The Kindred (Varese Club Release)

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

With the Club Release of The Kindred, Varèse paid a tribute to a composer that barely receives the right attention namely David Newman! And it was fair to say, it didn't matter which score it was, it would have been sold out quickly no matter what. Still, The Kindred was only limited to a 1000 copies and the chance of hearing one of the first of David was a chance many didn't want to miss, or it had to do with the fact of reselling it for a lot more money on Ebay because it was so limited. Anyway, Varèse Club release or not, David Newman's The Kindred isn't exactly high class listening. Of course its one of the first the young inexperienced composer then scored and its all in the name of B-movie horror music, but still, it doesn't mean Club releases have to be limited and forgettable. Not that the music is so forgettable because its anxious enough to hear the tension or the shrill but basically I want more in general. The score starts very strangely with something that has for me nothing to do with the rest of the music, but perhaps the movie can / could explain this. Anyway 'Lullaby' in begin and end are brief piano led vocal parts, and while being the sole soft pieces on disc, don't interest me either because its basically such in contrast with the rest of the music. 'Main Title' is still one of the brief tracks that captured my interest, because its merely synthesized and capturing the atmospheric touch where then strings set up a tense sound, creating somewhat the mood of Critters (same year) as Humanoids from the Deep. And later on you realize there is much the same with The Kindred and Humanoids from the Deep, same moody pieces, same uninteresting touch in general and basically you need to focus on the music to keep listening to it, never a good thing.

With 'Hart Attack' you receive a moody piece with the Newman touch unfolding while 'Epilogue' is one of the first attacking horror pieces, whirling brass and on the edge music, takeable in one degree, getting to annoy you on the nother, its basically functional but not that special after all you've heard. 'Transformation' is more dissonance, wicked brass, dissonant flutes, electronic effects and a brief Aliens tone make it all work, but again you have to work your way through it, which is at one end doable and another frustrating. And more you get on your way, more you suddenly forget you are listening to music at all, only to be picked up when something loud returns to the forefront. 'Harry's Van' caught my interest due to the racing strings ala The Omen (don't think too much of it too), 'Harry's Creatures' with its racing feeling and tense strings, the glassy effects in 'La Mort du Chien' and the growing better to appreciate brass building in 'Melissa's Jars', one of the score's better tracks. A brief piano is even among the best tracks in 'Melissa and Dr. Lloyd', lasting for 40 seconds while the moody Humanoids from the Deep strings and effect (even the bells share the feeling) are what ends 'End Title'. Basically this score is comparable with Critters of the same year, but that score had other better and weaker points. Humanoids from the Deep has the same moody moments but then fails in the real attacking moments, which The Kindred more looses interest with. For a Varèse Club release, its limited appeal is nicely enticing, its rareness interesting and its composer status appealing, but The Kindred as a whole lacks somewhat points that make good scores. And if a horror score doesn't need to be good, then make it interesting. These points somewhat changed my judgment. Its effective and intriguing to hear the basis of David Newman's begin, but as a filmscore you wish to get just a little more out of it then this. Who knows it will kindle you more?

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. Lullaby (0.44)

2. Main Title (3.17)

3. Hart Attack (3.02)

4. John Goes Home (1.19)

5. Epilogue (4.48)

6. Transformation (4.50)

7. John's Revelation (2.36)

8. Harry's Van (0.51)

9. Harry's Creatures (1.27)

10. Amanda And John (1.15)

11. Hart Escapes (0.39)

12. La Mort Du Chien (0.43)

13. Melissa's Jars (3.29)

14. Amanda Dies (1.11)

15. Nell's Death (1.39)

16. Lab Reveal (0.40)

17. Melissa And Dr. Lloyd (0.37)

18. Lullaby (0.43)

19. End Title (2.33)

Total Length: 36.42

The use of artwork or photos is posted for non profitable reasons

=== Link to Composer Site: David Newman ===