Lost: Season 2

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

You are not Lost, the show's success isn't over yet and the Giacchino effect is far from over. We have reached Season 2 and despite many episodes, very few of our questions have been answered, and yet we wait with anticipation to what Season 3 will unravel. That it may bring solid answers to all the questions raised from the very first episode. And bringing those answers in rapid tempo is composer Michael Giacchino, who went like the show from zero to hero in a years' time. Lost was a gigantic success and the DVD with initial soundtrack release became the hit of sales on the internet. So why would Season 2 change anything of that success? Varčse Sarabande therefore saw it only as logical that they would bring the second season on the market the moment it reached the DVD's as well. The only question is, how would the music sound like? In the first season you spotted moments of music during the show that sounded phenomenal and thereby the CD was something of a quest to find out if there was more that you missed! During the second season I didn't really paid attention to many moments, the cues didn't really jump out that easily. And thereby the quest became more than ever the leap to finding the answers to the question: is Season 2 as good as 1? With the inevitable 'Main Title' Lost is born, but 'Peace Through Superior Firepower' really blows you away, immediately hard as nails music jumps out and grabs you, there isn't a better way to begin a CD as that. 'The Final Countdown' starts with a cello and piano of the main drama theme but it gets somewhat suspenseful near the end, never exploding however like the one who came before. 'World's Worst Landscaping' covers a neat little attitude with an accordion and exotic percussion while 'Mess it All Up' leads to an emotional counterpoint. It are however the moments like 'Hurley's Handouts' that make more fuzz in the end, the parting words gigantic main theme gets a nice little breeze with the guitar softly jumping around. And then 'Just Another Day on the Beach' leads the dance of the more successful on edge music heading by then to a nice drama theme finish.

With 'The Tribes Merge' the percussion has been let loose while 'The Gathering' is the parting words theme set in the same expressive grand manner like we want it, captivating. 'Shannon's Funeral' has the parting theme in variation on soft strings, 'All's Forgiven ... Exept Charlie' is covering piano, guitar and mostly soft music yet Charlie's more interesting when we hear 'Charlie's Dream', pure brilliant expressive music, the danger theme and racing piano just springs a dance of daring Television music. The Others however feel more low key, 'A New Trade' captures an ominous cello, eerie suspense music is found in 'Claire's Escape' while 'The Hunt' isn't really exploding as I'd hoped, ending yet hopeful with a brassy danger theme version. The better parts are still 'Rose and Bernard' with a piano / viola unison in the best sense and 'I Crashed your Plane, Brotha' capturing that rising percussion and angry brass we wanna hear more of. With 'McGale's Navy' and 'Bon Voyage, Traitor' we have a complete different ending than season nr 1. How beautiful, hopeful and meaningful that was, how bleak, dark and dangerous this ending presents itself as. Suspenseful music, dangerous sounding cello's and eeriness all facing a drama theme on occasion, Giacchino makes sure the tone has been set for the third Season. Its clear there is a lot of difference between the 2 Seasons, the first captured the themes and above all the emotional music, the second is much darker and way more on edge. It clearly shows why there wasn't many music that grabbed you while seeing the episodes. It was just more effective music that blended perfectly between the trees and the creature, and very few moments led to a hopeful sign of rescue. But that's why Lost 2 is still very effective music, if just harder to like than to appreciate. When big bombastic music fails or isn't needed, lay then you're hopes upon expressive, creative music. And there lies the ticket to Michael Giacchino's ultimate success. When you don't hear or pick up the music in the series, the CD will unravel just how much detail there is to be found inside the hatch. And that hatch may have been opened, the others may have been shown and the reason how they got on the Island may have been unraveled finally but musically you aren't tired of Losing yet. More, Michael Giacchino will not make you feel Lost just yet.

\ľľľ1/2/

Tracks

Single Disc

1. Main Title (0.16)

2. Peace Through Superior Firepower (1.26)

3. The Final Countdown (5.48)

4. World's Worst Landscaping (1.17)

5. Mess It All Up (1.27)

6. Hurley's Handouts (4.42)

7. Just Another Day On The Beach (2.48) Excellent Track

8. Ana Cries (1.47)

9. The Tribes Merge (2.03)

10. The Gathering (4.19) Excellent Track

11. Shannon's Funeral (2.12)

12. All's Forgiven ... Except Charlie (5.18)

13. Charlie's Dream (1.50) Excellent Track

14. Charlie's Temptation (0.51)

15. A New Trade (2.40)

16. Mapquest (0.39)

17. Claire's Escape (3.43)

18. The Last To Know (2.22)

19. Rose And Bernard (2.39)

20. Toxic Avenger (0.40)

21. I Crashed Your Plane, Brotha (1.45)

22. Eko Blaster (1.44)

23. The Hunt (3.57)

24. McGale's Navy (2.22)

25. Bon Voyage, Traitor (5.30)

26. End Title (0.32)

Total Length: 65.02

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

=== Link to Composer Site: Michael Giacchino ===