In the Bedroom
Thomas Newman
" Now a best seller on ebay: mood on a compact disc "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
The Thomas Newman sound that made American Beauty such an interesting affair has now lost it completely, considering we saw it returning in Erin Brokovich and Pay it Forward, both without the obvious ideas that made it such an inspiring result. And now we receive In the Bedroom, which is sadly a continuation of that uninspiring mood. The movie was a critically acclaimed film, and received top notch reviews and a strong box office run, but somehow Thomas Newman wasn't all that inspired by it. Or maybe he wasn't given the chance, considering he had to imitate his own sound he created one year ago.
Now In the Bedroom is thankfully quite short, only 30 minutes long. But it's also divided into 19 tracks, which gives the possible development no chance as hell. That didn't stop Thomas Newman for making the most of it in efforts like Oscar and Lucinda or Little Women, but somehow we couldn't expect something as orchestral as that. Because In the Bedroom doesn't need much to function, some piano, some strings and some atypical instruments that make the mood for what it is. One of the longest tracks "Zeni Me, Mamo" is however something entirely different, an intriguing song solely by vocals, creating a mood Thomas Newman never matches with his own material. The other songs "OJ Savice" and "Dobro Dosle" are the same.
The dark dramatic string music in "North on 73" is a familiar piece for Newman connaisseurs and the end title cue returns with the shrieking violin moment of "Cannery (Main Title)", hardly a winning main ?theme? at all.
What makes this score important, or what defines this soundtrack in the end? Sadly nothing. I didn't remember any themes or even returning melodies, I only heard dramatic piano and a quirky moment here and there. Perhaps that's the saving grace of In the Bedroom, the low quantity of the zany eclectic pieces Newman does so often. But something special? No, that is not what In the Bedroom delivers. Honestly, This is background mood, soft string music that sets a mood but never an emotion or a highlight. And I can not imagine anyone wanting to pay for mood you can get better and more creative in other forms and formats.
Track Listing
1. Houses (0.43)
2. Cannery (Main Title) (1.37)
3. Can't Sleep 2 (0.58)
4. VFW (1.09)
5. Baseball (1.13)
6. Zeni Me, Mamo (3.14)
7. Blocks (2.05)
8. Henry (1.49)
9. Line Divided (0.52)
10. Can't Sleep 1 (0.40)
11. Last Call (1.35)
12. OJ Savice (1.55)
13. Thirteen (1.07)
14. North on 73 (2.37)
15. Swingbridge (1.24)
16. Drive Back (1.05)
17. Dobro Dosle (0.35)
18. Down East (1.21)
19. In the Bedroom (End Title) (4.32)
Total Length: 30.31
Now In the Bedroom is thankfully quite short, only 30 minutes long. But it's also divided into 19 tracks, which gives the possible development no chance as hell. That didn't stop Thomas Newman for making the most of it in efforts like Oscar and Lucinda or Little Women, but somehow we couldn't expect something as orchestral as that. Because In the Bedroom doesn't need much to function, some piano, some strings and some atypical instruments that make the mood for what it is. One of the longest tracks "Zeni Me, Mamo" is however something entirely different, an intriguing song solely by vocals, creating a mood Thomas Newman never matches with his own material. The other songs "OJ Savice" and "Dobro Dosle" are the same.
The dark dramatic string music in "North on 73" is a familiar piece for Newman connaisseurs and the end title cue returns with the shrieking violin moment of "Cannery (Main Title)", hardly a winning main ?theme? at all.
What makes this score important, or what defines this soundtrack in the end? Sadly nothing. I didn't remember any themes or even returning melodies, I only heard dramatic piano and a quirky moment here and there. Perhaps that's the saving grace of In the Bedroom, the low quantity of the zany eclectic pieces Newman does so often. But something special? No, that is not what In the Bedroom delivers. Honestly, This is background mood, soft string music that sets a mood but never an emotion or a highlight. And I can not imagine anyone wanting to pay for mood you can get better and more creative in other forms and formats.
Track Listing
1. Houses (0.43)
2. Cannery (Main Title) (1.37)
3. Can't Sleep 2 (0.58)
4. VFW (1.09)
5. Baseball (1.13)
6. Zeni Me, Mamo (3.14)
7. Blocks (2.05)
8. Henry (1.49)
9. Line Divided (0.52)
10. Can't Sleep 1 (0.40)
11. Last Call (1.35)
12. OJ Savice (1.55)
13. Thirteen (1.07)
14. North on 73 (2.37)
15. Swingbridge (1.24)
16. Drive Back (1.05)
17. Dobro Dosle (0.35)
18. Down East (1.21)
19. In the Bedroom (End Title) (4.32)
Total Length: 30.31