Before listening to the first note of "the number 23," I had my doubts.  This was the type of movie that seemed like it would have a generic horror underscore, given the dark theme of the film, and I was concerned that the music would be bland to listen to.  Also, I'm hardly what you would call a fan of horror scores, so there was a lot going against this one right off the bat.  What was in its favor, however, was that Harry Gregson-Williams was behind the score and he traditionally delivers a solid impact on the films he's attached to.

 

I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the music.  Creating a soundscape that is genuinely unsettling, Gregson-Williams threw a variety of different techniques at this one and came out with a soundtrack that has its own identity.  However, the biggest factor in favor of this score is that it's cohesive and easy to listen to.  This day and age, there's something to be said about a psychological/horror film generating a score that has enough going for it to stand on its own.  Lets face it, many of the releases in this genre can be substituted for one another across the board without much of a noticeable difference or loss of quality.

 

In this soundtrack, one of the most efficients segments of music is a very raw, primal statement that appears more and more toward the end portion of the score.  It's original and damn unnerving!  If evil could breathe, this is the type of dark, melodic sound that I could envision hearing.  Kudos to Gregson-Williams for this unpleasant, delightful horror (rest assured, this IS a compliment).  Of near equal fright is the other-worldly sound of the synthetic choir that can be heard during the score.  There's something inherently not right with such artifical voices!  All these elements add tremendous substance to a storyline that is unsettling to begin with. 

 

While the bulk of the score is dark, there are also moments you can catch your breath.  You know the drill with this -- light, wavy chords of music that make you forget you're entrenched in a horror movie yet you know that you're being set up the whole time. The only difference here is that Gregson-Williams is able to deliver these moments with his exceptional knack for melody, which makes these sparse moments of hope very enjoyable to grasp onto.  This melodic, hopeful side also emerges in the final track, which makes one think a happy ending might be in store for the characters of the film?

 

Additionally, the soundtrack does only offer 9 tracks, but rest assured that there is plenty of music on the disc.  In fact, it's probably just the right amount as you don't want to see an underscore grab hold of your listening experience and dull you out.  No, this is the perfect balance of running time for a movie such as this, and the quality of the music makes it stand out even more.

Final Score: Harry Gregson-Williams adds some punch to the horrror music genre with his music for "the number 23."  It's frightening but enjoyable and has enough originality to make you want to listen to it again.