If you've heard any of Ben Foster's or Murray Gold's other soundtracks for Torchwood or the new Doctor Who, you'll have a good idea what to expect from this- more superb, epic soundtrack music that reflects and compliments the drama in two of TV's best shows in years.
No expense seems to get spared on the music for these shows- this whole album is performed by the BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, who give a fantastically rich performance. There are a few touches of additional programming, but less so here than in the previous Torchwood soundtrack album- this one is more straightforwardly orchestral.
The formula is just beginning to get a tiny bit predictable though. Each piece of music could be put into one of a few simple categories: there's chase music, suspense music, horror music (discordant) and emotional-drama music, that's pretty much the four options. Emotional drama inevitably means the introduction of one high-toned vocalist going 'aahhhhhh' throughout the theme, and the chase music does always seem to have the same rhythms. But it's a formula that's not broken, so why fix it?
"Run For Your Lives" is a personal favourite. "The Ballad Of Ianto Jones", despite apparently having a bit of cult status among fans, is actually a weak point on this album.
It's a bold, epic, huge soundtrack that stands up as a music album in its own right. It's great.