The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada
Marco Beltrami
" Small eclectic score simply works "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the limited release
The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada is Tommy Lee Jones' directorial debut, and a strong one at that. Starring Tommy Lee Jones himself, alongside Barry Pepper, Julio Cedillo and January Jones, the film is inspired by the real life killing of an American teenager during a military operation near the USA / Mexico border. The film was a critical success, especially at the Cannes Film festival. And if Tommy Lee Jones knew one thing well, it was important to underline the film with a musical duality that would both support the drama as the grittiness of the story. Considering Marco Beltrami has been doing this frankly all his life, he was considered to be a logical choice.
And that very duality flows throughout the entire score, not the least during the opening of this limited edition soundtrack. The first has the typical Marco Beltrami sound, delivered by an eclectic mix of guitars and percussion, the other "Cinco Años" goes deeper to the heart with a touching combination of violins and accordion. Speaking of eclecticism, this approach is probably the biggest in "Mike Runs Off", when Beltrami toys around with woodwinds, percussion and eerie native sounds, or during "Fleeing Illegals" when accordion and harpsichord ignite a feisty combination of sounds. The lovely almost Venice like romanticism is then counterattacking all of that with "Gift Horse" and "House Building, some of the score's loveliest tracks. Or how the most different musical styles work hand in hand to create an enticing musical experience.
And frankly it does. Marco Beltrami's soundtracks have always had a taste for the peculiar. Never does it sound that simple, and that's once again the case in The Three Burials. Of course, the style draws mostly to the eclectic, as this is expected by this darker tale. But the occasional mix of some lighter (emotional like "Forgiveness" or uplifting like the last dancing minute of "Goodbye") music does definitely equal the balance easily enough. And all that is found during country songs by the likes of Hank Williams Jr. and Roger Miller. All in all, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada goes for subtle slightly eclectic Marco Beltrami music, performed by a very small group of performers. But what they bring nonetheless leaves an impression behind, no matter how small that may be.
Favorite Moment - Gift Horse (0.58 - 2.02)
Breezy music at its finest
Track Listing
1. Three Burials of Melquiades (2.07)
2. Cinco Años (1.20)
3. Fair to Midland: Dwight Yoakam (3.26)
4. Leaving Town (2.22)
5. Mike Runs Off (4.01)
6. I Wonder Who'll Turn Out The Light (In Your World Tonight): Bobby Flores (2.59)
7. Gift Horse (2.02)
8. Can't Keep It Up (2.51)
9. The Cheatin' Hotel: Hank Williams Jr. (5.12)
10. Entering Town (1.18)
11. Fleeing Illegals (1.19)
12. This Could Be The One: Flaco Jimenez (2.48)
13. Horse of Death (1.34)
14. Pete Confronts Sheriff (1.16)
15. Stalking Mike (1.33)
16. Workin' Man Blues: Merle Haggard (2.43)
17. Shoot Me (1.35)
18. House Building (1.13)
19. Before the Next Teardrop Falls: Freddie Fender (2.33)
20. No Jimenez (2.22)
21. Forgiveness (2.07)
22. Goodbye (2.46)
23. You Can't Rollerskate in a Buffalo Herd: Roger Miller (1.55)
24. Donde Estas Papa: Lila Downs (5.13)
Total Length: 58.35
And that very duality flows throughout the entire score, not the least during the opening of this limited edition soundtrack. The first has the typical Marco Beltrami sound, delivered by an eclectic mix of guitars and percussion, the other "Cinco Años" goes deeper to the heart with a touching combination of violins and accordion. Speaking of eclecticism, this approach is probably the biggest in "Mike Runs Off", when Beltrami toys around with woodwinds, percussion and eerie native sounds, or during "Fleeing Illegals" when accordion and harpsichord ignite a feisty combination of sounds. The lovely almost Venice like romanticism is then counterattacking all of that with "Gift Horse" and "House Building, some of the score's loveliest tracks. Or how the most different musical styles work hand in hand to create an enticing musical experience.
And frankly it does. Marco Beltrami's soundtracks have always had a taste for the peculiar. Never does it sound that simple, and that's once again the case in The Three Burials. Of course, the style draws mostly to the eclectic, as this is expected by this darker tale. But the occasional mix of some lighter (emotional like "Forgiveness" or uplifting like the last dancing minute of "Goodbye") music does definitely equal the balance easily enough. And all that is found during country songs by the likes of Hank Williams Jr. and Roger Miller. All in all, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada goes for subtle slightly eclectic Marco Beltrami music, performed by a very small group of performers. But what they bring nonetheless leaves an impression behind, no matter how small that may be.
Favorite Moment - Gift Horse (0.58 - 2.02)
Breezy music at its finest
Track Listing
1. Three Burials of Melquiades (2.07)
2. Cinco Años (1.20)
3. Fair to Midland: Dwight Yoakam (3.26)
4. Leaving Town (2.22)
5. Mike Runs Off (4.01)
6. I Wonder Who'll Turn Out The Light (In Your World Tonight): Bobby Flores (2.59)
7. Gift Horse (2.02)
8. Can't Keep It Up (2.51)
9. The Cheatin' Hotel: Hank Williams Jr. (5.12)
10. Entering Town (1.18)
11. Fleeing Illegals (1.19)
12. This Could Be The One: Flaco Jimenez (2.48)
13. Horse of Death (1.34)
14. Pete Confronts Sheriff (1.16)
15. Stalking Mike (1.33)
16. Workin' Man Blues: Merle Haggard (2.43)
17. Shoot Me (1.35)
18. House Building (1.13)
19. Before the Next Teardrop Falls: Freddie Fender (2.33)
20. No Jimenez (2.22)
21. Forgiveness (2.07)
22. Goodbye (2.46)
23. You Can't Rollerskate in a Buffalo Herd: Roger Miller (1.55)
24. Donde Estas Papa: Lila Downs (5.13)
Total Length: 58.35