The Borrowers
Harry Gregson-Williams
" Fun on a little scale "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
What can you expect from a solo composition, when you heard the best of Harry Gregson-Williams in a duo combination? Because comparisons will now draw the line closer to the successful scores of Antz and Chicken Run, heck let's even count Shrek with that for good measure. Harry Gregson-Williams, the half brain of those successes has scored this number of assignments before and The Borrowers became his first real over the top project.
Define "over the top project" please? Well, something where he could allow his imagination to go wild in a typical fun way. Those parts excelled in the up mentioned scores, and I feel that somewhere this score delivers it as well, but only partly. Because let's be realistic and clear from the beginning, The Borrowers doesn't reach Chicken Run fame. Okay, to call The Borrowers half as successful as Chicken Run isn't an insult, considering there aren't many that can equal themselves to that success. This because The Borrowers has too much playful underscore going for it.
This isn't to say that there is nothing to enjoy in the entire score. "Ocious P. Potter" has a nice villain theme, containing tiny motifs that defy his character as the tiny people. Furthermore, one of the highlights of the score is "Borrower's Galore", a track full of fanfares. This is one of the few tracks that let the themes do the talking, and Gregson-Williams develops them in full Media Ventures style, worthy of the name "fun little fanfare".
Perhaps THE track that portrays the main downside of the fun is "Stealing the Will". Those that expect pure energetic pleasure will discover quickly the lack of exuberance. Still, the style of Antz is present and the next track "Hammered" exhibits some moments of Muppet Treasure Island fun. In other words, there is enough stuff present that sounds great in theory but never develops to the ultimate Chicken Run finesse.
We continue however with mentioning other lovely moments. One of those is "Dairy Montage", an energetic jazzy but extremely short cue. This is truly a piece of music where Gregson-Williams has fun. And things start to pick up pace when we near the final part of the soundtrack. Lacking pure thematic joy, they nonetheless deliver bold music. And then a track like "Life or Death for Peagreen" becomes memorable because it's fun, all the while "Pete to the Rescue" houses a great (hardly used) theme. The last track brings all the themes together again.
In a way there is much that energizes the whole score. The powerful orchestral sound and the driving tempo of Harry Gregson-Williams' music are what makes the score fun on its own. Sadly, like most albums I've encountered of Harry Gregson-Williams, something is missing. The Borrowers is a fine example of a skilled professional looking for the perfect recipe and delivering instead only a good one. In Chicken Run and Antz, Powell completed him and vice versa. Here the lack of something is still present. However that doesn't change the fact you'll discover a lot of little smiles once you give The Borrowers a whirl.
Tracklisting
1. Opening Titles (1.31)
2. Pete Helps Out (2.14)
3. Ocious P. Potter (2.36)
4. Pod's Heroics (2.11)
5. Killer Hoover (0.54)
6. Arriety's Sadness (2.53)
7. A Plan is Hatched (2.24)
8. The Policeman Arrives (1.32)
9. Pod Saves Peagreen (1.57)
10. Borrower's Galore (2.00) Excellent track
11. Stealing the Will (3.00)
12. Hammered (2.55)
13. The Borrower's Revenge (3.26)
14. Dairy Montage (1.03)
15. Arriety is Seen and Caught (1.17)
16. Life or Death for Peagreen (4.19)
17. Pete to the Rescue (4.26)
18. Potter's Entrance (1.41)
19. Potter's Angry Now (1.37)
20. Under the Floorboards (1.54)
21. Jeff the Exterminator (1.27)
22. Home & Dry / End Titles (6.17) Excellent track
Total Length: 53.47
Define "over the top project" please? Well, something where he could allow his imagination to go wild in a typical fun way. Those parts excelled in the up mentioned scores, and I feel that somewhere this score delivers it as well, but only partly. Because let's be realistic and clear from the beginning, The Borrowers doesn't reach Chicken Run fame. Okay, to call The Borrowers half as successful as Chicken Run isn't an insult, considering there aren't many that can equal themselves to that success. This because The Borrowers has too much playful underscore going for it.
This isn't to say that there is nothing to enjoy in the entire score. "Ocious P. Potter" has a nice villain theme, containing tiny motifs that defy his character as the tiny people. Furthermore, one of the highlights of the score is "Borrower's Galore", a track full of fanfares. This is one of the few tracks that let the themes do the talking, and Gregson-Williams develops them in full Media Ventures style, worthy of the name "fun little fanfare".
Perhaps THE track that portrays the main downside of the fun is "Stealing the Will". Those that expect pure energetic pleasure will discover quickly the lack of exuberance. Still, the style of Antz is present and the next track "Hammered" exhibits some moments of Muppet Treasure Island fun. In other words, there is enough stuff present that sounds great in theory but never develops to the ultimate Chicken Run finesse.
We continue however with mentioning other lovely moments. One of those is "Dairy Montage", an energetic jazzy but extremely short cue. This is truly a piece of music where Gregson-Williams has fun. And things start to pick up pace when we near the final part of the soundtrack. Lacking pure thematic joy, they nonetheless deliver bold music. And then a track like "Life or Death for Peagreen" becomes memorable because it's fun, all the while "Pete to the Rescue" houses a great (hardly used) theme. The last track brings all the themes together again.
In a way there is much that energizes the whole score. The powerful orchestral sound and the driving tempo of Harry Gregson-Williams' music are what makes the score fun on its own. Sadly, like most albums I've encountered of Harry Gregson-Williams, something is missing. The Borrowers is a fine example of a skilled professional looking for the perfect recipe and delivering instead only a good one. In Chicken Run and Antz, Powell completed him and vice versa. Here the lack of something is still present. However that doesn't change the fact you'll discover a lot of little smiles once you give The Borrowers a whirl.
Tracklisting
1. Opening Titles (1.31)
2. Pete Helps Out (2.14)
3. Ocious P. Potter (2.36)
4. Pod's Heroics (2.11)
5. Killer Hoover (0.54)
6. Arriety's Sadness (2.53)
7. A Plan is Hatched (2.24)
8. The Policeman Arrives (1.32)
9. Pod Saves Peagreen (1.57)
10. Borrower's Galore (2.00) Excellent track
11. Stealing the Will (3.00)
12. Hammered (2.55)
13. The Borrower's Revenge (3.26)
14. Dairy Montage (1.03)
15. Arriety is Seen and Caught (1.17)
16. Life or Death for Peagreen (4.19)
17. Pete to the Rescue (4.26)
18. Potter's Entrance (1.41)
19. Potter's Angry Now (1.37)
20. Under the Floorboards (1.54)
21. Jeff the Exterminator (1.27)
22. Home & Dry / End Titles (6.17) Excellent track
Total Length: 53.47