 

 

Agreed on Those Who Wish Me Dead, it's an uninteresting score unfortunately. 

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The Underground Railroad (Volume 1) by Nicholas Britell

 

Well, that was a bit disappointing. Lots of meandering ambiences, endless sustains and some hollow gestures (those opening forte tremolos weren't exactly subtle) . There's about two or three interesting musical ideas which are sometimes neutered or undone by some clumsy musical settings. With that said, I did find the Caeser material compelling, even in its melodramatic simplicity. I just wish there was more happening musically in all of this, especially given the scope of the material. Maybe the other volumes will deliver on that front.

 

 

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After the weighty 'Underground Railroad', Britell is back with a new, decidely less portentous one for this no-doubt-overproduced Disney riff on its own '101 Dalmatians' enduring baddie, Cruella De Vil. A raffish mix, it's kind of like Britell's own 'Succession' theme crossed with a macabre Elfman waltz and David Holmes-ian drum and bass grooves. It's cute, but apart from the omnipresent Cruella theme, summarized best in the two such-named waltz pieces, there's not much to hang on to.

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Cruella by Nicholas Britell

 

It has some fun bits and pieces. Kind of like Theodore Shapiro's funky grooves with a distorted Baroque-lite touch. Too much filler though. And it's a shame the whole thing kind of just gets reduced to giant swelling, tremolo-ing chords by the end. Wish there was more of this in there:

 

 

 

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Think I may have fallen into the trap of thinking Britell was the second coming. Loved Beale Street, but haven't been very impressed with his two 2021 releases so far. He does seem to have some obvious weaknesses. 

 

Some enjoyable stuff on this album! Love the theme when it plays in 'The Baroness Needs Looks'

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It's an animated movie currently only available to watch in a movie theater, or with an active Disney+ subscription with $30 Premiere Access add-on.  It will eventually be on VOD and physical disc, and eventually be free with any Disney+ subscription

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I'm also checking out this CRUELLA thing. I mean, it's more interesting than I had expected (which was vacous orchestral pap), but also some tracks that go nowhere fast, like "Revenge/Let's Begin". I'm not yet sold if I'm going to keep it in my digital collection or not. Probably not; the second half really meanders.

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2 hours ago, Thor said:

I'm also checking out this CRUELLA thing. I mean, it's more interesting than I had expected (which was vacous orchestral pap), but also some tracks that go nowhere fast, like "Revenge/Let's Begin". I'm not yet sold if I'm going to keep it in my digital collection or not. Probably not; the second half really meanders.

 

Just download the two waltz cues and you have everything that matters from this particular venture. Which is my way of collecting since at least 2005.

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On 4/30/2021 at 10:15 AM, Thor said:

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Lovely game score -- it's all very Vangelis/BLADE RUNNER (and intentionally so).

 

Playing this again. Still my favourite videogame score of 2021 so far.

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Apollo 50 (Jeff Beal) - Short, but perfectly formed score for a Smithsonian event to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11's historic trip to the Moon. A nice mix of his House of Cards strings and trumpet style, with the heroism (albeit without pushing the buttons quite so obviously as Horner did for Apollo 13). Well worth checking out. Beal really ought to get more big budget features...

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25 minutes ago, Tom Guernsey said:

Apollo 50 (Jeff Beal) - Short, but perfectly formed score for a Smithsonian event to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11's historic trip to the Moon. A nice mix of his House of Cards strings and trumpet style, with the heroism (albeit without pushing the buttons quite so obviously as Horner did for Apollo 13). Well worth checking out. Beal really ought to get more big budget features...

 

He also needs to do other "sounds" than what you just described. That seems to be his calling card (no pun intended).

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19 minutes ago, Thor said:

 

He also needs to do other "sounds" than what you just described. That seems to be his calling card (no pun intended).

Yeah maybe. Shame he doesn’t revisit his Pollock sound as much. That’s a great score. Lame brag alert… his wife emailed to thank me for my review of that score. I still count it as amongst my favourite of this score. 

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This seems to get better with every listen. I've always thought that Howard is good at subtle 'layering'. You hear things you missed before. Again and again.

 

Anyway, this is a solid 4 out of 5. Can't wait for Jungle Cruise.

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Upcoming FInnish movie about Tove Jansson, the creator of the Mumin world. I met Mattie Bye (who's Swedish) in Helsinki some 10 years ago. Very shy man, but extremely gifted - especially within the slow, melancholic, cautious sound that defines a lot of Nordic film music. This is not as interesting as FARO or A SERIOUS GAME, but still nice dreamy and explorative textures with prominent piano and lots of reverb.

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Quite impressive, largely orchestral score, although perhaps a bit too eclectic for good measure. Some Nino Rota/Danny Elfman there, some period jazz there etc. Not sure it all comes together that well. Wengenmayr is one of the foremost German film composer at the moment, and I believe Miller is his "protegée".

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Bit of a cheat, since the film was released last year. But the soundtrack JUST came out. Predictably beautiful and cautious from Preisner -- and funny to hear him "reference" Händel in the end credits.

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Ah, Chris Gordon is back with regularity now. This is first proper old-fashioned orchestral adventure score (deserts! rapids! escapes!) in 2021, big orchestra, sophisticated orchestration, cue lengths up to 12 minutes - though it probably will sink here because it's not attached to highly visible Hollywood marketing.

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20 hours ago, publicist said:

 

Ah, Chris Gordon is back with regularity now. This is first proper old-fashioned orchestral adventure score (deserts! rapids! escapes!) in 2021, big orchestra, sophisticated orchestration, cue lengths up to 12 minutes - though it probably will sink here because it's not attached to highly visible Hollywood marketing.

Great score! My dad used to use 'Buckley's Chance' in a sentence multiple times a day.

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Thanks for the tip. I didn't know Gordon had new one out. He's always a composer to watch. Big fan, in particular, of MOBY DICK, ON THE BEACH and MAO'S LAST DANCER.

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2 hours ago, Jay said:

Any good?

It's a lot like Wendy from last year but without the choir. If you liked that, you'll probably like this.

It's less 'Italian' than I thought it would be

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On 6/18/2021 at 4:58 PM, Jay said:

Never heard of that

 

It sure has a more recognizable melody (than Luca). Similar to the nominal work of these guys, 'Beasts of the Southern Wild'.

 

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Looks like I've never listened to a Dan Romer score outside its film, and the only films I've seen score by him are Digging For Fire, The Little Hours, Win It All, and Luca - all of which are good movies, incidentally

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BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD remains his most famous and best work, as previously mentioned. But also quite like BEAST OF NO NATION, SKIN and CHASING CORAL. Was not that impressed by WENDY as everyone else seemed to be, but I'm looking forward to checking out LUCA.

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Wendy is basically the same as Beasts, a hummable, hymnal tune that gets prominently pops up in between more atmospheric bits (that are mostly of the strumming variety). 

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So I tried LUCA too. My mind started to wander after about one third through the album. Light pizzicato strings and semi-authentic time markers for 1950s Italy, a bit like Stephen Warbeck on his least interesting. Or like IL POSTINO without the identity. Very far from Romer's best efforts, IMO. My colleague seemed to like the film, though, so I'll probably be watching it down the line.

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ab67616d0000b27388ac27a9b1295ee0099d70c9

 

OK, it isn't a soundtrack, strictly speaking. More like a symphonic concept album. But edit out the narration, and you have a smokin' great, score-like album that showcases the ever-reliable Wiseman flexing her orchestral muscles with broad, melodic themes and regal elegance. Recommended!

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15 hours ago, publicist said:

It's really Beasts and Wendy, just without the hymnal tune. Romer without Zeitlin ain't much, or so it seems.

 

I liked some of the stuff in Maniac. But your description of Luca is pretty spot on. I can't remember much of it by the end.

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Nobuo Uematsu, et all - Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade (Digital Mini OST)

 

Some nice developments of the Yuffie and Wutai themes from the original game, and even a surprise appearance of Tifa'a Theme in one track!  Some really good Shotaro Shima action music, and some really catchy stuff throughout.  Also some really terrible tracks that take Remake tracks and mix awful new electronics over them.  Can't wait to hear the entire 3CD OST album!

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Thanks to Jon Broxton for the indication!

 

Beautiful and touching score, although a little repetitive. Anyone who likes those period drama scores by composers like Dario Marianelli should give this one a try.

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Revo - Bravely Default II

 

I've kind of flip-flopped back on forth on whether or not I consider this a worthy successor to the truly great first score.  On this listen I decided to skip past tracks that turned me off early and ended up with a shorter album experience that increased my appreciation of it.  I still wish there was more new material and less reworked versions of music from the first game, but overall, it's still pretty good.

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Better than expected horror score that sounds like from the late 70's/early 80's (with a dash of the 90's Miramax scores thrown in for good measure)

 

 

Not as awful as expected - the huge action music still is - with a few pieces even approaching something that could be called 'spirited' or 'stirring'. It doesn't amount to much, bun in the tragic musical tradition of Marvel it's certainly a highlight.

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