Murder in the First

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

While many people didn't directly see this coming of Christopher Young, I knew it was only a matter of time. Each composer has a side so far away from the one we know and used to accustom with them respectively and this is the one to prove it with the fans. Christopher Young's side was dark gothic horror and so to my utmost delight, Young mixes through his dark music a sense of beauty, emotion and burden, all in a score that catapulted him to fame with the music fans and it should have done the same with the Academy of Oscars since this is practically Thomas Newman's scope of The Shawshank Redemption. I mean, it equally goes about a man facing the dark struggles on confinement in a prison cell and how he copes with that. And from what I heard, comparing the two might be not the most sane thing to do but Young's attempt wins the most points if it comes down to final and pure impressions. I equally had moments I was fading away in this score but not as much as The Shawshank Redemption, and solely his main theme of Young is pure Oscar material. I'm still displeased about the fact Murder in the First was ignored during the Annual Oscars, luckily the fans didn't ignore it, even with its rather obscure availability lately.

The score has as said above one magnificent theme. And the beauty is, just like James Newton Howard's theme for Flatliners, it is a theme that easily catapults the score higher than before. And also as winning ticket is that Young makes use of the orchestra and later choir to make this theme the emotional dripper it is today. 'Murder in the First' opens the score and states the secondary yet equally astonishing theme and then the orchestral performance of the main theme. The tracks that follow upon this brilliant opener are just as good, practically. 'Track 13' has these wonderful cello solos full of emotion and burden and 'Solitary Confinement' grows majestically to a climax in the first minute. The first performance of the main theme with choir is in 'The Truth be Known' when first a variation of the main theme is heard, and then the theme with full choir and brief cello solos. Sadly for the score, the only thing keeping it from a half to full star more are two things. The fact that I lost a bit of interest along tracks 12, 13 and 14 (because they brought a little much of the same) but equally the happy jazzy marches heard in 'Movietone News' and 'Suitcase Sally'. While the first is rather cool and sprightly, it is the fact that they just follow on the best tracks of the score, both carrying that wonderful main theme and just bringing you in the emotion of the film. They just break up the mood and should have been separated for my sake to the begin, end or simply not used. Basically these two tracks not used could have given this score a half star (definitely) more in quotation.

Yet forget the fact that it is just a small glitch in an otherwise fantastic listening experience. 'D Block' is one of the best tracks, not carrying the main theme when cellos and the drama theme of the first track (among others) grows here emotionally beautiful. And the fact that after a pair of dead moments the score ends simply with brilliant versions of the main theme on choir. Just like Flatliners, this track is entitled 'Redemption' and brings forth emotion you basically can't describe. So, simply a main theme is what makes a good album great but besides the main theme, there is plenty more of brilliance here. I really like the drama theme and the versions of cello give the score much more depth. Murder in the First basically doesn't flow around the main theme but it nonetheless makes the score much more sensational in both its captivating magic and its everlasting impressions. See Christopher Young not as a horror composer because things are simply not that simple with movie composers. Everyone by know has proven that versatility is a big thing with movie composition. And sometimes the darkest of all composers have given us the most glorifying film music the last couple of decades. Example one is Murder in the First. Soon to follow are examples 2 to 100!

\ľľľľ/

Tracks

Single Disc

1. Murder In The First (3.15) Excellent Track

2. Track 13 (2.20)

3. Solitary Confinement (2.44)

4. The Truth Be Known (3.12) Excellent Track

5. Movietone News (2.01)

6. She Don't Play Cards (3.09)

7. Ashes (1.16)

8. Adoramus Dei (4.05)

9. A Constant Spirit (3.39) Excellent Track

10. Suitcase Sally (2.39)

11. D Block (3.09)

12. Henri Young (1.18)

13. All Things Visible (3.05)

14. J.Q.586 (2.57)

15. Back To The Rock (1.53)

16. Redemption (4.07) Excellent Track

Total Length: 44.58

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=== Link to Composer Site: Christopher Young ===