The Losers Composed by John Ottman
Pale Blue Ltd. (2010)
Rating:
6/10
Soundclips below from AmazonMP3
“The tone of the film obviously doesn’t allow OTTMAN the room to explore his
creative and potent ability to wield an orchestra, but the music for THE LOSERS
is nevertheless a showcase of precision crafting and intricate soundscapes.”
“Lost and Found”
Review by Marius Masalar
As far as comic book movies go, you could do a lot worse than THE LOSERS.
Sylvaine White’s take on the Vertigo property is violent and quick, but a solid
cast, funny writing, and good performances keep this train from stopping at the
mindless crap station for too long. And keeping the momentum up in a
surprisingly stylish manner is JOHN OTTMAN, whose recent work on ASTRO BOY
buoyed him back up closer to the level of public interest he once had for his
work on X2.
The tone of the film obviously doesn’t allow OTTMAN the room to explore his
creative and potent ability to wield an orchestra, but the music for THE LOSERS
is nevertheless a showcase of precision crafting and intricate soundscapes.
“Dead Men” (1) is a contemplative opening which, along with “Not Soldiers
Anymore” (2), establishes the instrumental palette for the score: guitars,
subtle synth work, rock organs, and layered percussive elements both live and
processed. The latter track introduces something of a theme — a quick riff,
really — that recurs to great effect several times throughout the score. It is
simple and rousing, but decidedly contemporary in its nobility.
When the theme is not prominently in play, as in tracks like “Miami Heist” (3),
“Max Factor” (4), and “Port Break-In” (6), the music feels a lot like a
collection of library tracks. It’s a feeling that’s difficult to shake on album,
despite the music’s authenticity to the action onscreen. “Interlude” (5) is a
peaceful and quiet recapitulation of the main theme, with some very delicate
Tibetan bowls chiming softly along with the synths and guitars.
“Mumbai Max” (7) is one of the most intriguing tracks on the album owing to the
tasteful mixing of various cultural elements into the standard punk rock sound.
Hearing an Indian sitar twanging along with African shakers and electric guitars
is an aural treat. “The Shoot Out” (8) is one of the straight-up action tracks
on display, and it’s got the excellent laidback, groovy, vibe that wouldn’t feel
out of place in a James Bond film, albeit with a bit more bite than one would
associate with the British badass. The raw synths and percussive stabs are high
on the cool factor, and OTTMAN really lets loose with a lot of clever synth
effects to punctuate and colour the sound. “Bad Business” (9) carries on with an
exploration of the diverse percussion elements in the score, with horns and a
waterphone crying out over all manner of drums. The string section even makes a
more prominent appearance near the end to lead into the extremely mellow and
ambient “Broken Trust” (10).
“Double Crossed” (11) broods its way to a satisfying action climax in a way
that’s reminiscent of a more modern Western score. “Good Catch” (12) features
some more creative sound design, but the cue is so sporadic that it’s difficult
to enjoy until the brief parting nod at the main theme. “Angle of the Dangle”
(13) and “Fake Out — Cool Reception” (14) build patiently to the climatic ending
with lots of percussion and a rocking bass line, until “Aisha’s Beef” (15), a
calmer track, breaks up the build in a way that’s not very positive. Thankfully,
“The Losers” (16) makes for an excellent ending: the theme is back in full force
and the whole range of moods is addressed.
Listening to THE LOSERS is undoubtedly fun, and it definitely has a consistent
identity, but the identity seems so familiar that even JOHN OTTMAN’s creativity
and experimental sound design can’t set it too far apart from the pack.
