What You Need to Know: When a score is created, what is the world that is developed by the music? Will the listener have a sense that the music tells its own story in relation to the film? With The Red Canvas, James Peterson creates a unique identity for the film with a score that is an absolute delight to listen to.
In a world where one score can be substituted into another genre without missing a beat, the score for The Red Canvas is an original piece of work that lands firmly in the domain of the film it was written for. Accept no substitutes, this is the real deal. The score has, for the lack of a better phrase, a bad-ass appeal about it that is difficult to turn away from. I felt as though I was ready to knuckle up as I heard the aggressive, old-school energy that James had on display here. With that said, though, there is also has a softer melodic side that counters the action, which evens out the listening experience quite nicely.
During my listening experience, the score ultimately built up to one epic pay off for me, and that would be for the eleven minute track, Ballet for Brawlers. This extended cue, which by the way is perhaps the coolest track title one can come up with, is a score lovers dream, a tour de force of bare fisted energy that has an addictive style that you’ll not soon forget. In fact, I never knew eleven minutes could go by so quickly; I was ready to cue it up again immediately! Indeed, listening to this masterful track, you will imagine yourself in the middle of some modern gladiatorial arena embroiled in the fight of your life. Ballet for Brawlers is intense, tough, and has a very catchy sequence of notes in it that is sure to impress.
