About the Soundtrack: "
Horton Hears a Who" brings us the orchestral musings of
John Powell, who once again finds himself involved in a successful animated production that provided another exceptional scoring opportunity. Like much of his past work in the genre, he delivers the goods and then some -- it's a score that offers up a great time for one and all with 34 tracks that are full of color and energy. While the running time for each cue averages out to be 90 seconds or so, there are very few pauses in between the tracks, thus the mix allows for the score to flow a lot better than it might have.
What You Need to Know: Powell really knows how to get the job done, though you have to stick with him for the duration of his scores to realize that. I equate his scores to that of a successfully hitter in major league baseball...one who might start off cold in April, but by September, he's slugging the ball at a great clip and delivering the expected statistics. You see, I think I figured out the key to listening to Powell's work and that is to hear it out uninterrupted each time you put a soundtrack of his in the CD player. While the early moments might not bowl you over, you have to realize that he's just getting warmed up.
In "Horton Hears A Who," the score begins like a casual animated score would, offering music that paces the early activities with a relaxed and playful charm to it. There is a nice Hawaiian flavored motif that emerges in the first act that is so effective that it made me want to take a nap on a beach. It's in this laid back ranges of melodies that Powell started to lay down the foundation for the score, one that would build up to a phenomenal finish by the time it concludes.
As the music stirs up to another notch in the middle portion of the score, the flow picks up to another energy level and the music becomes a bit more serious. With the action that takes place on the screen during this time frame, the score begins to ramp up to its grand ending. All the while, I must say, the music kept getting more and more enjoyable with each passing track. This was already a fulfilling listening experience.
When the soundtrack reaches track 26, the score is ready to embark on a great 10 minutes of film music that rivals Powell's output from any other of his animated scores. With the choir, orchestra and high quality writing working at peak levels, the finale of "Horton Hears a Who" is one that all soundtrack fans should dive into. It's a great time and one that's worthy of repeat listens.
Final Grade: John Powell's writing is becoming more and more intricate, don't let the zaniness fool you. His playful yet accessible approach to "Horton Hears A Who" is certainly a welcome addition to his track record. It's a score that strays away from the cliches of most animated fare and lands in an arena where Michael Giacchino's "Ratatouille" roams -- at the very top of the genre. More specifically, one can finally compare his solo output in the genre to that of his collaborative efforts on "Antz" and "Chicken Run," that's how impressive this album is.
Keep on staying busy, John...you're doing great work.
