Little Children
Thomas Newman
" American Beauty meets tranquility "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
Little Children, the drama film starring Kate Winslet, Patrick Wilson, Jennifer Connelly, Jackie Earle Haley, Noah Emmerich and many others earned 3 Academy Award nominations: Best Supporting Actor for Haley, Best Actress for Winslet and Best Adapted Screenplay for Field and Perrotta. The music of Thomas Newman did not receive any nominations, showing that the American Beauty effect has definitely worn off. Because American Beauty is and was easily the first score that popped in my head the moment I began playing "Snack Time", the opening cue of this short release.
I mean, musical sfx, tinkling sounds, eerie atmosphere, eccentric instruments, everything but a piano reminds me of American Beauty and the phase Thomas Newman was going through in 2000. However "Tissue" can not be described as postmodern American Beauty style at all, because the classical strings do deliver a completely different musical sound. This returns with equally hypnotizing effect in the beautiful "Bandshell".
The piano, one of the absolute trademark sounds in drama scores receives enough attention through a brief but lovely theme in "2 Hillcrest", during the emotional "Red Bathing Suit" or during the lovely "Pool Days", all the while a guitar creates the same sound of hypnotism in the relaxing tranquility of "Lucy". That doesn't mean the sound of "Snack Time" isn't repeated, because cues like "It's Wrong and it's Weird", "Weekends were Difficult", "A Sniff or Two" and the darkish "What's the Hurry?" create the same atmosphere through the various eccentric instruments. The only outburst is "Slutty Kay" where Newman puts the E in eccentric through a mere cello.
But if you think you heard it all, then "End Title" will truly surprise you. Because the entire experience has been a soothing one, where dreams and hopes were equally reflected by an atmospheric and tranquil journey. So, "End Title" had to completely and deliberately shatter all those feelings with a fantastic breathing piece where fond memories of "Passacaglia" and "Alegro" of McCreary's Battlestar Galactica happily enter my mind. Quote wise, it is mind blowing Thomas Newman material to finish with. Honestly, a track like this makes all the difference when it's time to rate the album.
One could place Little Children easily in the list of all those scores that tried to recreate the eccentric tone of American Beauty, but luckily unlike all those Erin Brokovich's, Little Children does posses the melodic quality, the interesting approach and the tranquil nature. It's all that combined that keeps the short listen interesting for a perfect background experience. In those parts it reminds me of Road to Perdition rather than American Beauty, simply because it displays every emotion so soothingly. Newman fans will love it no matter what, the majority has to decide whether passing the time is more important than living it (final track of course not included).
Track Listing
1. Snack Time (1.11)
2. Tissue (0.52)
3. 2 Hillcrest (0.47)
4. Late Hit (1.12)
5. Bandshell (2.05) Excellent track
6. Red Bathing Suit (2.03)
7. Lucy (1.46)
8. It's Wrong and it's Weird (2.33)
9. Pool Days (1.49)
10. Weekends were Difficult (1.47)
11. What's the Hurry? (3.31)
12. Fly me to the Moon * (2.35)
13. Mae (1.08)
14. A Sniff or Two (1.42)
15. Torso (1.10)
16. Be a Good Boy (1.41)
17. Slutty Kay (0.42)
18. Little Children (1.18)
19. End Title (7.40) Excellent track
* Arranged by Sammy Nestico
Total Length: 37.32
I mean, musical sfx, tinkling sounds, eerie atmosphere, eccentric instruments, everything but a piano reminds me of American Beauty and the phase Thomas Newman was going through in 2000. However "Tissue" can not be described as postmodern American Beauty style at all, because the classical strings do deliver a completely different musical sound. This returns with equally hypnotizing effect in the beautiful "Bandshell".
The piano, one of the absolute trademark sounds in drama scores receives enough attention through a brief but lovely theme in "2 Hillcrest", during the emotional "Red Bathing Suit" or during the lovely "Pool Days", all the while a guitar creates the same sound of hypnotism in the relaxing tranquility of "Lucy". That doesn't mean the sound of "Snack Time" isn't repeated, because cues like "It's Wrong and it's Weird", "Weekends were Difficult", "A Sniff or Two" and the darkish "What's the Hurry?" create the same atmosphere through the various eccentric instruments. The only outburst is "Slutty Kay" where Newman puts the E in eccentric through a mere cello.
But if you think you heard it all, then "End Title" will truly surprise you. Because the entire experience has been a soothing one, where dreams and hopes were equally reflected by an atmospheric and tranquil journey. So, "End Title" had to completely and deliberately shatter all those feelings with a fantastic breathing piece where fond memories of "Passacaglia" and "Alegro" of McCreary's Battlestar Galactica happily enter my mind. Quote wise, it is mind blowing Thomas Newman material to finish with. Honestly, a track like this makes all the difference when it's time to rate the album.
One could place Little Children easily in the list of all those scores that tried to recreate the eccentric tone of American Beauty, but luckily unlike all those Erin Brokovich's, Little Children does posses the melodic quality, the interesting approach and the tranquil nature. It's all that combined that keeps the short listen interesting for a perfect background experience. In those parts it reminds me of Road to Perdition rather than American Beauty, simply because it displays every emotion so soothingly. Newman fans will love it no matter what, the majority has to decide whether passing the time is more important than living it (final track of course not included).
Track Listing
1. Snack Time (1.11)
2. Tissue (0.52)
3. 2 Hillcrest (0.47)
4. Late Hit (1.12)
5. Bandshell (2.05) Excellent track
6. Red Bathing Suit (2.03)
7. Lucy (1.46)
8. It's Wrong and it's Weird (2.33)
9. Pool Days (1.49)
10. Weekends were Difficult (1.47)
11. What's the Hurry? (3.31)
12. Fly me to the Moon * (2.35)
13. Mae (1.08)
14. A Sniff or Two (1.42)
15. Torso (1.10)
16. Be a Good Boy (1.41)
17. Slutty Kay (0.42)
18. Little Children (1.18)
19. End Title (7.40) Excellent track
* Arranged by Sammy Nestico
Total Length: 37.32