CD REVIEW - EAGLE EYE


Eagle Eye
Music by Brian Tyler
Varese Sarabande VSD 6927 (EU)
22 Tracks 77:28 mins


You can usually depend on Brian Tyler to come up with some pretty exciting action music. He has done so consistently in the past for projects like AVPR, Timeline, Fast & the Furious: Rambo et al, and this new Shia LeBeouf thriller is no exception, with much of the music on this generous CD being high octane stuff indeed.
After a weighty opening, the title theme proceeds with much power and bombast, with the action kicking in over the "Main Title," a fast and thrilling ride, featuring variations on the main theme. The theme is again present in the initially expectant "Final Manipulations," before the action kicks in again. More excitement can be found in "Escape," "Ladders," "Clutch Then Shift," and "The Case;" whilst "Delivery offers a menacing countdown to a big climax; with the menace continuing in the subsequent "Hidden Message,"where the main theme bursts forth powerfully at the close; and the later "Injection." The lengthy "Operation Guillotine" builds to a powerful crescendo, the moves expectantly to the climax; with the final showdown presumably enacted in the powerful "Potus 111," with its dissonant stringed climax.
In between, "Honor" adds a touch of nobility and a slight martial feel to proceedings; whilst "Ariia" and "Loss of a Twin" add a note of tragedy, with poignant piano solos. There's a contemporary, electric guitars-driven feel to "Copyboy" and a similar treatment is given to the main theme over the "End Title," bringing things to a benign close.
Many of the album's tracks, particularly the action cues are quite a decent length, allowing for plenty of development in the music and providing a satisfying listen.
Another winner for Tyler, who incidentally has recently written another action-packed score for "Bangkok Dangerous."