About the Soundtrack: From the documentary film "Darfur Now," Graeme Revell re-enters the film music scene with a respectable entry. It's been quite a while since I've listened to a new soundtrack from Revell, so it was a pleasant surprise to see him as the composer for this documentary. The soundtrack offers 21 tracks, all of which are delivered in vintage Revell style, with a blend of electronic and live instruments. In short, if you appreciate the composer's style, you'll find more of the same here.
What You Need to Know: "Darfur Now" features quite a bit of star power from Hollywood, with many big names choosing Darfur (Clooney, Cheadle, etc) as their worthwhile cause to make a stand for. While the political agendas of those in Hollywood do irk me, I do have to say that if they wind up helping people in the end, than it's all good as far as I'm concerned.
As far as the music -- Graeme Revell, where have you been? Once, Revell was one of the busiest composers in the business but now, he seems to be relegated to smaller films and even video game projects. Not sure why this is the case, and I am even more uncertain as to why the industry has seemingly turned a cold shoulder towards him, but lets hope this project gets him back into circulation.
The music for "Darfur Now" is a shade above typical documentary music. While the score never does seem to rise beyond the scope of the project, Revell is able to provide moments of interest, particularly during the score's opening and closing tracks. With this album, it's all about getting through the mundane middle.
As usual with Revell, expect a variety of different instruments in use with the native element and traditional guitars as the most prominent, featured pieces. There are also electronic attributes to the score (no surprise there) but it doesn't reach annoying levels and more importantly, it doesn't disrupt the flow of the music. Like Zimmer, Revell has his own style when it comes to blending live instruments and electronic tools and it's no different here.
Revell's thematic influences are only slightly represented. The score begins with a quiet theme of reflection that is both emotional and subtle at once but the rest of the material never expands on this motif...at least in the manner I would have hoped. I suppose a full orchestral statement is hard to come by in a Documentary format. Nevertheless, the score's first act does offer some memorable cues and had me thinking Revell was on his way with a winner. The quality takes a dip during the second act (I've divided the score into 3 parts) as a darker underscore takes shape. When the album hits the final set of tracks, the score's quality sparks back to life and it's here that the score offers its best moments. Specifically, the use of a female soloist adds another layer of emotion to the work and the music behind her plays as well as it does on the whole soundtrack. The material peaked at the right time.
Final Grade: I would have to say "Darfur Now" is a decent choice for general soundtrack fans. While there isn't any one instance that you'll find yourself blown away by it, there are enough emotional passages to make this one passable. It's a middle of the road verdict that leans closer to a thumbs-up than down. Indeed, it's not a glowing endorsement, but it's the truth.
