After a quick start to the year in January and particularly February, film score releases slowed down a bit in March. However, that doesn’t mean there still weren’t some great scores. Whether you prefer classical orchestral scores, ambient, synth, or even accordion, March has something for you. If you think I’ve missed any scores from this month (or any past months), leave a comment or get in touch and I’ll check them out!
Have a quick read about each of these excellent scores below then be sure to give them a listen. Be sure to see what other scores you may have missed by reading past editions of this column.
Further, if you haven’t already then be sure to give a read (and a listen) to my rundown of my favorite scores of 2020.
Camellia Sisters – Christopher Wong, Garrett Crosby, and Ian Rees
Christopher Wong, Garrett Crosby, and Ian Rees return to score the fifth entry in the Vietnamese film series Gái Già Lắm Chiêu, Camellia Sisters. Like their scores for the previous films in the series, Camellia Sisters maintains a light, airy mood throughout with delightfully romantic overtures mixed in. However, in this entry the trio add darker, more mysterious orchestral undertones as well, reflecting the film’s more serious, less comedic tone. It’s a great combination of genres, making the score a full experience and ensuring the 69-minute length is worthwhile. The trio is clearly adept at more classical film scoring, something which has unfortunately fallen out of style.
Come True – Electric Youth and Pilotpriest
Like a lot of people, I first became familiar with Electric Youth from the Drive soundtrack, which heavily featured their song “A Real Hero.” After listening to their fantastic debut album follow-up Inner World, which released shortly afterward, I lost track of the band (despite a couple of releases thereafter, including the score Breathing). They’re finally back on my radar with their score to Come True, a collaboration with fellow Canadian electronic artist Pilotpriest (aka Anthony Scott Burns, who also wrote and directed the film). It’s an otherworldly synth atmosphere, whose enveloping darkness has the slightest hints of warmth. Its tonal, non-thematic nature may be too much for some listeners, but for the rest of us it continues 2021’s strong streak of synth scores.
Apstjärnan – Tania Naranjo and Minna Weurlander
It’s not often that you hear any meaningful amount of accordion in film music, let alone hear it dominate a score. This makes Apstjärnan a true rarity. Tania Naranjo and Minna Weurlander’s score for this Swedish language Scandinavian co-production is inspired, an endless source of energy and whimsy bolstered by its novel instrumentation. Weurlander (the band master and accordionist in Philip Glass’s upcoming Circus Days and Nights world premiere in Malmö) brings a bouncing vibrancy that Naranjo balances (and amplifies) with her delicate piano work. Though the intercontinental duo (Naranjo is Chilean while Weurlander is Finnish) have released several albums together, this is their first foray into film composing, but hopefully not their last!
The Courier – Abel Korzeniowski
Abel Korzeniowski’s score for The Courier took a couple of listens for me to really get into. Though it lacks some of the elegance and emotional resonance I expected (perhaps, in part, because of my repeat listens to Nocturnal Animals), it’s a tight score for this Cold War spy thriller. Korzeniowski manages to create significant tension despite a fairly minimal instrumentation selection. The most interesting aspect, though, is the noisy, discordant sections that erode the sheen and romanticization so often seen in this genre.
Happily – Joseph Trapanese
Joseph Trapanese’s score for Happily is one of the most interesting, eclectic scores so far this year. His strange, often ambient electronics are reminiscent of Harold Budd and Robin Guthrie, Vangelis, and even Mica Levi’s work on Monos. These are some of my favorite film composers, so it’s as if this score was tailor-made to meet my tastes and I can’t wait to hear more.
