Review
While not something I would re-listen to in its entirety, there are a few tracks on this score that weren’t quite like anything I’ve heard before, in the best way possible. The opening track, “The White Death,” has a moody melody and incorporates a unique combination of sounds and instruments, such as chimes, whistling, and even vocalizations providing textures to the melody. Other tracks utilized vocalizations this way, and they made this score so likable. Then there are tracks that sound very different, such as “Tank Fight,” which sounds like a rock song. This, along with a startling jump scare of sorts in the track “Polythene Pam,” are too much of a tone shift for my taste, at least for re-listenability. Another album was released for the film that includes all the popular songs that are incorporated into the film. I have not seen the film yet, but in an interview, composer Dominic Lewis spoke about how he treated the songs that were featured in the film – the “needle drops” – as a part of the score and the whole musical atmosphere of the film. Upon reading that, the original score with the occasional rock sounding tracks makes so much more sense. Overall, this is one of those situations where it’s perfect for the movie but not so much for a standalone listen. That being said, some tracks are certainly worthy of being added to some of my mood playlists.
Review by Michael.