2. Saints and Sinners (3:58)
Here Young blends his trademark dissonant horror writing with the synths.
It gets the point across, but it's not exactly the most exciting listening
experience, unless you're a sucker for great atonal music. Later,
the synths move up the pace, only to go back to low brass figures with
dissonant grinding strings. This is almost one of the "creeping around
tracks."
3. Fayeth in Fate (1:57)
Now we get the introduction of the small love theme. The accompaniment
is a rhythm based on the dissonant sixths from the opening, now played
on strings. The theme itself is pretty nondescript and simple, played
on the piano. However, it builds a great melancholy mood for the
film.
4. Bright Moments (2:20)
We finally have a real action cue with not much grating atonality.
Like always, the synths are there, but they're mixed so low it doesn't
even matter. This is one of the only times they mesh with the orchestra,
following the ostinato in the low strings. It seems that one of the
themes in this score is the dissonant sixths, as they play a large part
in this action cue. However, in the last 30 seconds Young lets loose
with a soaring, grandiose string theme.
5. The Dancing Jars (1:06)
One of the better tracks on the album, this begins with a syncopated
string figure with synths which leads into a great melody for Celtic flute,
accompanied by the strings.
6. Blackmail (2:45)
Here is one of my favorite action cues on the album, perfectly capturing
a desperate mood presented on screen. The accompaniment is especially
noteworthy - a great syncopated ostinato in the bass with synths.
After a while, it dissipates into "creeping around" dissonance, but soon
the ostinato is back in full force, now with a horn figure - the dissonant
sixths coupled with glissandi.
7. Who's Who? (3:03)
We're now back to quieter territory. It's spy music - but the
good kind, not the dissonant kind. Like always, it's got synths and
high strings. The major motif here is a repeated pulsing figure in
piano.
8. Heist Society (3:35)
More spy action - now with the major ostinato in the synths with some
nondescript string melodies - the dissonant sixths again. After a
while, the quiet synths get the spotlight as the only bass instrument playing,
along with various short dissonant figures throughout the orchestra.
9. A Certain Uncertainty (3:11)
Yet more spy action. I like this one a little more than its predecessors,
since it's got a nice low strings tension passage. Still, the synths
eventually take over, and the only real orchestral part is a collection
of dissonant sliding chords in strings and woodwinds. Overall, a
very schizophrenic listening experience.
10. La Fleur de la Musique (1:58)
That French horn intro gets a little more fully developed here, and
the simple piano love theme makes a return. Later the strings more
fully expand on it.
11. Kuala Lumpur (1:19)
One of the more ethnic tracks on the CD, this begins with an ethnic
drum part, and the main melody is stated in some kind of wailing ethnic
flute that I've never heard before in my life. Its sound is almost
like a saxophone, but more Eastern. This is one of the better tracks
on the album.
12. Impossible, but Doable (1:36)
Another great track. Most of it is a melody stated in all the
treble instruments, namely strings, celeste, and bells. It's accompanied
by a woodwind ostinato.
13. Thieving (4:12)
Here we have a calm, tranquil, yet still uncertain spy track (the best
on the CD so far.) All of it is based on a syncopated string note
and alternating piano figure. An interlude sounds almost like electronic
chimes, and we next have a dissonant string part. Unfortunately,
the synths make a return, and turn it back into a generic spy track, but
still much more upbeat than its predecessors.
14. Wondering Aloud (2:53)
Opens with the typical uncertain strings. Later is a great touch
- a subtle interpolation of the love theme by the piano. The strings
continue to build, climaxing in the worst synth passage on the album.
A jazzy guitar ostinato with booming synth accompaniment is the basis for
this, with the orchestra following with the guitar melody. IMHO,
the synths are mixed much too loud, but there's still a great orchestral
resolution.
15. Silent Partner (1:31)
Another one of the best spy tracks, this has synth ostinato (like always)
and syncopated bass. Again, like the previous track, Young subtlely
interpolates the love theme into the proceedings.
16. The Empress Mask (7:21)
You would think that this is the big action climax cue to the album,
right? Wrong, it's just another spy track - and by far the most generic
so far. It's all made up of your typical synth stuff and gloomy,
sometimes dissonant string and woodwind chords. At times, it seems
to want to jump into a big action cue, but always stays in spy land.
Luckily, the synth sometimes abandons the orchestra.
17. Millenium Countdown (1:30)
Instead, here is the big action climax. Young uses all of his
usual dissonant strings, etc. but plays them at a frantic pace, making
the atonality much more exciting. Too bad it's so short.
18. Alive Again (1:58)
The piano love theme is back, in its usual piano/string sixths form.
This track is by far the best presentation on the CD, except for the last
track, adding a flute extension and a melodic string conclusion.
19. Try, Then Trust (2:05)
Here's another climactic action track, even better than "Millenium
Countdown." If you don't think I'm insane yet, you will after you
read the next sentence: the opening 30 seconds remind me a lot of Leonard
Rosenman's action stylings. The piled fifths, the pulsing low string
ostinato, pure Rosenman. The music later tones down some, using the
trademark synths and dissonant parts.
20. Thank God (4:04)
Young ends the score by finally providing closure to the love theme.
Although it's understatedly simple, I've come to like the theme even more
with repeated listenings. After some of the dissonant sixths, he
introduces a tremolo pastoral passage in the strings, which segue into
a soaring presentation of the love theme. The only thing that detracts
is the droning synths, now mixed louder than usual. In fact, they
nearly ruin the track. Still, this is one of the standout tracks
on the CD. Unfortunately it ends rather badly with ominous synthesizers.
So, what do I think of this overall? Although it's not very interesting to listen to by itself, except for a few standout tracks, I think it's great for setting a mood. It's also great background music while you do other tasks. BTW, I think this score was perfect for the film it was composed for. However, I don't think it's the best of Chris Young, and I am definitely going to try out some of his other work. If you enjoy dissonant spy music, I'm sure you'll love this, and others will find it good for a few tracks and as background music.
| Music Rating | 7/10 |
| Packaging/Liner notes | N/A |
| Orchestral performance | 9/10 |
| Sound Quality | 10/10 |
| Length | 6/10 |