"Defiance" is Powerful and Emotiveby LiadanESM
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April 29, 2009:
James Newton Howard, unsurprisingly has delivered yet again with "Defiance," which you can enjoy thoroughly even w/o seeing the movie-I should know.
Howard gives us a rare setup with a solo violinist featured in (or carrying) many of the tracks. While I don't go for violin solos so much, they work well in this soundtrack, delivering plaintive, intense pieces that are both hopeful and desperate in their carriage. The rest of the soundtrack follows suit, with a feel that is deep, yet sweeping with tracks that are reposing and emotive (track 1, 2, 3, and 10 for instance) balanced well by more forceful and powerful tracks (aka 5, 6 and 12 for example).
The recording, delivery, etc are all great, to be typical of J. N. Howard, the pieces are original and have enough variety so you don't hear the same thing over and over, but at the same time there's a definite "theme" to the soundtrack. This CD is great for anyone who is familiar with Howard's work, and is a great addition; for the newcomers, you can't go wrong staring with this. Check my "recommended" for additions that run along the lines of this CD. :) Enjoy!
I Also Recommend: Children of Dune, Dragonball Evolution [Score], Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Lady in the Water, Bangkok Dangerous.