I've been waiting on a new soundtrack release from Richard Wells ever since I became an instant fan of him after his memorable work on, The Mutant Chronicles, a "B" movie jaunt that's better than most from the same vein. With its stirring, heroic march, an overall thematic balance, and a dark side that was quite formidable, The Mutant Chronicles album scored high marks for me and it is still a soundtrack I regularly turn to today. With Being Human, I knew that the scope had changed by contrast to The Mutant Chronicles, but I was still eager to see what Richard would deliver for this hybrid television series from the U.K.

Being Human is a show that is essentially a supernatural drama depicting werewolves, vampires, ghosts, and I'm sure, plenty of other frightening components that go bump in the night. The soundtrack, which was released by Silva Screen Records, features music from its first 2 seasons and makes for quite an enjoyable listen. Of the 24 cues on the album, most are relatively brief and last just long enough to give you a sample of a particular scene or moment from the show. There is a sense of being left wanting more, but this is a good thing! I'm not particularly a fan of soundtracks that pack on the running time just to ensure every piece of music makes the cut. The sense I get from the Being Human release is that careful consideration was applied to which of the tracks made the final tally and a determination placed on how they would best flow in an album experience. There is a sense of craftsmanship and resourcefulness at work with this production that shouldn't be glossed over, especially when you realize that the melodies, ambience, and payoff moments come together in such a well-arranged fashion. Even the intentionally disturbing passages had something unique to offer and this is saying something for me as I don't usually partake in the darker side of film and television music. Here though, I appreciated the intensity that got dialed up when needed, like with the track, "Annie's Door". This one is a particularly raw, nightmarish cue that takes darkness to a level not usually heard in a television score.

Where Being Human ultimately succeeds, however, is not with a brooding or aggressive darkness, but rather, with more of a well-rounded variety of tracks that makes this album a bit more diverse than you might initially suspect. The emotional touches that flourish are reminders of just how skilled Richard is at bringing the subject matter, no matter how foreign or exotic that it might be, back to more of a human level so we can all relate. This is a keen skill and it seems to serve him -- and the show -- quite well.

Lastly, this is not the type of listening experience where you should go in expecting a sprawling, gothic type of score. This one taps into more of the vibe of its characters as opposed to the general conventions of a horror soundtrack, just as I'm sure the producers of the show hoped for. That said, no further advice or disclaimers are needed. This score is a modest success and can stand on its own, even with the limited resources that were made available for the music production. It provides 45 minutes of eclectic and interesting material brought together by a composer who continues to impress.