CD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD REVIEW - THE NEXT THREE DAYS


The Next Three Days
Music by Danny Elfman
Silva Screen SILCD 1352
25 Tracks 71:32 mins

On 24th January, Silva Screen records release Danny Elfman's score for the Paul Haggis thriller The Next Three Days, starring Russell Crowe.
It's hard to believe that a big name composer like Elfman is still subject to the "curse of the temp track" but, from listening to his score, it seems pretty obvious that the film was temped with Alexandre Desplat's music for the likes of Birth and, more especially, Syriana. I say this because some of the tracks have the same annoying rhythmic pulse that, for me, all but completely ruined Desplat's scores for those films. Leaving these tracks aside (because I just can't bear to listen to them), we are left with a largely piano-based score, with some quite poignant and emotional writing in the likes of "Prologue;" "What She's Lost; the cello-lad "Same Old Trick;" "All is Lost;" "That's OK;" "Touch;" "Reunion;" "The Truth," which picks up a pop beat and wordless female vocal somewhere along the way; and the closing "The Aftermath;" whilst tracks like "A Way In;" "Pittsburgh is Tough;" "Don Quixote;" the lengthy "Breakout;" and "They're Off" offer more propulsive, dramatic fare.
Things take a brief middle-eastern turn in "The Evidence," complete with wailing ethnic vocals, but otherwise it is grounded in the more conventional western sound.
This lengthy album closes with a couple of numbers by Moby, if you're into that sort of thing.
Go to www.silvascreenmusic.com/shop/299/Danny-Elfman/329650/The-Next-Three-Days.aspx for samples and to pre-order the album on CD or as a digital download.