Life as a House
Mark Isham
" Emotional as an Isham "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
From jazz composer to more emotional artist to blazing heroic fighter, that is the path Mark Isham has taken over the many years he has composed music for film. Perhaps that's not entirely true, because there were always exceptions in his career. But it's safe to say he has developed in the musical genre by unleashing various styles whether it was jazz (The Cooler and The Majestic) or inspiring heroic material (Racing Stripes, Miracle and Men of Honor). Yet Isham is also capable of unleashing pure emotion. With Fly Away Home he has given us a reason to adore him, with Moonlight Mile and Life as a House he has given us a reason not to doubt him anymore.
With Life as a House he unleashes 3 genres with 3 themes, and in 40 minutes they all work in unison to bring harmony, pleasure and emotion. It opens with the more upbeat style, and with "If I Could kiss You" we have a somewhat eccentric opening with airy percussion and a tinkling atmosphere. It is here where Isham opens with his more playful theme, which works to present the more eccentric behavior of Kevin Kline's character. It is heard delightfully in "Round Robin" where the percussion grows to a brief but pleasant finish, or in "Sunscreen and Bicycles" that gives us a Thomas Newman eclectic combination of piano and harpsichord.
Further we have the material that moves softly from its sprightly nature to a more emotional line, while still bringing the bounciness that's being reflected through a theme, this heard in "A Leap" and "Building a Family". The last track by the way is featured in the trailer of Spanglish to get an idea of things.
But it is the basic transition from bounciness to emotion that gives you the most special material. Mark Isham shows his purest form of soft melancholy in various tracks. "Love is not Enough" and "I'm Happy Today" bring this tone, only the first does it with soft but lovely piano while the other creates it more through strings. And it's when Isham adds everything together that the best results are reached. Meaning when the strings and piano form together one whole we reach the emotional crescendo we were waiting on. "Tear it Down", "Leap of Faith" (with a nice soft crescendo) and "I Built myself a Life" are reaching this through the final theme of the score, the most soft but beautiful one too.
Altogether, it's a nice pleasing listen and Isham makes sure the emotion is changing exactly when it needs to, through something more bouncy or airy. But it remains dignified so that it doesn't resolve in lighthearted foolishness. Life as a House will especially please those who like soft emotional listens with a right doses of emotion and bounciness, without resorting to big waving finales. Because Mark Isham lets the music work as a footnote to the character's development, and only swells softly when the scene requires it. That makes Life as a House a winner. One of the better Mark Isham scores out there, and one that pleases me for a nice relaxing background listen with still enough themes so you won't forget you're even listening to it.
Tracklisting
1. If I Could Kiss You (3.39)
2. Round Robin (2.55)
3. Tear it Down (4.04) Excellent track
4. Love is Not Enough (3.04)
5. I'm Happy Today (3.11)
6. A Leap (1.03)
7. Sunscreen and Bicycles (2.57)
8. A Promise (3.31)
9. Build This House With Me (2.15)
10. Leap of Faith (3.16) Excellent track
11. Building a Family (1.57)
12. I'll Take This One (4.04)
13. I Built Myself A Life (5.48) Excellent track
Total Length: 41.51
With Life as a House he unleashes 3 genres with 3 themes, and in 40 minutes they all work in unison to bring harmony, pleasure and emotion. It opens with the more upbeat style, and with "If I Could kiss You" we have a somewhat eccentric opening with airy percussion and a tinkling atmosphere. It is here where Isham opens with his more playful theme, which works to present the more eccentric behavior of Kevin Kline's character. It is heard delightfully in "Round Robin" where the percussion grows to a brief but pleasant finish, or in "Sunscreen and Bicycles" that gives us a Thomas Newman eclectic combination of piano and harpsichord.
Further we have the material that moves softly from its sprightly nature to a more emotional line, while still bringing the bounciness that's being reflected through a theme, this heard in "A Leap" and "Building a Family". The last track by the way is featured in the trailer of Spanglish to get an idea of things.
But it is the basic transition from bounciness to emotion that gives you the most special material. Mark Isham shows his purest form of soft melancholy in various tracks. "Love is not Enough" and "I'm Happy Today" bring this tone, only the first does it with soft but lovely piano while the other creates it more through strings. And it's when Isham adds everything together that the best results are reached. Meaning when the strings and piano form together one whole we reach the emotional crescendo we were waiting on. "Tear it Down", "Leap of Faith" (with a nice soft crescendo) and "I Built myself a Life" are reaching this through the final theme of the score, the most soft but beautiful one too.
Altogether, it's a nice pleasing listen and Isham makes sure the emotion is changing exactly when it needs to, through something more bouncy or airy. But it remains dignified so that it doesn't resolve in lighthearted foolishness. Life as a House will especially please those who like soft emotional listens with a right doses of emotion and bounciness, without resorting to big waving finales. Because Mark Isham lets the music work as a footnote to the character's development, and only swells softly when the scene requires it. That makes Life as a House a winner. One of the better Mark Isham scores out there, and one that pleases me for a nice relaxing background listen with still enough themes so you won't forget you're even listening to it.
Tracklisting
1. If I Could Kiss You (3.39)
2. Round Robin (2.55)
3. Tear it Down (4.04) Excellent track
4. Love is Not Enough (3.04)
5. I'm Happy Today (3.11)
6. A Leap (1.03)
7. Sunscreen and Bicycles (2.57)
8. A Promise (3.31)
9. Build This House With Me (2.15)
10. Leap of Faith (3.16) Excellent track
11. Building a Family (1.57)
12. I'll Take This One (4.04)
13. I Built Myself A Life (5.48) Excellent track
Total Length: 41.51