CD/DIGITALDOWNLOAD REVIEW - HOWL


Howl
Music by Carter Burwell
Lakeshore Records (US)
12 Tracks 35:58 mins

Available from Lakeshore Records now, as a digital download, and on CD from October 19th, is Carter Burwell's score for Howl, which stars James Franco as Beat Generation chronicler Allen Ginsberg.
The opening track of the fairly brief album, "Supernatural Darkness," is filled with guitar-lead mysticism, and "I Saw the Best Minds" continues in that mode, building in wonderment before being carried along by piano and strings. "From Park to Pad to Bar to Bellevue" introduces a jazz rhythm to propel it steadily on its way, before taking a more driven turn. "Weeping in the Park" is a morose effort for string quartet, and mercifully quite brief, whereas "And Their Heads Shall Be Crowned" briefly returns us to that same feeling of wonderment, before being interrupted by harsh electric guitar work, which heralds an exhilarating climax. "My Mother" follows, and offers strings-lead sentiment, with piano taking the lead to conclude the track. "Now Denver is Lonesome For Her Heroes" is initially a sad affair, although the "wonderment" feel does return to close the track. "Prophecy" opens intimately on piano, before those harsh electric guitars return, with the track concluding purposefully to close. "Moloch!" takes a little while to get going, but a weaving cello theme then propels it forward, accompanied by piano.
"I'm With You in Rockland" is a base-driven piece, which continues into the penultimate track "Angelic Bombs," with "Holy" closing out the album in more guitars-lead wonderment.
This is an intimate, melodic little score - nothing too much to get very excited about, but a pleasant enough listen, if you like things more on the quiet side.