Marcia Degia - PublisherYou would certainly expect the hugely successful Bond composer David Arnold to leave you shaken and stirred upon listening to this, his first foray into the world of Narnia, and that indeed is what you get.
You would certainly expect the hugely successful Bond composer David
Arnold to leave you shaken and
stirred upon listening to this, his first foray into the world of Narnia, and
that indeed is what you get.
No doubt fancying the shift in mood towards the fantasy genre and probably fed up with twiddling his thumbs
waiting for Bond 23 – aren’t we all – Arnold manages to fuse his own
frenetically-charged Bond signatures with Harry Gregson-Williams’ main themes from the first two films in
the series.
Probably best displayed on the pacy “The Painting” and “Sweet Water” Arnold’s
stirring strings and Bond bass-like rhythms combine well with William’s more fantastical soarings to
give the score a suitably symmetrical book-end coming near the beginning and
end. The brief but vibrant “Lone Island” could have been lifted off any of
Arnold’s last five Bond scores while the waltzy “Market Forces” and stomping
march of “Under the Stars” show exactly how Arnold can master action through
music.
That’s not to say the more sombre or slow melodies aren’t also as
enjoyable. The soaring “High King and Queen of Narnia” benefits from a
fleeting flute interlude between the strings while “1st Sword” uses the latter with plenty of emotion. The
sprightly “Duel” and dark brass of “Coraikin and the Map” also stand out as the
album nears completion, although “Aslan Appears” feels rather tame for what
must be such a grand cinematic entrance.
However it’s the 11-minute “Into Battle” which really stands out from
the thirty tracks on offer. Pretty much encapsulating the entire score, Arnold’s quiet brass builds with chanting
towards a truly rousing climax, showcasing perfectly his action score background.
In short, if it were served in a glass, Bond would certainly be drinking it
in.
Shaken, stirred? Yes.
But we wouldn’t expect anything less.
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader Soundtrack is released 6th
December.
