Brake [Soundtrack]

It's always great to see a composer flex every aspect of their musical talents. Everyone knows Brian Tyler for his fantastic orchestral approaches to massive sounding action scores. However here we get to see what he can do with extreme precision. Blending organic instruments and electronic distortion he crafts a very unique soundscape that pulls you into the story. I love that he was able to put a grounding central theme in this score where I feel many other composers wouldn't have. I need themes in my scores and Brian Tyler always has them. What follows is a tension crafting score with some intricate textures.

This isn't going to be a score you listen to often or while you're driving around town. It's a great mood building score though and it has such a well crafted atmosphere. If you need great writing music then I can't recommend this score enough. It pinpoints certain emotional beats very well and has a certain layer under all the ticks and twitches. I stress that the layer is under the electronics because it would have changed the whole dynamic of the score if that was flipped and he covered the minute textures with a quilt of music. Here he really builds layers to achieve his desired effect, and it works. Now, there is no real lasting effect and no grand emotional grasp but overall the score hooks you. If you're a fan of Harry Gregson-Williams then you should like what Brian Tyler is doing here.

The score is all about precision without going overboard. This is not a loud or bombastic score. It finds a rhythm and stays with it. The tempo will boil up and down, but it will never step on the gas pedal to go full force. The music does a great job of building moods and atmospheres while still being thematic. This is just great execution from a composer exploring a different end of the musical spectrum.

Brian Tyler is a well-known composer for doing big action pieces and action-thrillers, including AVPR, Fast Five, and the video game Modern Warfare 3. With brake, Brian Tyler accomplished something different; a score that is both heart-pounding and emotionally gripping at the same time. If you watch the movie before listening to the music, you can pick out the moments when certain music is played, matching the terrifying ordeal Stephen Dorff's character goes through. Now, it's not an Award-winning soundtrack, but it sure as hell is a great one, echoing sentiments to Hans Zimmer and Ramin Djawadi. My personal favorite on the soundtrack is Coda, because it marks the mysterious end to the film, and does so with a dark track that foreshadows something truly awful to come.

Overall, Brake is a must-own for anyone who appreciates classical/instrumental music or movie scores/soundtracks. Brian Tyler should stick to this kind of stuff, and hopefully stays with the Fast & Furious series because Fast Five had great action-movie music