Although January may have gotten off to a slow start (spurred on largely by 2021 film scores that for some reason had delayed releases), February brings 2022 into high gear! Chief among these are Michael Giacchino’s The Batman, which will likely end up on many people’s best-of lists at the end of the year, and a personal favorite, Colin Stetson’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre, one of the most brutal scores in quite some time. As always, 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!

With February picking up the pace for 2022, there were (as always) too many scores released this month for me to me to cover! Make sure to scroll to the end of this article for a list of even more February scores to check 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 or listen to me talk about some of these releases:

KIMI – Cliff Martinez (Review)

KIMI sees longtime collaborators Cliff Martinez and Steven Soderbergh finally reunite (after a ~seven-year absence). It’s a surprising score for Martinez given how much the orchestral palette dominates while the electronic aspects are far more complementary. Although the film is a thriller, Martinez rarely feels its urgent pace. Instead, he mixes tension with a dreamlike atmosphere (thanks in large part to his use of marimba). The mixture highlights how much a surreal, unbelievable experience the events of the film must be for its main character. KIMI really is my ideal type of score release; its short, curated nature makes it endlessly re-listenable.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre – Colin Stetson (Review; Interview)

Colin Stetson made big waves when his score for Hereditary released, but he’s been content to stay in the periphery, carefully choosing projects and releasing a score every year or two. Texas Chainsaw Massacre marks his 2022 return. It’s a dense, sludge-like score with suffocating layers; Leatherface’s portent of doom. Like the film, Stetson’s score set out to punish viewer and character alike, warping his bass saxophone and piano (alongside Tibetan single bowls, turkey calls, and pained groans) into an auditory warpath. None of us are safe.

The Batman – Michael Giacchino

Perhaps the biggest score so far this year is Michael Giacchino’s The Batman. The two-hour length is immense, and it’s easy to see why some viewers and listeners found the music frustratingly repetitive. But that’s the nature of the score, or at least it’s most renown, repeated element: the Batman theme. The two-note march (oft derided for being too similar to Williams’ Imperial March) is a constant, relentless force, pushing forward no matter the context, obstacles, or setbacks. In that regard, for me it’s always brought to mind Brad Fiedel’s main theme for Terminator, which similarly invokes an unstoppable presence.

It’s also buttressed by, among other things, a melodic Bruce Wayne motif, a Riddler theme (based in large part on Schubert’s Ave Maria), and a Catwoman theme that doubles as a love theme. That latter piece is the most striking of the score, with its lush romanticism adding a needed emotional counterweight. I normally deride long scores, The Batman’s two hours always fly by. This is Giacchino at his best, and will certainly be among many listeners’ best-of lists at the end of the year.

Occhiali Neri (Dark Glasses) – Arnaud Rebotini

Despite it being Dario Argento’s first film in a decade, Occhiali Neri (Dark Glasses) released without much fanfare. It’s a particular shame given Arnaud Rebotini’s fun score. Much of it consists of frenetic, throwback dark electronic tracks that are as silly as they are invigorating. These eventually give way to slower, creeping dark ambient tracks (though even these aren’t free safe from some 90s/early 2000s edm interventions). It’s a catchy, tongue-in-cheek experience. But approaching the music without that mindset will ruin the mood, likely resulting in an eye roll and quick album change.

A Few More Scores

As often happens, there were simply too many great scores released in February to cover, so here are a few more:

  • Pharma Bro – Graham Walsh
  • Death on the Nile – Patrick Doyle
  • Fireheart (Vaillante) – Chris Egan
  • A Perfect Enemy – Alex Baranowski
  • Sorority – Derek Kirkup (Interview)
  • A Banquet – CJ Mirra (Interview)
  • Leonora addio – Nicola Piovani
  • On Our Own Island – Dominique Charpentier
  • Strawberry Mansion – Dan Deacon
  • The Duke – George Fenton
  • Rose – Henrik Skram
  • Sans Repit – Paul-Marie Barbier and Julien Grunberg
  • Unsilenced – Ian Chen
  • Whirlybird – Ty Segall

Want to stay up-to-date on the latest releases? Check out my new playlist of notable new film scores (updated regularly):