Daylight

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

When people consider what Randy Edelman wrote in '96, they will always return to the wonderful work of Dragonheart. Still, at the same year he composed 4 other scores, one to be Daylight. The movie I considered was okay for a look and the score is the same, but of course meaning in that retrospect a listen. It isn't Edelman's best nor it is his worst but it sure brings decent material to the forefront. Once again Edelman incorporates his synthetic use of sound, but absent do a degree is the tension sound which I always think lesser of. Daylight has it in itself but it isn't as ugly as I have heard in other scores and it is kept to a minimum. This score drives more on the two themes and Edelman being a master in theme writing, they are okay for the time they last. I do not listen often to Daylight but sometimes I feel it is necessary and sometimes the score even gives me the satisfaction, yet at the same time I think it is an okay score but nothing more, one that will sooth the Edelman ear of the fan. The first score track already brings the core of the soundtrack, or at least the two tracks that is. 'Daylight' has the action tension rhythm which is not that bad like the way it might sound and 'Latura's Theme' is the dramatic theme, the one which gets good meaning when accompanied with the visuals in the moment, and of course the track bringing it 'A Community is Formed'. This is for me the best track, because it brings the theme in a dramatic / heroic way and worked the best during the movie to my approval.

For the rest the action / tension theme appears on the occasion (like in tracks 5 and 13) and the use of the dramatic theme aka the Latura theme. These two themes get the appearance more then once and sometimes they are witnessed between a different idea coming of Edelman. The most interesting one is the piano movement of the action / tense theme that gives it a brief sense of freshness. And other tracks also lean close to several scores of the same era, like 'Leaving George' which sounds close to Dragonheart and the sole misfortunate track 'Rats', which uses the bad tense music of Anaconda. There are also two songs, they close the album and one is good, the other is not. The good one 'Whenever There is Love' is perhaps a typical strong duo ballad but I like it and the other is a casual if at times disappointing rock song which on occasion just irritates you. Together, the 48 minutes of music is entertaining at the grade of acceptance but nothing more. I still consider it one of the better scores of Edelman's career, but I also consider it as nothing more, simply because it isn't that high rewarding in the first place. Daylight is good because of the two themes, the absent to a degree of tension music and the ballad which stills gives it a boost more at the end. So, Edelman fans will no doubt see it as a good buy, haters will perhaps loath lesser material at the end but still, this is not orchestral beauty or more an orchestral score. Edelman has a way with writing and this concerns his synthetic approach. If this now means that the score lacks because of it, is entirely up to your acceptance of synthesized music. If not, Daylight will likely irritate you for its running time.

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. Daylight (3.32)

2. Latura's Theme (3.05)

3. Searching For A Miracle (1.56)

4. Survival (2.27)

5. Kit's Plan (3.29)

6. A Community Is Formed (2.45) Excellent Track

7. Leaving George (3.12)

8. Rats (1.51)

9. The Tunnel Claims Its Own (2.12)

10. Power! (2.29)

11. A Short Swim Under Water (2.10)

12. The Sandhog's Chapel (2.15)

13. Light At The End (5.27)

14. Madelyne's Fate (3.28)

15. Whenever There Is Love: Bruce R. & Donna S. (4.35) Excellent Track

16. Don't Go Out With Your Friends Tonite: Ho-Hum (2.54)

Total Length: 48.08

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=== Link to Composer Site: Randy Edelman ===