Little Children (Score) [Soundtrack, Import]

-This is probably one of the most peaceful scores I've ever heard. It's the type that you listen to when you're done doing stuff you're not suppose to do till you're married and in the mood for something quiet and not something that makes your ears bleed. Fans of great composer Thomas Newman will no doubt be in familiar territory with the score which features classic Newman sounds like beautiful string writing and that sad little piano, but not to fear since he doesn't just simply rip himself off, but writes a very refreshing score.

-The highlight on the album for me is fantastic "Bandshell" track. I think it's for the gorgeous shot in the movie when Brad is watching the kids skate in slow motion. It starts off in an almost comedic way with pizzicato strings then the bowed strings kick in playing a very peaceful tune that just warms your heart. Newman also throws in a skittering piano around the 45 sec. mark which always reminds me of Danny Elfman for some reason. He also throws in some synths and it actually works in this case and blends in nicely with the strings instead of standing out or giving one a headache.

-Other great tracks include "It's Wrong and It's Weird", "Lucy", "Pool Days", "Mae", "Be a Good Boy" and of course the fantastic "End Titles". "It's Wrong and It's Weird" accompanies the first sex scene and Newman absolutely nails the whole odd nature of that scene. The two characters are glad they're doing it, but at the same time feel weird and the music captures that weirdness very nicely. "Lucy", "Pool Days" "Be a Good Boy", and "Mae" are all lovely string and piano pieces with some very cool other worldly synths thrown in there. They kinda remind me of Isham's stuff from "Crash" only Newman does it better :)

-The End Title music here is by far one of the best pieces of music I've ever heard in my 22 year life on this planet. It starts off simply with strings playing a simple melody and just keeps on growing for almost 8 minutes. Those familiar with Newman will recognize the string writing since it sounds like something out of "Road To Perdition", but his writing here although being familiar is fresh and my 2nd favorite cue on the album. About 4 minutes into it Newman adds some very beautiful woodwinds to compliment the strings and the occasional snare drum hit which makes for a very pleasing musical experience.

-The album whiles being for the large part excellent does have it problems and for me those were primarily the droning synths that just made no sense to me. Tracks like "Late Hit" just feature nothing but weird synths that don't play any particular melody but just drone and moan throughout the track without a purpose. "What's the Hurry?" also features the same problem. Don't get me wrong it works well in the movie when you're watching the weird little scenes that the music accompanies, but when you're just listening to it by itself it just doesn't work. Gets really irritating after a while and for me it stopped the album from being perfect for me. But hey that's my opinion, I'm sure others will love the use of it, it just wasn't my cup of tea.

-It's a fantastic album that if only it didn't have the annoying droning synths on a few of the tracks, would have gotten a perfect score from me. It's very relaxing and dreamlike, and has one hell of an End Title cue.

Thomas Newman definetaly ought to earn an Oscar for this score. It's simply amazing. As one listens to it, he can see the whole life. All the feelings, that exist in the world, are in this music. Love, hatred, fear, anger, rage, calmness, sorrow, and so on, and so forth. As if we listened to life itself. Newman is a master of orchestrating, we can hear phantastic instruments, and the electronic noises are mixed perfectly with the classical intstruments, such as the flute. Newman's music is always a new experience, always a great journey for the mind. This time is no exception.

This is a five star score, but a two star album. The absolute best piece in the film is the End Credits, but the recording on this album is a completely different version, with enormously different orchestration. The brutal percussion that dominates the film version is not here at all, changing the tone of the piece entirely, and the second half of the album version wanders off into a strange ethereal piece that is not heard in the fiml at all. I had to buy a copy of the DVD to get the "End Credits" I loved so much in the theater. Why, oh why, did they not put that piece on the album?