Finding Nemo

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

Thomas Newman isn't one of the easiest composers in the business. How could he be, since his style is probably one of supreme technicalities and effectiveness. His music seems to appear in many movies now since the word "quirky" made it into American Beauty several years ago. But still let Thomas Newman do it the best since he invented it. But also Thomas Newman is more then quirky, he can be brilliant, he can create astonishing themes, or emotional firecracker music or basically, stuff that gives the movies its edge, whether through orchestral mammoth cues or quirky instrumentation. And we all witnessed it in many different albums. But there is one example that does it altogether and Finding Nemo is the result to go see and hear. Even Newman had the chance to be nominated for an Oscar for this score and it seems this is such a soundtrack supporting a very popular movie, which can do always no harm for the score at hand. But the case in point is, how's the score apart from the movie and as with Newman, its wonderful to see that score work outside the movie's counterpart. So everything for a winning album. Well no, how much this music rocks and keeps us satisfied tough, why on earth are there 40 tracks to hear? The reason why many people hate bootlegs for instance is because each track is inserted, sometimes to the brink of seconds. They hate that and for Newman they make exceptions. True, Newman does more with those seconds then any other composer we know and the reason why Finding Nemo doesn't fail is because Thomas makes 1 minute cue work like it lasts for 4, stating ideas that instantly work and are catchy to like. And even if the listening experience isn't damaged by it all, you just can't think what this score could do if they were 20 tracks instead of 40?

The reason for me is simple, development. This can work wonders and hearing 5 good minutes with an explosion of excellence after it, is what makes winning film music. Finding Nemo states good ideas in 1 minute but that sole minute is not up to par with 5, let alone 3. Still, the effect and more the fun behind Finding Nemo is one of boogie and Thomas Newman in all his glory. To take out moments worth it more then the others is a case in point if you've got 40 tracks. 'Nemo Egg' states the main theme softly with its lovely piano, being a Newman one in style is 'Mr. Ray, Scientist' with its bouncy percussion, but also in this category are 'News Travels' with its added guitar and flute, 'Scum Angel' even adds very light choir to it while fun tracks are aplenty, 'Short-Term Dory', the wild and energetic 'Jellyfish Forest', 'Filter Attempt' with its cool themes while 'Fronds Like These' states that main theme softly in piano. However, Thomas Newman also shows several sides we haven't heard much from him, for instance the horror strikes which growl more then listen dissonant, nonetheless extremely effective in for instance 'Barracuda', 'The Divers' and the ever effective horn fanfare in 'Time to Let Go'. But there is more, what about the Mission: Impossible look a like in the 30 second 'Foolproof' or the crazy 'All Drains Lead to the Ocean' which is playful and fast. But still, we haven't heard it all. 'Pelicans' introduces us to a weird musical moment that somehow works, 'Friends not Food' which is dark, relentless and extremely powerful in giving a chase feeling, which is a piece that we haven't heard much of Newman before. And so Finding Nemo proves to have more up its sleeve then just 40 tracks in the listing.

The wonderful 'The Turtle Loop' shows the heroic horn fanfare heard in darker ways in 'Time to Let Go' sounding much better in a heroic swelling before an insanely catchy electric guitar rocks the shell shock of the turtles, also present in 'Darla Filth Offramp' with the horn fanfare. This horn fanfare returns the best in 'Swim Down'. The rumbling Horner piano works very strong in 'Fish in My Hair!' while 'Finding Nemo' states the main theme in soft ways to present the end of the search. Robbie Williams with his interpretation of the sea closes the score with decent results. Together, Finding Nemo is a very promising album and its ever fun listening experience is saved for this being Thomas Newman and him being just a classy composer all in one. But Finding Nemo is a highlight onto itself without the highlights. With that I mean, the whole score is a highlight and it makes a movie better and an experience insanely catchy, but I can't give highlights to tracks if they last 1 minute and finito. Its like the way this album works is because the one track makes the other better, just because it follows just a smooth line. This shows that the score is a very good album to listen to, but without the musical highpoints to close of the listen. For an Oscar nominated soundtrack, the effect is very pleasing but I like longer tracks more because they can bring more punch in the end, here you feel Finding Nemo is one highlight onto itself, just because it all flows together. This could have been a 4 star listen but they just don't tie the end together. For Thomas Newman fanatics, this one is a very diverse and pleasing catch, mixing the quirky with the fun, the emotion with the scare and Finding with Nemo, to show that everything will fall together in finding your lost ones in the end, and Newman finding his grace in just 40 tracks to form one listening soundtrack of fun and finesse.

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. Wow (2.31)

2. Barracuda (1.29)

3. Nemo Egg (1.16)

4. First Day (1.15)

5. Field Trip (0.57)

6. Mr. Ray, Scientist (1.28)

7. The Divers (1.56)

8. Lost (1.02)

9. Short-Term Dory (0.43)

10. Why Trust A Shark? (1.17)

11. Friends Not Food (1.51)

12. Fish-O-Rama (0.29)

13. Gill (1.40)

14. Mt. Wannahockaloogie (1.20)

15. Foolproof (0.32)

16. Squishy (1.32)

17. Jellyfish Forest (1.32)

18. Stay Awake (1.47)

19. School Of Fish (1.03)

20. Filter Attempt (2.05)

21. The Turtle Loop (2.04)

22. Curl Away My Son (1.28)

23. News Travels (1.13)

24. The Little Clownfish From The Reef (1.15)

25. Darla Filth Offramp (2.22)

26. Lost In Fog (1.05)

27. Scum Angel (1.22)

28. Haiku (1.41)

29. Time To Let Go (2.22)

30. Sydney Harbor (0.28)

31. Pelicans (1.12)

32. Drill (0.50)

33. Fish In My Hair! (1.29)

34. All Drains Lead To The Ocean (1.36)

35. ... P. Sherman, 42 Wallaby Way, Sidney ... (0.39)

36. Fishing Grounds (1.41)

37. Swim Down (1.46)

38. Finding Nemo (1.19)

39. Fronds Like These (1.57)

40. Beyond The Sea: Robbie Williams (4.26)

Total Length: 60.24

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=== Link to Composer Site: Thomas Newman ===