What You Need to Know: The music from
Nine takes a while to cranked up but it eventually finds its stride near the back end of the soundtrack. While this isn't great news for listeners expecting wall-to-wall entertainment, it is something to work with! Indeed, I was left a bit unimpressed with the first 20 to 25 minutes of the score as
Nine was lacking a thematic flow and a consistent tempo to it. As is the track record with many animated features, the music had a tendency of rapid stops and starts; any time I felt a motif was going to be expanded on, it suddenly halted to a stop. Granted, the music had to pace the developments on the screen, but it simply doesn't do much for the listening experience (which I agree, is secondary to the big picture). Ultimately, my slight issue with the early phase of the score is that it lacked the type of unique definition I was hoping would shape the world of
Nine, musically. Thankfully, that point was made inconsequential later in the score.
Starting on track 13, the soundtrack transitioned into the type of experience I was initially hoping for. It's no coincidence that the score becomes a bit more fluid in these portions, either. Freed from its constraints, Nine builds up to a rather nice, larger scope and also delivers the themes that Elfman was credited with writing. Though the main theme for Nine comes close to hitting a sweet spot, it is overall, a fairly generic one and it isn't Elfman's best. I would have preferred Lurie having a shot at this one in full. After all, if you're coming in to solely write the themes for the score, shouldn't they be substantial or memorable? That's like asking a designated hitter to bunt. In any case, this main theme does surface more prominently as Nine ramps up in size and in spirit toward the final set of cues. I particularly enjoyed the sharp, crisp sound of the string instruments and the strong marching tempo of the percussion in these instances. Truly, this is where the score sparks to life.
In all, Nine is a score best divided into two halves. The first is all about an underscore that offers tantalizingly brief bursts of the good stuff, while the second is where it progresses into something substantial and earns its stripes. It's also where it earns its recommendation.
Final Grade: Nine ultimately provides an above average soundtrack experience with a memorable highlights mixed in. While it's a bit frustrating when a score dabbles in greatness without ultimately reaching it, there is still something to be said about the enjoyment that such flirtation can bring.
