About the Soundtrack: The former lead singer of Faith No More, Mike Patton, makes a transition toward film music with his score for the independent short, "A Perfect Place." The soundtrack for this 25 minute film offers more music than one would expect for a movie with such a lean running time, thus there is ample opportunity to see if Patton makes the cut as a film composer. The added value of this soundtrack release is that the DVD of the film also comes with it, making this a rather rare daily double.
What You Need to Know: Rock musicians turned composers are relatively rare in the world of filmmaking, but that's not to say it isn't anything new. A recent example is the work commissioned from Jonny Greenwood for the film, "There Will Be Blood," an altogether overrated and mystifying experience. I was one of the few who found that score to be a mismatch for the film itself and found it to be even worse as a stand alone listening experience. Needless to say, after that bit of exposure, I had a few reservations about what Patton would deliver for the little known film project, "A Perfect Place." Who knew that I would be blown away by Patton's work by the time the last track concluded?
As soon as the score opens up, there is an immediate vibe of originality and grandness to it. Indeed, the theatrical notes came out blazing in the first few moments of the album and I was immediately consumed by it. All of a sudden, the film didn't seem so small any more.
Patton's first prudent move was to create an identifiable motif for his work on this film, which he does so effectively and with variation. It was nice to see that he embraced the idea of crafting melodies that are catchy and memorable instead of simply aspiring to create some sort of odd, experimental, statement album. Granted, the music isn't totally main stream, as there are a few moments of experimentation that might annoy the traditional listeners (the audio of channel surfing, for example). But, if you're game for taking on something new in the world of film music, you will totally get some enjoyment out of this one.
The next solid decision that Patton made was not to stray away from any of his strong suits, most notably his vocal talents. That being the case, he delivers a home-run with his vocal cue on track 4, providing a lyrical number that fits perfectly in place with the rest of the instrumental material, thus making the album even more diverse.
The repeat value for this soundtrack is high...I found myself listening to this one a few times over. I didn't think that such a pattern would have been possible going into this. Even more impressive is that Patton performed much of the material on this album on his own, truly showcasing his musical talents in a variety of ways. When I took into account all the instruments, techniques and sounds that came across on this polished recording, all I could do is tip my cap for a job well done.
Final Score: Overall, I was taken aback by how original the music was. The score, which is non-orchestral by the way, has a life and energy of its own. While Patton strays close to the experimental regions of musical accessibility in some moments, he never crosses the line to make this score unapproachable. As an end result, he created an album that is unlike any I have heard in recent years, exciting and fun, unique and daring and certainly one that puts him on the map in the world of film music. It will be interesting to see where he goes from here but I do know that wherever it is, I will be ready to tune in for another ride.
